Realms Converge
by Arei-The Peridot Dragon
Summary: Edits being done, need new beta for this one. Original Character Intro. My name is Katrina.I have survived torment and torture at the hands of a madman. Somehow during my escape I landed in a dying and decaying realm that should not exist... will I be able to thrive here? OC, M/F. adult content/themes you are warned. Don't get to Nosgoth itself til chap 5. Complete!
1. Into Darkness

Authors note: This is a revamp of my first real Story so I hope everyone will enjoy. Can be found on adultfanfiction and archiveofour own as well. Reviews are appreciated. Always good to know if I'm keeping Kain and the others as in character as possible with a fanfic.

I do not own Legacy of Kain or any of the characters mentioned in this Fan Fiction save for Katrina, Auron and Nikolai. There are a few lemons in this story but I will try to mark them out in ways that can allow them to be skipped. Thank you again everyone!

A/N Two: I have an official editor for this story now! Ellara Levellan is now helping me out as I review everything and fix any errors. Thank you Ellara!)

Hope you all enjoy!

Edits as of 05/2017

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Chapter One: Into Darkness

My name is Katrina and I have one hell of a story to share with you if you are willing to read this.

It started on what was a typical Saturday evening for me.

I had been wearing my usual black on black attire, not goth really, but still a loose black t-shirt and black pants that did give off a kind of darkish look. My dark black hair, short though it was, was pulled back into something that resembled a ponytail. My green eyes were hidden behind a pair of soft shades meant to help reduce some of the brightness of the neon lights. My eyes had always been sensitive.

I'd finished with my college classes for the day and had gone off to my part-time job at the mall just a few miles away. A nice little shop that sold weapons. Mostly swords, daggers, knives and the like but also things like crossbows, short bows and long bows. A great place for a weapon-nut to go hang out and/or work at. It was one of those slow paced jobs that was filled with idle chatter with co-workers or regular or checking and cleaning stock. On occasion I'd get a few pointers from the store's owner on how to use a particular weapon during the quieter nights.

I'd always loved the place.

The shift itself went smoothly and I waved goodbye to the owner before starting home. After taking a moment to glance at my watch and, on seeing that it was going on midnight, I decided to take a back route home. I wanted to get home a little faster tonight as Mom's mood hadn't been all that great when I'd left home. I ducked behind a large building and then into the alleyway behind it, making a no-nonsense bee-line for home. Thankfully, Mom and I lived on the very edges of Las Vegas proper and this section of the city could be surprisingly quiet when compared to the constant noise near all the casinos and resorts. The steady roar of the inner city faded to a dull throb and the residential areas were usually more peaceful.

It was one of the few things we agreed on any more. Mom and I... well, there were a lot of things that we fought about these days.

I felt my good mood plummet at that last thought. Ever since she and dad got divorced back when I was five, and with him dying in a car accident barely a week after the divorce had been finalized, she has been difficult to deal with. She hadn't been so bad when I was younger, but ever since I graduated high school, she spent her time drinking herself into a drunken stupor. I was worried that one of these days I'd come home to find her dead from alcohol poisoning... sad days when the kid in the house was more responsible than the adult. Hells, I'd even tried to get her in to see a therapist on occasion, or one of those alcoholics anonymous meetings, but every time I tried... it just seemed to make her drinking habits worse.

I laughed softly to myself in bitter mirth and I made my way into the narrow part of the alleyway, squeezing past a few trashcans. I knocked over one of the cans and managed to catch it before it could clatter to the ground. I started to straighten out the lid and then froze. My melancholy thoughts ground to a halt. I was suddenly, inexplicably, nervous and I glanced around myself warily.

A wave of fear filled me with the sudden, almost palpable sensation, that not only was I being watched, but that I was in a great amount of danger. I'd always had good instincts about these kinds of things and I found myself suddenly wishing I'd taken the long way around instead of ducking into the usually quiet alleyway. I reached casually toward my belt as I straightened up and cursed when my fingers brushed nothing but my belt. I'd forgotten my mace spray.

I started forward again, intent on darting home. I'd barely taken two steps before I was caught from behind in a sudden choke hold. A damp cloth was forced hard against my mouth and over my nose. The cloth reeked of some kind of pungent fluid. I fought as much as I could to get free of my captor's strong grasp, but the chemical on the cloth, some kind of ether, worked too fast on my system, and the scent was far too strong. Not a single breath could be taken that was not filled with that foul odor. My body started to go limp and my eyelids grew heavy. I tried to pull away one more time, one last desperate struggle to get free as I tried to kick loose, before I finally passed out and sank into the darkness of unconsciousness.

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Reviews are welcome!


	2. Out of the Frying Pan

A bit of reference to torture in this chappi. Hope you all like the story so far. I know we aren't in Nosgoth as of yet but please bear with me, it will be a few chapters until Katrina actually gets there.

Edits done by my dear Beta Ellara Levellan. Yay!

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Chapter two: Out of the Frying Pan...

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I finally woke up from my drug induced slumber. I couldn't be sure of how long it had been, as there were no windows nor signs of a clock anywhere within the room I had woken up in. Perhaps it had been hours or maybe even a day or more had gone by, as I found that I felt hungry and thirsty as all hell. I blinked awake slowly and, as I glanced down to check my present physical state, I took a brief moment to count myself _lucky_ that I was at least still _alive_ after being jumped the way I had been. Alive meant that I had a chance to get free. I _seemed_ to be in good physical condition as well; nothing felt broken, I wasn't bleeding from any visible injury, nor did I feel any aches that signaled bruising. Another plus was that my clothing all seemed to be in one piece. So far things were... as okay as they could be all things considered.

I wasn't _entirely_ certain if I could trust my still drug addled senses though. There might be potential injuries that were not obviously apparent, but at the same time I wasn't sure if I should bother trying to analyze the true state my body was in. There was no reason to make a bad situation worse by focusing on any wounds that I just had not yet noticed. I didn't need to have a panic attack. I needed to keep as level a head as I could. _If_ I could... _Shit_...

I realized a few seconds, minutes perhaps, after regaining my senses that I had at some point been securely chained to the wall I had been leaning against. I took a slow breath and the scent of blood and of death hung thick in the air around me. I let out a huff of breath to try to clear the scent from my nose. It was a unique scent that normally lingered in a desert for a long time near road-kill, so it was a scent I sadly knew and knew well. In the distance, outside of the room I was held in and perhaps close by, I thought I could hear... what sounded like pain and fear filled _screams_ and _sobbing cries._ I turned my head from side to side and looked around at my surroundings as I tried to fight off the growing fear. I frowned a bit in confusion as I glanced about at the dimly lit room.

The only description I had for where I was would be that of a _dungeon room._ There was even an old fashioned _rack_ to the right of me, about fifteen feet away. As I focused I realized there was actually dried blood on the wood, which made it frighteningly clear that it was not a prop of some sort but something that was put to use quite regularly. A... disturbing and terrifying thought that. I swallowed roughly to stifle a small sound of fear that wanted to escape me.

I looked up, away from the rack, and saw that the ceiling of the room was about twenty feet up and, hanging from it, I saw that there a kind of steel cage. The bottom of the cage was about ten feet above my head and positioned more near the center of the room. I had to bite my lip in disgust as I realized that laying inside of it was the old, decaying remains of _someone_. I felt horrible seeing that body, the dull thought of 'Oh... poor guy... gal...?' ran through my shocked mind. One rotting arm hung out of the side of the cage, held together by only a few bits of rotting flesh and sinew. The arm swung back and forth slowly like a decayed pendulum and looked ready to fall apart at any moment. It looked... it looked like some of the muscle or sinew had finally snapped which had freed the limb to swing so as the cage that the decayed body lay in was completely still. I had to close my eyes for several long seconds as I counted slowly until my stomach stopped churning from the disgust and horror I felt. The reality of _where I was_ began to thoroughly sink into my skull.

As I re-opened my eyes and continued to take in the horrors of the room, I suddenly noticed the body of a man hanging upside-down from his ankles on the wall directly across from me. He was dressed in what seemed to be a black business suit and looked as if he had either just recently _left_ for work or had been _heading home_ from work and he seemed to be completely out of place in this dungeon, save for one, small thing. The man's throat and both wrists had been slit wide and his blood was slowly pouring out of the gaping wounds to freely run down his arms in thick rivulets to drip from his fingers into a pitcher that had been set up directly beneath him.

Just by looking at that still form, and by the slow thickness of the blood that dripped from his body, I could tell that he was dead and had been for some time. Only _gravity_ was causing the remaining blood in his body to flow out of him, not the pumping of a heart. I looked closer at the pitcher that was collecting the dark red liquid that flowed out of the man and saw, as if to confirm the fact the man had been there for a long time, that the pitcher itself was full, overflowing actually. There was actually a large, wide puddle of cooled and congealing blood that had spread in a wide circle around it.

I fought to make sense of just where I could possibly be and what in the hell could be going on, as well as continued to fight to keep whatever contents that were still in my stomach _in_ my stomach. I tugged at the chains that held me to the wall, testing the bindings, as I tried to figure out why the hell I had been placed in here, exactly where 'here' could be, and why... just _why_ had the man across from me had been killed? More importantly, why he had been killed in such a way? Why had his throat been slit? Why his blood was being collected in a pitcher? Was I trapped here, waiting helplessly for the same thing to be done to me? Fuck, shit and _damnation_ , I _hoped_ not. I didn't want to _die_... and I also didn't want to end up on the obviously used rack _either_!

Minutes later, a door that I had not noticed opened with a loud, shrill squeak that caused me to freeze in the middle of my continued struggles to get free of the shackles that held me. Through the door stepped a lone figure. A person that I, briefly, hoped would give me some kind of answer to my questions and let me free of this... this place. Little did I realize it at the time, but my hopes were well and truly in vain.

The man that entered the room seemed to be about half a foot taller than I was, which would put him at roughly six-foot-three as I stood at five-foot-six. His skin was pale white, like that of polished ivory. His form was framed by the robe that he wore and added to the natural, physical beauty that he possessed. The robe itself was a deep purple color, dark enough that it was nearly black. The color stood out sharply against the stark paleness of his flesh.

His clothing looked to be of very fine make, almost like that of an old noble style of dress, though he seemed to be wearing very little clothing other than said robe and a pair of leather pants. The purple folds of the robe, not bound by a tie of any sort, fell half open as he walked and showed off his toned, bare chest. His hair was long, past his shoulders and was a dark silver in color. He had it tied back in a loose ponytail with some kind of dark-green silk ribbon.

As he turned his gaze to me I noticed that his eyes were a dark, deep forest green color that made the ribbon in his hair seem dull and lifeless. Eyes that were also flecked with odd silver highlights. In all, he was more _beautiful_ than handsome and yet there was a deadly energy around him that made me nervous. No, not just _nervous_ , but _frightened_ beyond any fear I had ever felt before even counting the fear I had felt upon _waking up in a fucking dungeon_. Some deep instinct within me screamed 'predator', 'danger' and 'run'. I did _not_ want this man anywhere near me, as something about him made me think that the simple slit throat and wrists of the business man across the room would be a _blessing_ compared to the evils that this man normally enjoyed inflicting upon others. I kept my head down, my own softer green eyes half-lidded and my chin tucked in order to try to hide the fact that I was awake.

My body _screamed_ for me to run, to escape, to do something besides hang there in my bindings and stare at him in numb shock. I swallowed slowly and I couldn't help but give another small, hesitant and testing tug to the chains that bound me to the wall. He turned his full attention to me and smiled widely when he saw that I was awake and I felt myself recoil at the sight of his smile.

 _He has fangs_ , I thought to myself, _why does he have fangs? Was he some kind of Vampire wannabe...?_

His voice was yet another shock to my system as he spoke and my body shuddered violently with a sudden flash of . . . _desire_? The _hell_?

His voice was smooth and... _sweet_ , yet it held such a tantalizingly dark energy to it. Like a chocolate treat that you knew was poisoned, but _oh lord_ what a way to _go_. His voice somehow held me still and kept me from struggling any further to get free of my bindings. My body shook with a mix of fear and _unreasonable_ desire that couldn't have been natural. It took _all_ of my self control to focus on his words instead of on his voice and... that lithe body. I shook my head violently. It was like he was trying to control me simply by _speaking_.

"Awake at last, my newest pet?" he said, "Bon . . . Bon."

He said something else in French before he laughed. A soft, sultry sound of noise. He flashed another fanged grin at me as he moved past me to the hanging body and the pitcher that sat on the ground beneath said form. He picked the container up in his right hand then made his way back to my side. As he moved he kept his gaze locked on mine and he took a slow sip from the pitcher. Somehow he turned the act of drinking blood, something that should have been completely and utterly _disgusting_ , into something that bordered on sensual. I shuddered as disgust and desire flared within me in equal measures.

He stopped in front of me and began to caress my cheek with his left hand as I shivered a bit in apprehension from that same touch. His flesh seemed as cold as ice yet also burned like fire. I opened my mouth in order to try to ask who he was, what in the world he was doing and perhaps a half-dozen of the other fear-filled questions that ran through my mind and at that same moment he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine in an almost gentle kiss. His tongue pushed into my mouth and forced my mouth open wide. I let out a muffled, startled sound, my eyes widening, and did nothing as I was, for a moment, frozen in absolute shock from the action. Another moment passed and then the blood poured from his mouth and into my own.

The blood was luke warm and... had a _sweet_ and coppery taste to it. Salty, yet it had a faint, bitter aftertaste, almost like smoke. He pulled back once all of the blood was transferred to my mouth. He flashed me a satisfied sneer and there was a dark, almost lustful, look in his eye. He licked his lips clean of the blood slowly. I'd yet to swallow the blood that was held within my mouth and, instead of swallowing it as I suddenly desired so _badly_ to do for some strange reason, I lifted my head a bit and spat the blood straight into his face in a sudden act of near-instinctual defiance. The blood hit its' intended mark and splattered, then dribbled down that alabaster skin, along his cheek bones and flowed to drip from his chin.

His eyes narrowed on me angrily and flashed a bright silvery-white so that it suddenly seemed that he had no pupil nor iris, just a solid white gaze for a brief moment. He then made a sound almost like he was amused by my actions. The next thing I knew was pain as he back-handed me with his left hand hard enough that I almost passed out from the force of the blow. I felt my body go limp as it slumped heavily against the wall behind me. I shook my head faintly and tried to clear my now entirely scrambled thoughts. I gave a single small, dry heave, a gasp for breath really, and I struggled against the urge to throw up. I blinked up at him once more, still reeling from the strong blow.

Again he took a drink from the pitcher and, whilst pressing his body hard along the length of my own, his legs forcing mine apart so I could feel his . . . blatant excitement, he tried once more to force the cooling blood into my mouth. I reacted again, this time by shifting my body as quickly as I could so I could get one leg between his own. I drove my left knee into his groin as hard as I could just like I had learned in self-defense classes. He let out a snarling, sputtering noise and blood spilled from his mouth and splattered over both his face and my own. I flinched back from the red droplets and could feel the tracks the thicker drops left as they trailed down my cheeks.

After a few long moments of silence while he glared at me, seemingly to yet be partially amused as well as angered by my actions, he finally moved. He grabbed the back of my neck in such a way that it caused the rest of my body to go completely limp with agony. I let out a hissing squeak of pain at the grip. He wrenched my head back as he forced the rim of the pitcher to my mouth, forced the blood to pour into my mouth and he left me no choice but to drink the blood or to choke upon it, to drown in it. Once he'd forced me to finish the entire pitcher full of liquid, he pressed his mouth once more to mine in a bruising, violent kiss and forced his tongue into my mouth. I let out an angry sound at his actions and tried to pull away, tried to bite, tried to kick free. As he drew back, he smirked darkly and then once again struck me. This time hard enough that I couldn't resist falling into painful unconsciousness.

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Review please!


	3. and into the ACID?

Warning! Descriptions of torture, death, abuse, blood-letting and child torture ahead. This chapter is not for the faint of heart.

Edits done by my dear Beta Ellara Levellan. Thank you again!

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Chapter Three: ...and into the...ACID?!

Once again I awoke from a forced slumber with a sense of surprise that I was still _alive_. My head pounded with a headache that was bad enough that the slightest of movements made my stomach heave and caused me to choke on the bitter stomach acids that filled my throat and mouth as a result. My jaw ached as if it had almost been broken, a sensation I recognized from a fight I'd been in during my last year at high school. I touched lightly around that area and I found the area tender to the touch. A harder press led to a flash of agony followed by a bone deep ache along my jawline that made me hiss with the pain.

 _Yep_ , I thought to myself, _had he struck me any harder I'd have a broken jaw right now._

I groaned a bit as I continued to lightly rub my jaw, trying to sooth the ache and I started to try to focus on the area around me. I blinked in confusion at a subtle sense of swaying and tried to calm my stomach as I sat up slowly.

It took a few moments but I noticed an acidic scent in the air. Almost like sulfur but it had a far more . . . _potent_ tang to it that I could taste on the back of my tongue as I breathed in the air. I realized that I was in some kind of steel or iron bared cage that was held in the air by a thick and heavy chain, which was why I had felt the faint sense of swaying back and forth. The door of the cage had a huge padlock on it, though the keyhole seemed smaller than what it should be. The lock definitely seemed to be more complicated than a normal padlock of that size or, alternately, built to resist something particularly strong. I needed only glance at it to realize that I would have very little, if any, luck in either picking the lock or attempting to break it in order to try and escape.

" _Now_ where the hell am I?" I asked myself softly.

I looked around my surroundings, even more bewildered than I had been when I had first woken up back in the circular room. I moved over to the side of the cage, carefully as the cage shifted at the slightest movement, and I gazed over the edge of the cage's floor. I froze in outright fear. It looked... as if I was being held over a giant pool of acid. There was a faint amount of what looked like steam rising from the liquid and the fluid bubbled and gurgled slowly. I could see faint bits of flesh melting away into nothing from beneath the 'steam' that curled up from the potent fluid. The remains of whatever had been dropped into the pit before I'd awoken was disappearing fast and the gurgling and bubbling started to fade as the last bits of something dissolved. All I knew for certain was that something made of flesh had been dumped in, I hoped not another person, but feared that my hope was in vain as I watched a larger bit of what looked like a femur dissolve. From the speed in which what little was left was fading from sight, this was no slow working acid.

I turned my attention back to the lock and the rest of my cage and tried to see if there was any weak point to the metal cage, anything that I could exploit in order to escape. The thick chain of the cage did lead to safety... if I could get out of the cage itself. I gave a start and jumped to my feet quickly, which caused the cage to rock, when I heard the smooth voice of that... that... _bastard_ Vampire, and nearly collapsed once more with the urge to vomit from the resultant nausea that was caused both because I'd stood up so suddenly and because of the now harsh rocking of the cage.

"I am afraid, my pet," he said to me in a sultry tone. "That you have forced me to _speed up_ this little process. If you survive, we shall speak again. I do hope you survive, my new sweetling."

I looked down at him as I crouched close to the floor of the cage, both slightly confused and frightened by what he had said. As I had just recovered from my dry heaving I wasn't entirely certain at first what he could _mean_ by those words. He moved toward the door and, as he left, he pulled a lever on the wall down. There was a sharp clicking noise that echoed throughout the room and the cage jerked suddenly which caused me to fall onto my left side, having easily lost my balance now that the shaking of the cage changed from a wobbling sway to an outright unsteady jerk of motion.

It took a few seconds for my brain to register that the cage was being lowered into the acid. I was shocked, terrified, at the realization. How did he expect me to survive a fucking _pool of acid?_! The acidic scent and taste in the air grew stronger the closer I got to the pool. In moments I could hardly take a breath without choking on that vile taste that hung light a weight in the air. I tugged frantically at the lock of the cage through the bars but it was useless.

A bubbling, hissing noise suddenly assaulted my ears and I felt a dull kind of warmth beneath my feet. The acid was already beginning to melt through the cage's bottom. Whatever kind of acid this was it worked fast indeed on the metal of the cage and would probably work even faster on my flesh. A ragged cry born of desperation escaped my lips as I stood and tried to kick open the door of the cage, though I knew in the back of my mind that the action was useless.

Still, I had absolutely no desire to die like this, and I wasn't to be one to just give up and wait for death to claim me. When one lived in or around a large city like Vegas, with its' gamblers and druggies and late night stalkers, one learned to acknowledge the desperate drive to survive those late nights if one was cornered. I started to reach for the top of the cage and climbed up as quickly as I could. I reached for one of the top bars and tried to get a firm grip with both hands but my fingers had closed perilously loose around the thick metal for all but a seconds time before I lost my grip on the metal completely.

I fell toward the acid below me and I could do nothing to halt my fall. The bottom was already gone, eaten away rapidly by the acid. I knew I was as good as dead when I landed in that liquid and I closed my eyes tight. As I fell into that acid pool, the splash of impact loud in my ears for a brief moment before I sank under the liquid. I waited for the pain to begin to assault my senses. I sank deeper into the acid, waiting for and fearing that expected pain. I kept my eyes tight as I did not with to see bits of flesh, _my_ flesh... rise then melt in this warm acid. I waited for my death... and yet I felt... _nothing_. The acid wasn't burning me! In fact it seemed almost... _soothing_ where it caressed my bare skin. I kicked my feet quickly, not questioning why I wasn't, quite literally, dissolving in the pool and pushed for the surface as I desperately needed air. I broke through to the surface and gasped in gulps of air heavily even as I partly choked on the acid tainted air, and it was only then, when I realized I wasn't going to die, that a dull pain begin to register. I looked at myself and let out a hiss of choked air.

My flesh might not have been melting off, but my clothes were dissolving because of the acid. I might have somehow been, _impossibly_ , immune to it, but my clothes definitely were not. I swam to the edge of the pool and quickly pulled myself out and onto solid ground. I quickly yanked off my now soaked and rapidly disintegrating clothing. I tossed my shirt behind me, my pants to the side, ridding myself of my crimson silk bra and the matching undies as fast as I could even as I stumbled to the ground. I didn't want to be in any worse condition than what I already was. A burn would _not_ help things, especially if I was going to be going around in my 'birthday suit'.

Once my clothing was removed I looked myself over and checked the areas where I still felt a faint stinging sensation. My skin was red with irritation where acid soaked clothing had touched me and tried to melt into my skin. I scratched at the areas lightly before I stood and looked around. There was only the one exit.

I walked over to the door and I held my arms tight around my chest to hide my breasts from view. I tugged the door open and moved quickly from the room even as I looked around frantically for a way out. I almost bolted when I didn't see anyone in the immediate area and had to force myself to take a breath and move slowly and carefully. I did not wish to run into someone in the condition I was in. I was naked, unarmed and running into _anyone_ , especially that bastard Vampire from earlier, or _any_ _other_ vampire for that matter, would be a _very bad thing_. I needed to find something to wear or, _far more_ important than clothes, a _weapon_ of some sort and quickly.

As I made my way through the dim halls of the place, I stumbled across a room filled with carts. The carts were either full of blood-soaked clothes or freshly cleaned clothes and there was a huge tub filled with bloodstained water at the back of the room along with multiple dryers. It was obviously a laundry room of some sort, though one I did not long want to contemplate the need for given the bloodied garments. I moved to one of the carts filled with clean clothing and grabbed the darkest shirt and pants within that were not quite black but more of a dark blue. I knew that darker clothing would make it harder to see me in the shadows of this place, as long as I kept my naturally pale skin hidden from sight.

I moved out of the small room finally clothed and, as I looked around, I realized I was quite thoroughly lost and no real idea of which way to go. Even if I found stairs, would I need to go up or down? Was I above ground or below it? I had been brought into this place while I was unconscious and I had no clue which way might lead to the entrance. It did not help that there were no windows in sight. I started to search around carefully for an escape from this hell hole. I knew as well that the description of 'hell hole' was apt as I kept coming across room after room filled with either mutilated Humans or other Vampires. Vampires that either aided in the torturous acts or were being tortured in turn themselves by what seemed to be _their own kind._ I was lucky in the fact that no one took notice of me as I moved about, so single-mindedly focused as they were they on their pursuits.

Screams echoed off the walls as regularly as the tick-tock of an old grandfather clock. The scent of death and blood was thick in the air and strangely enough I found that the scent of blood was almost... _intoxicating_ to my senses. I had to duck into a shaded corner many a time in order to shake a growing haze, a strange _hunger_ , from my mind. After one such time, I paused and looked around my location once more to try to get my bearings as the growing haze was messing with my ability to track where I was and where I had been. Currently I was in a long hallway. It seemed as if the walls of the hall were stained forever with blood as the coloring of the walls was a rusty brown color like that of dried blood. The scent of death, blood and the anguished screams of others once more assaulted my ears and mind and I growled and rubbed at my forehead harshly. It was, _all of it,_ becoming far too much for my senses to handle. I had to get out of here and fast or I needed to at least find a somewhat safe place hide in order to power through this... strange _state_ I was in. I only knew one thing for certain; I had _no_ intention of joining these poor souls in their hellish torment. I wanted out. I moved from the alcove I had hidden in and ran swiftly down the hall. I almost passed a stairwell that led upwards in my haste. I skidded to a halt and back peddled quickly. I came to a halt in front of the stairway and paused as I panted for breath. Could this path lead to an _escape_? Or would it lead me down a road that led to yet _more_ horrors?

I stood in front of that stairwell for what felt like well over ten minutes as I worried about the wisdom of going up. Finally I decided to take my chances and moved to go up the stairs. I advanced slowly, yet stopped when I heard the footsteps of someone coming _down_ the same steps I was about to go _up_. A Vampire? Fuck, shit and damnation, but I hoped not. I looked around quickly, then took cover behind the stairs in a small crawl space beneath them. If it was the Vampire I'd met earlier, I would be caught no matter how quiet I was being. Hell, _any_ vampire would have been able to find me for that matter by my racing heart alone. For the first time in my life I prayed to whatever might hear me that I would get out of this place alive and whole.

I opened my eyes when I heard the soft series of ' _Thumps_ ' of a body falling down the stairs and impacting the floor. I slowly peeked out of my hiding spot to see what had fallen and froze in horror at the sight. My prayers that it not be the Vampire that had captured me had been answered... but... _but_. I was faced with a horror that I could _never_ have imagined, or perhaps could have only imagined in my _darkest_ nightmares. A horror that I could barely stomach seeing. Something that set my mind to near _gibbering_.

It was a _child_ , a young girl of maybe thirteen years. She was deathly pale. Her blonde hair was stained in thick, dark patches with blood. Her arms and neck had deep wounds that could _only_ have been Vampire bites. The worst part however was that her eyes and mouth had been sewn shut. Blood, fresh blood, mixed with tears, were flowing down her cheeks, so much so that her cheeks were stained a light blood-red from the trails of fluid. Her breaths were coming in the faint, whining pants of something that was _dying_.

I moved slowly from my hiding spot, not wanting the girl to hear me and move toward me. I was not even certain there was anything I could do to help her. Panic was filling me at the sight of the girl. Until now I'd only come across _adults_ being tortured. True, I had been passing by any of the rooms as swiftly as I possibly could, but the rooms that I could see in to had always been filled with grown men and women. But now a _child_? _A little girl?_ Were there more upstairs? More children? Young boys and girls like the one laying, making pitifully weak _mewling_ sounds on the ground in front of me as blood trickled from her numerous wounds?

I did not wish to _ever_ find out for myself. I needed to get out and _report_ this place! I looked around frantically and saw that there was a door at the end of the hall that I had somehow missed. I would try that path and face whatever horror beyond, but not upstairs. Not if there were more children up there. Damn, I was going to be sick. I fled toward the end of the hall, doing my best not to throw up as I moved. I stumbled a bit as I reached the doorway and leaned against it as I tried to catch my breath and calm my stomach. I hesitated with my right hand gripping the doorknob tight enough that my knuckles went white.

As I had no desire to run across any other Vampires and end up getting caught again because of my haste. I opened the door as slowly and as quietly as I could in order to peek inside. A male shriek assaulted my ears just as I opened the door. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw two Vampires standing near a... wiggling mound... of flesh . . . the scream had come from that mound.

My mind stuttered to a stop for a long moment before it finally caught up with what my eyes were trying to show me. The mound of flesh was the upper body of a man, hooked onto the wall as if he were some kind of a worm. His legs had already been torn off by the two vampires within, one of which was licking at the still bleeding stump. The taller of the two moved forwards suddenly and wrenched off the man's remaining left arm. The blood from this new wound sprayed across the room, onto the walls, onto the floor, some of the droplets even hit my face from where I was at the doorway. The room was drenched in blood both dried and fresh and the scent of such, as well as the stench of other bodily fluids, assaulted my senses in a mix of disgust, fear, horror... and beneath that... again the strange, _impossible_ sense of _hunger_.

I eased the door shut slowly, closed my eyes and stumbled blindly to lean against the wall. I fell to my knees and struggled not to throw up as nausea ripped through me. My senses reeled widely from the sight and scents that had been within that room. My mind struggled with what I had witnessed, it couldn't be _possible_ , but it was. What I had seen was too real to be a nightmare, the scent too strong. What _was_ this place? _Why_ had I been brought here?

As my stomach began to calm, the odd hunger now a dull ache low in my stomach that seemed to only be tamed by my nausea, I stood slowly and moved to lean against the arm of a statue that held a staff in its hand. There were several statues lining the halls of this place, each one holding a staff or a spear, and I had used them many a time as cover as I moved. As I leaned against the arm, I felt more than heard a click and suddenly fell to the ground when the arm I had been leaning against seemed to no longer be there.

The arm of the statue had snapped inwards toward its main body, making it seem as if it was standing at 'attention' rather than 'at ease'. The wall a few paces away to my right slowly slid inwards then to the left side and revealed a hidden passage way. I moved to the new opening slowly and peeked into the darkness of the corridor that lay before me.

"Oh, what the hell," I whispered to myself in a dull tone. "It'll either get worse or it won't."

I moved into the hidden corridor slowly, again trying to move as quietly as I possibly could. The wall slid shut behind me with a soft ' _thump_ ' sound as it sealed once more. I could smell the faint scent of some kind of perfume or flower in the air as I neared the end of the small passageway. The fragrance was sickeningly sweet after being assaulted with the scent of blood and... _other_ things. A crimson drape covered the entrance to this new room. I pulled it back about an inch with my right hand and peeked within carefully. It was a large bedroom of some kind. The walls were a pale red, the color of watered down blood. To the left of the entrance was a large fish tank filled with piranhas swimming around what looked to be the remains of the upper torso of a human. Bits of flesh rose to the surface only to be swallowed down by the eager flesh eating-fish.

To my right however was a sight that caused me to go still. It looked like a large old-fashioned queen-sized bed. Drapes of silk the color of fresh blood were drawn around the bed to hide the sight within. I could barely make out the forms of a man pushing a woman onto the bed. A soft feminine moan sounded through the room followed by the sound of flesh tearing. I backed up with a small gasp that I couldn't help and yanked the curtain shut with a sharp tug as I fell backwards. I heard a pained sound of protest come from the woman as she called out a name; 'Auron'. I then heard a sound like the whisper of the wind before the curtain was suddenly flung to the side with such force that it was almost torn from the rings holding it to the bar. Before me now stood the Vampire I'd seen earlier...

His robe was gone, his upper body bare of any clothing. His pants were tight enough that one needed no reason to _guess_ if he was wearing anything beneath them, they looked like they had been _painted_ on. _Nor_ did they hide the fact that he was... aroused. Anger at being disturbed was etched on his face briefly before he figured out who I was. Then a dark look of lust filled his eyes as his lips curved up coldly.

"Ah, my pet, you have decided to _join_ me?" he asked me in a mocking tone. "I'm surprised you got so _far_..."

He started toward me slowly. The grin widened to show his fangs. He looked like a hunter who knew that his prey could not escape. I knew that _I_ was said prey and I had nowhere to _run_. I started to back up, to try to dart back the way I'd come and his hand lashed out lightning fast. He caught hold of my right wrist before I could take a single step. I twisted in his grip and his claws scraped across my skin, opening narrow cuts that bled freely.

I let out a scream filled with rage and fear as he yanked me closer. He bared his fangs, a hungry, carnal look in his eyes as they started to bleed white once more. His right hand reached out to grab the back of my neck. I did the only thing I could think to do and lashed out as I had done earlier today or was it yesterday? Using the added momentum of his tug, I let him pull me forward and forced my knee up to dig deep into his groin.

His grip on my wrist tightened enough to where his claws drew yet more of my blood and I could feel the bones of my wrist creaking with the pressure. Then he flung me backwards into the wall even as he collapsed to one knee. My back and head hit the stone hard and for a moment I slumped against the wall helplessly as my breath gone from me. Had I hit the wall any harder, I think I would have passed out. As it was, I was able to push myself back to my feet after a dazed moment. I turned and ran, knowing that I _had_ to escape before he had the time to recover. I was almost to the hidden door leading to the outer hall when I was knocked to the floor, Auron's body suddenly pinning me firmly to the ground. He grabbed a handful of my hair and wrenched my head back at a painful angle so swiftly that I yelped in shocked pain.

"My pet, my pet..." he growled low in my ear. "You are becoming _quite_ the nuisance."

I let out another scream as he struck. His fangs were suddenly buried in the flesh of my throat. A strange power, _his_ power I realized, road over my skin as he fed. A mix of pain and pleasure rushed through me in waves and caused me to scream a second time. His hand slid over my mouth to silence me as he drained me of blood. Muffled moans of pain, pleasure and fear escaped me as he fed and I began to feel light-headed with blood loss. He pulled back shortly before I fell into unconsciousness and he whispered into my ear softly. His voice was filled with hints of rage and dark seeming pleasure. His hand caressed my cheek almost lovingly as my eyes fell shut, too tired, too weary to stay awake or try to struggle free.

"You will learn, my pet. Do not anger a Master in his own home. Being in my care can be either a great pleasure . . . or a living hell."

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	4. Spiraling fires

Edited as of 03/25/2017 with the help of my wonderful beta Ellara Levellan

Chapter Four: Spiraling fires

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Time. It is an amazing notion that we rely upon throughout our lives. Our perceptions are based so _very_ highly upon the sense, the _concept_ , of 'time.'

 _Time_...

I did not know how much time had passed while I was trapped within that cesspool. Sometimes hours flew by like seconds and seconds passed as if they, in turn, were years. Auron kept his promise to me, his threat. Since I proved again and again that I would not obey even the _smallest_ of the orders that he issued me and because I was so damned stubborn in my continued defiance of his will and whim, my life well and truly became that of a living hell.

Yet, _somehow_ , I managed to hold fast to my sanity throughout all the tortures, all the pain that he put me through by locking myself away in the back of my mind to escape the pain when it got to be too much to bare. Even through all of that though, I knew one thing; torture, _pain_ , I found I could handle and yet remain sane, but had he attacked in a different way, had he... _taken_ _me_ , I knew my sanity would have been forfeit. And _that_ was what he wanted from me more than my pain, the willing submission of my body in order to make it all stop. I would _not_ give that to him and him telling me exactly what he wanted of me gave me all the mental strength and fortitude I needed to hold strong and not give up on trying to escape.

As the time passed, I felt my body undergo several different changes. Most changes were hardly noticeable on a physical level. I began to heal faster from the damage that had been done to me, began to fight better in my attempts to escape thanks to suddenly improved strength. I also gained partially retractable claws after a time, which proved to be exceptionally useful. The claws looked near enough to my normal nails when viewed from the top but the underside showed where the claws hid within a divot in the skin, and the sharp edged points hidden along the underside. After one escape attempt, when I managed to claw up the two male vampires that had come into the room to relocate me, I was moved and then firmly bound within a large, circular room. I was left to hang from chains that were linked to the roof of the room and left dangling like a display piece at the very center of the room. I hung high enough in the air that my toes were about three feet from the floor, leaving me hanging painfully from my wrists when I no longer had the strength to hold myself up by gripping the chains in my hands.

The greatest change took place over a period of... months perhaps? Maybe longer? Had it been years since my capture? I simply did not know...

I began to first feel a dull ache at my back, a minor pain compared to everything else at first, but it was like a persistent aching _itch_ right between my shoulder blades. For a time, I was able to merely dismiss it, but the pain and irritation continued to grow and became more excruciating as time went on. An internal kind of torture that was unlike anything else I had been put through by that point by Auron's hand. After another period of undefinable time, when the pain was almost too intense for me to handle, I felt my back muscles _ripple_ and heard the sickening sound of flesh _tearing_ , being ripped asunder behind me. Yet despite knowing the fact I should have been feeling an even greater agony, I... was _not_ in pain.

In fact, I felt a dim, dull _relief_ sink through me that suffused me down to the bone and left me limp. The pain was gone within moments of that sickening sound and I shivered as I felt the skin around the area heal over. After a few moments of just relaxing and recovering from the odd experience, I focused and I could feel that I, _somehow_ , had new limbs. I could feel and move them just as I could my arms, though the movements were uncoordinated, _sluggish_. As I shifted these new limbs, I turned my head to look at them and I started in surprise. I had _wings_! From what I could feel and see of them they had an almost... not bat-like, not really, but more like how dragon wings were oft drawn. They were covered in what looked to be downy soft feathers colored white with a tints of silver.

My surprise at the fact I now had wings, new limbs to use, to move, to get used to, was nothing compared to Auron's when next he entered the room to check on me. He came into the cell I had been put into not long after my wings had 'grown.' He froze in the entrance of the cell, still as a statue even as his eyes widened. His _face_ showed little emotion but his _eyes_ were wide and filled with surprise . . . _anger_ . . . and what seemed a small hint of _fear_.

He finally began to move toward me as he shook off his shock and circled me slowly as he approached. That circle tightened ever closer to me but he kept moving so that he was out of my sight. He kept pausing for long moments behind me and he seemed heavily focused on my new limbs. His voice filled the air at one point, that sweet, seductive voice that I'd managed to get used to in my time in this place, in his... ill company, was filled with a dark and deadly note. I looked at him over my shoulder as much as I could, eyes half open, barely aware of him, just lost in the sense of relief and weary _joy_ at this new change as something within me seemed to feel as if it had been _set free_ from some internal cage. A lazy, large cat like feeling filled me as my new wings twitched ever so slightly in stretching movements.

"Non, this cannot be _possible_. My newest pet . . . a _Draconian_ half-blood?" he murmured softly to himself.

He laughed softly a moment later, a dark melody of sound. His hand reached round from behind me to trace down my cheek, to my neck then down the front of my body. Fingertips then trailed to my side and around to my back to come to a rest at the base of my left wing. I hissed softly in instinctive warning and bared my fangs at him. Fangs of which I had received around the same time as my claws. I glared at him as I tried to watch him, turning my head a bit further to glare back at him. I gave another lazy sounding hiss when he rubbed lightly at the flesh along my spine. I did _not_ want him touching my new wings. _EVER_.

"Lovely. So _very_ lovely you are my pet. Even more so with _these_ beautés.." he whispered in my ear. "However, I am afraid that in the end, I cannot let you live now. That... Clan, is too highly respected for me to keep you overlong. If the Eldars or the King learn of what I've done to you... my life would be forfeit."

He grabbed the base of my wings, right at the point where they extended from my back. He then dug his claws into feathered skin and muscle and _tore_ my wings from my back with a sickening sound that mimicked the noise from earlier. It felt like he tore away every bit of flesh and bone that made up my wings. My eyes widened in shock and pain and my uncontrollable screams echoed off the walls for several moments before I was able to force myself back to silence as I sank my fangs into my lower lip and my body went limp as I let out muffled whimpers. The only thing that held me up was the chains and manacles as I was no longer able to grip the metal links above me to keep my weight from causing said metal manacles from digging into my wrists. He spoke softly to me, almost regretfully as he moved to stand in front of me. He let my ruined wings fall from his hands and I couldn't help the pain filled sound that escaped me at the sight of them. I was about to pass out because of this new, near _unbearable,_ agony that assaulted my senses. My body twitched jerkily with the anguish that I felt and I could barely make out his next words beyond the haze.

"A little longer in my care, my sweet pet," he caressed my cheek again, " _then_ I shall release you... to the bliss that is true death."

 _That_... was my first _true_ lesson in torture. Every other time before had been nothing but a warm up compared to the torment of having my wings torn from me and every other time that followed was worse. Because they healed... _every single time..._ they healed and _grew back._

Months passed, maybe years... I was no longer certain, could not be certain. Nor did I even _care_ about the passage of time in truth. Time no longer held any meaning for me. Pain and blood and defiance were my only constant companions. Auron had me moved again and again to different rooms for various, sometimes bizarre tortures. Even having me chained to one of the walls in his bedchamber at times as I watched him _ruin_ and _break_ others to his will as he offered me the chance to _help_ him with the promise that if I did so it would alleviate _my own_ suffering and pain.

I had to deal, several times, with his . . . _unique_ . . . methods and attempts of seduction. One of his main . . . enjoyments... seemed to be having me tied to his bed, using small blades to impale or cut my thighs open. He liked digging his claws into my flesh, cutting and clawing deep until his hands could caress muscle and organ, up to and including even holding my heart in his clawed hand. I knew better than to trust his words when he whispered softly in my ear whilst he stroked those claws dangerously over my rapidly beating heart.

He made false promises of _freeing_ me, letting me _live_ , if I would just _let him bed me_. I did want the pain to end, yes, but I did not wish to give this bastard what little innocence I had left, nor I did not want to die once he had what he wanted from me. I was able to ignore him in such situations by simply letting myself drift off, if anything just focusing past the pain he would put me through, letting my conscious self slip away and retreat. _Partitioning_ myself if you will. He could be so... _tiresome_ in his continued pursuits of my body and I stubbornly held fast to my personal commitment to him what he wanted. He might gain satisfaction in hearing me scream during those times that I could not hold pained cries back, but he would _not_ have the satisfaction of having taken me before he killed me. In all honesty I believe that the only reason he kept me alive.

He wanted to break me, _completely_ , before ending my life.

Escape and survival had become my only concern by then. All I needed was a _chance_.

In the time I'd been in his care, I had regrown my wings, and lost them, several times over and they darkened in color after each rending. Indeed, from what I could gather from Auron's cruel hints, no matter _how_ many times a 'Draconian's' wings were removed what little was left, even if only just the bones that were within the body and not those that extended from it, would draw back within the body of the Draconian to fully repair. Those torture sessions were a ' _joy_ ' to wait for. Each time they would regrow, reappear, and be torn from me, be it by his claws, a blade or some other clever way he could come up with to rid me of them.

There were also times where I would be left, without food, without blood and without medical attention, the wounds on my body bleeding freely and healing so terribly slowly. There were times when I had been left in such a state that he would leave a food source nearby, but always out of reach to try to force me to lose myself to blood-lust. The situations like that which were truly heinous were those times that he left living 'prey' in the room for me and left me unchained whilst in such a starved state. The first time that I refused to feed from the woman that he'd brought in for me, he'd beaten me and then tortured the woman in front of me while I was helpless and wounded. I learned swiftly that if I did nothing, then he would do as he willed to said 'prey'.

I continued to refuse to feed from those poor souls but... he did not simply leave adult humans for me to feast on, but children as well. Little ones like the one that I'd nearly run into on the stairs with eyes and mouths sewn shut. Death was better than what they'd all been put through...

Several times, after having my wings torn from me and being left completely alone as if forgotten, my body would go so cold, my mind numbing and I knew each time this happened that I had been on the verge of death. Each time I was yet aware of the pain that I was feeling at the time, but it was like a blanket had been put over my senses, then another, then yet _another_ , till all I could see and feel was cool, calm, yet comfortingly empty darkness. I was on the verge of a form of release, only to be drawn back by the taste of warm, coppery blood on my lips. Sometimes weak blood, sometimes _old_ seeming blood that hinted of power, but it was blood. And blood was _food_. Food that I would greedily accept in that weakened state. Food that _all_ of my senses screamed for. And, as always, it was one of the human 'pets' that fed me from a pitcher at his direction. To keep me alive 'just a little while longer' as Auron kept putting it.

A little while longer...

 _Eternity_.

Another thing that I realized during my time in that hell hole was that my first Dark Gift, as I learned was the term, had Awakened within me. Complete and total Invisibility, not that it was worth anything trapped as I was, bound as I was. But... I could not been seen when using this Gift, not even by my own eyes.

After gaining said Gift, my chance at escape finally came roughly a week later.

My wounds from the last session of torture had healed and I was not completely starved of food or blood which was a rarity in and of itself. Normally when kept without food or blood for long periods, I was in a far weaker state than what I was presently in, normally kept in a start where I could do little to move, let alone focus on my Gift. Auron's mistake, and my key at escape, was the fact that one day he sent only a _single_ guard to check on me. Fuck, shit and damnation but that man was an arrogant _prick_ in thinking that I was nearly broken and would not fight back any longer. Then again, that was the demeanor I was trying to give off. I _wanted_ him to think that I was almost fully broken. Ah, well, it was now or never and his arrogance would prove to be the key to my escape and the key to keeping what sanity I had left _intact_ lest I truly did fall prey to his whims.

I feigned unconsciousness as the vampire guard moved to my side. This time around the guard was a female. This was both a _good_ thing and a _bad_ thing. I would not have to deal with a hyperactive male vampires hormones, un-death did _nothing_ to tame such baser lusts, but I could not simply knee the guard in the groin and escape _that_ way either. I'd often had to dissuade a few of the 'keepers' or guards from groping me by attacking them in such a manner otherwise they would try to force themselves upon my oft naked form. I was lucky that throughout all I had been put through, I had managed to retain my virginity, if not my _dignity_ and _pride_. As the female guard reached for my wrists I realized that I was to be moved yet again.

Once my hands were free of the chains I lashed out at her with my right hand. I struck the woman in the jaw with my fist as hard as I could manage. The blow successfully stunned her and dazed her enough for me to use my Dark Gift to disappear from her sight. I moved silently and quickly to the door and closed it behind as I flipped the lock and sealed the vampiress inside. I could hear her yelling as she banged on the door with her fist and hissed in her rage that I had tricked her so easily. I could also clearly smell her _fear_. She would be punished _badly_ for having let me get free, I was sure of that. But it was no wonder that it was so easy, from the instinctual feeling I got off the woman, she was new to her vampiric blood, a fledgling. Even younger than I was. I paused as I stared at the door. How old _was_ I at this point anyway?

I shrugged a bit and pushed away the thought of age as I moved quickly away from the door. I drew my wings close to my body like a cloak. I did not have the time nor the desire to show pity to _any_ of Auron's many broken pets.

My wings still held a faintest highlights of white and silver but now the most dominate color was that of a dark blood red, making it seem that I'd dipped my wings into a pool of fresh heart blood and forever stained them. Heart blood was by far more potent than blood that issued from any other wound. Even with the most impure or foul of humans, their heart blood would taste sweet and intoxicating. You could say that normal blood is regular chocolate, and heart blood is dark chocolate. Almost _too_ good, _too_ sweet.

Auron had attempted to feed me many hearts and had tried over the years to get me addicted to that intoxicating fluid. I will admit even now that I _am_ drawn to the idea of tearing out the heart of my prey and feeding upon the succulent blood even though I always spat the sweet blood back into his face or to the side each time it was offered to me. A dark part of me longed to tear out Auron's heart even with how much I feared being near him. I shook my head quickly. I realized I had come to a stop and was simply standing in place staring ahead blindly. I gave a faint laugh and bit back my hunger with a low growl of frustration at myself. I may not had been _starved_ at the time, but I was by no means ' _well fed_ '. I started forward again and took the left route when I came to the cross-section on the level I was on. I'd been down every other corridor in this place on this level for reasons of this or that form of torture or during this or that escape attempt. These paths I knew well with the mental map I had in my head. I walked down the new path I had chosen till I came to the only room at the very end of the corridor. I pushed open the door at the end of the hall and slipped inside.

I slid the door closed behind myself as I stopped using my Gift, becoming visible again and stopping the drain of energy, before I turned around and took a good look at the new room. I realized it would have been a good escape route save for the fact that the large window within the room was blocked, _barred_ with thick steal bars that I could not hope to break even with my greater strength. The room itself was filled with test tubes and containers holding a variety of liquids. There were also various items laying around the room that looked old and worn by time. It seemed like a scientist's dream for making any kind of concoction from the look of it, or for studying different items. Yet I couldn't be bothered to focus on the novelties of the rooms contents. I was trying to contain my sudden rage and desperate fear.

I let out a sound that seemed to me a mix of hysteria and madness. I spread out my wings to their full length and knocked over many to most of the containers within range of my wings with the wild beat of them. I grabbed one of the larger containers and threw it violently at the window. I started to turn around to leave, not knowing yet where I would go, where I _could_ go, yet an acidic scent and a bubbling sounded filled the air. A sound that was familiar to me. I turned quickly and moved over to the window and looked over the bars with the beginnings of hope.

The crisscrossed bars that blocked the window were beginning to melt at an alarming rate. The container I had thrown had contained a highly potent acid, perhaps even the _same_ kind of acid that had been within the pool that I had been dropped in so long ago! I drew my wings close to my body and positioned myself to be ready to jump through the window as soon as I thought I would fit and not get any of the melting metal on my wings. I silently urged the acid to destroy the bothersome bars _faster_.

I leapt forward when there was finally enough space for me to squeeze through and was halfway through the window when I heard a sharp, loud _popping_ noise and felt a flood of _power_ fill the air. It was almost like that of a small sonic boom, like when you hear a jet passing by overhead, only this was sounding out from directly behind me. A sudden force and heat violently shoved me the rest of the way through the window and outside, disorienting my senses so much so that for a moment I would not have been able to tell someone the difference between 'up' and 'down' as I briefly saw a forest, a cliff with a castle on it, the starry sky and then the forest once more in a dizzying rotation. I realized dimly that the contents of the containers I'd knocked over _had_ to have mixed into some kind of highly volatile liquid. It was the only thing that made sense to me at that time.

The flames caressed my body, scorched my clothing and heated my flesh. I could see that my feathers were beginning to blacken and catch aflame. I was yet half conscious with the flames surrounding me, enveloping me in a dangerous warmth that, despite the danger of it all, felt somehow comforting to me like a... a _hug_ from a wild animal that might yet kill me despite its' current strange desire to cuddle. I felt the air begin to cool around me as I heard the wind begin to pick up as the speed of my falling began to outpace the flames. I dimly glanced toward the lower part of my body, and it look as if some kind of cyclone of fire, wind and smoke had encased me at some point during the fall. The flames that remained flickered briefly before they finally went out. My body was still spinning in a slow spiral, I again saw the cliff wall, then sky, then forest, then... a _city_?

I should have been getting dizzy, sick to my stomach, but I was far too _stunned_ for my stomach to be affected by the constant spinning. I forced myself to spread my wings in order to try to slow my fall, but it was just as if a parachutist had pulled the string a little to late. It was already far too late to prepare myself for the shock of hitting the ground or to truly slow myself before I struck the ground. I crashed, _instantly_ out cold, not knowing how hard I had hit, if I had broken anything... or if I would ever wake again.

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Please Review!

Edits done 03/03/2016

Thank you all!


	5. First Slaughter

Yay finally in Nosgoth everyone! Please Enjoy!

I do not own Legacy of Kain, The Breed or any of the characters mentioned in this Fan Fiction save for Katrina, Auron and Nikolai (And a few folks added later).

Also " " is speaking verbally. ~ ~ is speaking mentally or Whisper when it comes up.

Edits done by my dear Beta Ellara Levellan as of 04/13/2017. she pointed out the lack of Nikolai's description x.x

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Chapter Five: First Slaughter

I woke up slowly to a dull pain, a foul stench in the air that seemed a mix of rotted food, piss and sick as well as the fact that I had ended up soaking wet at some point. I found that I was lying on my left side, my left wing trapped at a rather painful angle between my body and cold, mud covered cobblestone. The wing was not broken, that much I could easily tell as I slowly sat up. There was no sharp pain originating from the limb to assault my senses. Outright agony would have resulted from such a break, a feeling that I was very familiar with by now. Yet the limb was still unresponsive to my movements beyond a few weak twitches. As I poked and prodded at the wing, I realized that it had merely fallen asleep under the weight of my own body. The slow tingle of renewed blood flow started to make the wing twitch and itch the more I tried to move it. A small shiver ran through me and I took stock of rest of my body. I was soaked through and cold to boot. For a moment I couldn't quite tell _why_ I was drenched down to the skin. I glanced around me and then up and I suddenly had to blink rapidly to clear the water from my eyes.

It was raining gently, the soft splashes of water hit my skin and drummed a steady rhythm that I hadn't noticed against the cobblestone. The rain water was what had drenched me through and through, but I welcomed its' soothing chill. I wasn't trapped _inside_ any more. I was free. I wasn't sure how long I had been laying there on the ground, but I knew I had to get moving. I got to my feet slowly and I looked myself over critically. Other than the stiff and tingling wing that was rapidly regaining full movement, flame-blackened feather tips and my being covered in a mix of my own blood and the muck that was on the ground that was rapidly being washed away by the steady rain, muck of which I _assumed_ was mud since there was no harsh scent of shit, I was in good shape. Yay.

As I looked around, I realized I was no where near that castle of horrors. There was no cliff nearby for me to have fallen from. In fact, it looked like I was in the outer slums of some sort of city, near the edge of a copse of trees in a... park of some sort? All of it, the nearby buildings and the signs hanging from them... seemed vaguely familiar to my mind somehow. There was a peculiar green glow coming from somewhere nearby and that glow cast a bit of light on the streets to break the pitch blackness of the moonless night.

A dull and damp mist covered the ground both in front of and behind me. I stretched my wings a bit as I looked around, the movement made in order to get more blood flowing so that my wing would stop twitching on its' own from the itch. Once the limb stopped twitching, I drew my wings around my body like a kind of feathered cloak or cape, the odd bone structure of the wings allowing for the largest bend of the wing to rest neatly upon my shoulders. I moved down the small alleyway I was in and took the left route when I saw, despite the darkness of the night, that going straight or to the right would only lead me to a pair of dead ends.

I kept to the shadows as I reached the main streets, wary of my location and wondering if this was some new and strange game of Auron's. I froze in confusion however, at the sight on the near empty streets before me. I say _near_ empty, as there was a young man shouting and yelling. He was specifically yelling at three others that were standing near him. All of whom wore an eccentric and stylised type of armor and there were no others present in the immediate area to take note of the growing argument. The _armor_ was familiar to me just as the _city streets_ seemed familiar, but the thought of where I could be and _why_ this place would seem familiar tickled at the back of my mind like a half remembered dream from weekends spent at home _gaming_. Which didn't make much sense to me. The armor looked like steel and had a bright, silvery sheen to it. Blue cloth hung along certain areas; back, crotch and hips, and each strip of cloth had an odd symbol on it. Symbols that were also etched into the armor itself. Symbols that I clearly remembered would _glow_ when a certain kind of creature came too close. If... _vampires_ came to close. The memory clicked into place. Those three men were... _Sarafan_!?

I stood there for a few moments as my thoughts ran wild. _How_ could this be possible? Sarafan _did not_ exist on my world, but maybe... just _maybe..._ that was it? I realized with a start that perhaps I was somehow, _someway_ , no longer on my own world. In my own Realm. Perhaps I was no longer on Earth or at least the Earth, Terra, _Gaia_ that I knew. That, or I was having one _hell_ of a hallucination brought on by injury or I had finally descended into complete madness in order to escape my tormentor. I blinked a few times and then shrugged to myself. Did any of that really matter right now? I decided that, if this was indeed a hallucination brought on by my state of mind, then well... what the hell. Why not enjoy it while it lasts, right? It's not like my dreams had ever hurt me. It was the _waking_ world that I felt pain in. The waking world that could cause me harm. Dreams had always been a source of solace and brief, ephemeral freedom. If something actually hurt me then I'd work to be more careful, but until then I would simply live in the moment and enjoy this seeming dream.

Still... what if it was not a dream...? What then...?

I let my eyes drift shut for a brief moment and I tried to remember what _exactly_ happened when I went flying out of the window. I had been spinning as I fell. There were the flames of course. There was... also a cyclone of fire or _light_? Somehow, _perhaps_ , during the time of my fall and the time I hit the ground I might have passed through some kind of a vortex or portal and into... If I was right this was the capital city of Nosgoth... what _was_ it called again? Meri... Marri-something? _Meridian_. Right, that was it. I hummed to myself as I realized that my memory still seemed fine at the least. I was not about to complain about the situation because, dream or madness, this meant I wouldn't have to deal with Auron directly any longer. Either I was out of his hands for good or I was too mad to care any longer. I had a new set of worries though. Mainly, _was_ I dreaming, and _if not_ , how I would get home? _Could_ I get home? Did I even _want_ to go home? And lastly, how in the world I had ended up in Nosgoth of all places? Had Kain been fiddling with the powers of the Pillar of Dimension at some point and my landing here was the result of that meddling?

 _Wouldn't really put it past him_ , I thought to myself with a small bit of dry amusement.

I looked back to the small group on the main streets. The boy was gesturing rudely now at the Sarafan knights. His hand rested upon the hilt of the short sword at his waist and it seemed like he was ready to draw the weapon at a moments notice. From the look on his face, as well as the slurring of his words, I would say the poor boy was quite thoroughly drunk. At a glance, he looked to be about sixteen years old, though it was hard for me to tell for sure. He might well have been younger than that given that life on Nosgoth was equivalent to Gaia's Dark Ages and that meant that a human's lifespan was roughly thirty to thirty five years, maybe, if you were lucky, you might hit forty to forty-five but that was rare. He stood at about five and a half or so feet tall and seemed a bit gangly, as if he had yet to hit his last growth spurt, which was another reason I thought he might be around his mid-teens. Even given the dimness of the street lamps, I could still _easily_ tell that he had long brown hair that had been pulled back into a tangled and knotted tail. His eyes were so dark a brown that they could be mistaken at a glance to be black. He was well built for one so young, definitely a person who spent a lot of time fighting. I moved a few feet closer to the group, as I wanted to be able to hear what they were saying, yet I stayed close enough to the shadows so that I continued to remain out of sight. The runes on their armor didn't seem to react to me at all. I was fairly sure that Kain or another vampire would have set them off by now. I tuned into the conversation as the tallest of the three Sarafan had started speaking to the boy in a cool, condensing tone.

"Get inside citizen! The Vampires are always out this late at night. If you value your lif-" the boy cut him off.

" _Shut up_ ya piece of trash!" the kid shouted. "Vile, snobbish _murderers_! Without a true leader even! Just a brat sittin' in his high chair! _Worthless,_ the entire lot o' ya! I would rather meet with a _Vampire_ then remain in the presence of _your_ filth!"

The youngest of the three Sarafan started to move toward the boy angrily even as his hand strayed to the hilt of his sword. The third member, and the bulkiest of the three, held out his hand to stop the young Sarafan as the taller one spoke again. The man's voice was cold and cruel and, well yes, _snobbish_. He was acting like a high and mighty noble, when it was more likely that the man had been no more than a peasant himself before joining the ranks of the Sarafan.

"Hold your tongue boy," he growled out, "before we are forced to teach you respect! You are drunk, so we are goin-"

"Respect? _Respect_!?" the boy cried out in a scoffing tone. "What do you _bastard whore-son's_ know about _respect_!? My family was _ruined_ by your bloody lot just because you wanted them out of the way so tha' you could take our rightful property! Your lot accused my family of being _in league_ with Vampires! We did _no such thing_ and even when we showed you truth, _blatant proof,_ of our innocence, you still destroyed our home, our lively-hood! That's not counting what else you lot have done to the other nobles of the city!"

It seemed that the boy's anger had grown too much for him to control in his drunken stupor. He drew his sword suddenly and moved forward toward the guards. He slashed the blade in a quick horizontal cut and, very accurate for a drunkard, caught the youngest guard at the throat with his blade. The blade gouged a deep wound and blood began spurting and flowing in massive, pulsing rivulets that beat in time with the guard's rapid heartbeat. The young Sarafan fell to the ground, choking and drowning in his own blood. The blood-scent was like a siren's call but I held still for the moment despite my hunger. I knew how to control the need for blood even half-starved as I was.

The second Sarafan drew his sword with a ringing shout for aid and then leapt forward as he brought his own blade down for a blow meant to hit the boy's left shoulder. The boy brought the blade of his sword up hard enough in a counter blow that the guard lost his grip on his weapon. The blade went flying into the air and clattered to the ground near my own feet. I bent down and quickly picked up the blade and hefted it in my right hand as I moved a little further back into the shadows. I looked over the blade and blinked in surprise. It was odd, the blade hadn't been damaged by the boy's disarming blow. I knew that swords were made for _striking_ , not blocking. It seemed as if the blade was made differently from the swords of Earth, more resilient to the shock of impact thanks to magic or perhaps made from a different material altogether. As I looked back up, I saw that several more Sarafan were moving in from further down the wide street in order to join in the fight, having heard the commotion echo off the building walls. The boy was _drastically_ outnumbered. The call of blood in the air was also _very strong_. I suddenly wanted to _fight_.

I licked my lips and shifted the sword in my grasp to clasp it loose yet firm. I then moved forward quickly and silently toward the boy's side. I lashed upwards and to the side with the blade in a move half remembered from the times with I'd practice with my own swords, never having received any formal kind of training I had relied instead on YouTube videos to get an idea of the basics, and I managed to cleave off the head of a guard that had been about to impale the boy from behind. My superior strength helped put an omph behind my blow that made up for my lack of skill. Due to my being stealthy, the man never even had a chance to realize what had happened.

 _Surprise_ , I thought to myself in grim satisfaction.

The boy turned toward me with a start, his blade raising as if to strike me, but he hesitated as he looked me over. From the initial look on his face, he must have first thought I another of the Sarafan... as if. I knew they'd kill me the moment they realized just what I was and I had never much liked the Sarafan depicted in the games anyway. I grabbed the boy by his free arm and yanked him to the side to pull him out of the way of an incoming blow. I then gave the boy a shove toward an alleyway, a shove that earned me a dirty look from him.

"Get _out_ of here kid!" I hissed at him.

Pushing him toward the alley had left me open. I felt a sharp, yet shock-dulled pain suddenly in the right side of my body. I looked down, startled, and saw the tip of a sword protruding from the lower area of my chest. A moment later and the Sarafan yanked it from my body which caused me to hiss faintly in pain. Alright, alright... fuck, shit and damnation, but the pain meant that all of this was far more likely to be _real_ and _not_ a hallucination. Maybe.

 _Work it out_ later _when you're_ not _currently surrounded!_ I thought to myself angrily.

The boy moved as if to help me and I let out an angry and pain-filled hiss as I bared my fangs at him. It caused the boy to freeze at the sight of the sharp ivory points. I spread my wings out suddenly to their full length and knocked at least three of the Sarafan to the ground as I used my wings in order to shove them back and give myself some room to fight. I spun and caught the throat of the one that had wounded me, my claws extended and delving deep into the man's throat.

I felt an enraged, hungry sneer come to my lips as he gurgled, as if trying to speak, or perhaps to scream, then I suddenly yanked my hand back and tore out the man's throat to the point where the bone of his spine was glistening in the light of the moon and stars. The boy fled at that point, either in fear or knowing suddenly that I could last on my own, and I didn't care why, just that he was gone from my sight. Blood lust was building in me, _stronger_ than it had ever been before. I hungered for blood and battle and for once, I was able to _fight back_.

With the boy gone, I was left to deal with about six or seven of the Sarafan. Many of them were shouting ' _Demon Spawn_ ' or something of the like, but I couldn't _focus_ on their words. I had gone without feeding for I didn't know how long by that point. I was also _wounded_. It was getting hard to breathe beyond that need that grew within me, hard to focus beyond a rending hunger that filled the core of me and woke something from the depth of my mind. And that something was _angry_ and finally _free_.

I began to lose myself to the blood lust and, being honest with myself, I _welcomed_ the sudden rush of strength I felt as it begin to course through my system. My instincts had heightened to a level I had known before, whilst bound and chained. Previous times I had been unable to lash out, unable to strike back, take my vengeance and feed upon fallen foes as I had wished to, had longed to. Now there was _nothing_ to hold me back, _nothing_ to contain my rage and my hunger. I spun around swiftly and lashed out wildly to strike a sword from the grip of another guard. The blow him weaponless and open to further attack. I started in for the kill, the want to feed briefly blotting out all other coherent thoughts. I was jerked to a stop by a new pain, however, and my mind was pulled back from the edge of blood lust. One of the guards behind me had attacked and caught his blade in the bone of my left wing. A ragged scream escaped my lips at the familiar agony. My mind was filled with agony and rage. How dare this human attack me when I was about to feed. How dare he damage my wings. _How dare he_?!

" _You_! How dare you?!" I hissed low as I rounded on the human who had done damage to my wing.

I lowered myself to a crouch and drew my wings close as I swiftly yanked the blade from the man's grip. I then spun in nearly a full circle. I lashed out with my sword instinctively as I turned and cut my blade deep into the legs of those closest to me. As I stood, still spinning, I lifted my blade in an upwards spiral and those closest to me had their heads cleaved from them thanks to the vampiric enhanced strength behind my attack. A few heads hit the ground, with one or two others stumbling away and clenching desperately at their slashed throats. Instinct _alone_ drove me onward as I ripped the now owner-less blade from my left wing and threw it like one might toss a throwing blade. The sword pierced the heart of one of the remaining Sarafan warriors. The armor that these men wore either wasn't all that thick or the thrown blade, enhanced as it was by my strength, was thrown with enough force to pierce the armored metal and lay the man low. The lust for blood was becoming too strong to resist, all I wanted to do was to feed, but I also felt weak.

My sight began to dim due to blood loss and growing weakness, yet despite that I could now somehow sense the humans far easier than I had when I could see clearly. Instincts reared within me to such a degree that I could practically _taste_ where they were on my tongue and could all but predict what they were going to do next. I heard it clearly when one screamed a cut off sound as my sword slashed into his throat. I could feel my claws _rending_ through the armor in order to tear out the spine of another. I could _taste_ in sharp relief the sweetness of the blood on my hand after I had torn out the heart of the final Sarafan guard and had crushed the still beating heart in my hand with a dark satisfaction that I was unused to.

My sense of sight began to clear slowly and I saw the remains of my enemies around me. Little blood had been squandered as I knew I had fed and fed _well_. And yet... that sense of _pain_ began to return to me as well. I raised my hand to the wound upon my wing and realized that the main vein had been cut and had been having trouble healing what with all the continued movements made in order to kill the men around me. Still, that wound should have closed over some time ago. I was losing blood at an alarming rate because of said wound despite the fact that I had fed just moments ago and I could feel the blood as it pulsed out blood in time with my heart beat. A glance at my other injuries showed that my other wounds were healing far slower than they should have as well. I _knew_ how fast it took me to heal from a particular kind of wound... sword wounds should heal faster than _this_.

I began to move toward the alley with a growl at the realization that I wasn't out of danger yet and I felt my body sway as I moved. Again my vision began to blur, but this time not with blood lust. I knew I was going to pass out soon. For some reason my wounds were not healing right, barely healing at all really. I dimly thought to myself that there _might_ well have been some kind of magic put on the blades to halt vampiric flesh from healing. I realized as well that the weapons the Sarafan had used had runes on them, runes that would obstruct a vampires healing abilities, and I was a half-blood vampire and thus still affected by said runes.

I tried again to move toward the alley and out of the open air. I _had_ to get out of sight and hide myself so I could heal in full. I needed time to recover and if I remained out in the streets I _knew_ I would be in trouble if another group of Sarafan came upon the scene if I was still here. They would either catch me, or kill me. Most likely the latter.

Again I had to stop and I rested a hand against the wall at the mouth of the alleyway. The dizziness was becoming too much. My claws scratched at the stone building and I dimly realized that I was falling backwards as my gaze was suddenly on the half-hidden stars above me. As I fell, my wings spread out in front of me and I realized that at some point during the battle it had stopped raining as hard as it had been and it was just sprinkling a bit, the barest touch of water hitting my skin as I fell. It was a strange thing to suddenly find myself focusing on.

I gave a harsh mental tug at my wings in order to draw them back into my body where they could be safe and heal. Hopefully, if I _was_ found by more Sarafan, the lack of wings and the slow healing injuries would make them think I was an unlucky bystander. A rush of feathers filled the air as my wings slid back inside. I had a dim, and rather ridiculous thought then as I looked up at the starry, still partly cloudy sky. As my feathers filled the air I ended up thinking ' _oh, how pretty_.'

When I finally hit the ground, my wings were back within my body in full, safe and healing. That would prevent further blood loss at the least.

My eyes fell shut even as I struggled to try to move to get up, to do something, even if it was just to raise my hand. I blinked my eyes back open briefly as I continued to try to turn over, to stand _up_. I thought I could suddenly make out the form of a man as he moved to stand over me. The man had long white silver hair, the tips of which peaked out from his raised hood and he wore a dark red cloak over his shoulders to protect from the rain. I couldn't see his eyes, hidden as they were behind the hood, but I could see the cold smirk on his lips. He looked so familiar, even though I could barely focus on him as I slipped into unconsciousness.

Who... who _was_ this man?

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	6. Arguements and Embaressment

Yay, next chapter up and another review! Thank you for the kind words!

Oh, and I don't own any of the Legacy of Kain games. Wish I did.

Onwards to the chapter!

Edits done by my dear Beta Ellara Levellanas of 04/02/2017

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Chapter Six: Arguements and Embarrassment

I awoke sometime later with a mild headache pounding away in my skull, a sharp pain at the base of my left shoulder where my wing-joint met shoulder blade when extended and to the sound of two men arguing loudly in a nearby room. The voices sounded familiar to me somehow, but I could not truly place them through the pounding beat in my skull.

Instead of trying to focus on the voices, I took the time to look around and try to get a better idea of where exactly I was now. I realized that I was lying on a soft feather-down stuffed mattress and had silken sheets covering my body. The room around me was, quite bluntly, a run down mess with a few signs of being recently dusted at least and yet the bed and sheets seemed nearly brand new and looked to have been recently placed within the room.

I lifted the silk sheets to look myself over and found that my wounds had been bandaged neatly at some point and I also realized that I had the lingering taste of fresh blood in my mouth as I ran my tongue over my fangs. I guessed whoever had found me had both treated me and fed me blood to help speed up my recovery from the rune-affected wounds. That meant that I'd been found either by other vampires or at least those who were _sympathetic_ to the vampires of the land. Not that I was going to start complaining about the blood... it was sweet. I had never tasted blood as sweet as this outside of the small tastes of heart's blood that had lingered in my mouth when I had spat said blood back into Auron's face when he had tried to force the addicting liquid upon me. Then again, the only blood I'd ever _consciously_ tasted before now was the blood of murderers, thieves, homeless bums or what long _stale_ blood Auron gave me when he hadn't been trying to get me addicted to heart's blood. You could tell by the taste of someone's blood if they were healthy or not and most times the blood given to me had been... _less_ than ideal.

I sat up quickly and the fell right back against the bed due to the small wave of dizziness that suddenly assaulted me at the too quick movement. Once my head had cleared up, I tried to sit up once more and _this_ time I managed to first sit up and then get to my feet. I waited a few moments for things to stop spinning and then began to move unsteadily to the door. I still felt exceptionally _tired_ and, in truth, I just wanted to bury myself back into the bed and under the comfortable sheets but I had been far too curious in regards to my current location and... whether or not this was truly a safe location for me to be in. What if _these_ vampires, or vampire allies, were like _Auron_? I did not want to trade one torturer for another if I could help it and _if_ I needed to make a run for it, I would. I pulled the door open a few inches and leaned against the door frame to keep my balance as I listened in to the conversation while trying to remain as quiet as I could.

"Half-bloods _cannot_ and _do not_ exist!" came an annoyed sounding voice.

Yep, whoever it was arguing, the fight was centered around me... how _wonderful_. I shifted my weight a bit more against the door frame as I listened in and I had to hold tight to the door itself so that I could continue to maintain my footing. The voices sounded so familiar and tugged at the edges of my memory. Were these people I knew of here in Nosgoth? Maybe. Yet, as I caught a glimpse of the place I was in, an underground series of rooms and corridors, I realized that not only were the _voices_ familiar to me, but this _place_ seemed familiar to my mind as well.

"We have been over the simple logic of this _several_ times now," responded the second male. "Now, will you allow me to finish what I was saying or will you _continue_ to deny the simple truth of this matter in a blind fit of upset in the fact that the world as we know it may somehow hold more secrets than what we had thought?"

I opened the door inward another inch and looked out over more of the main room that was thus revealed to me by said movement. The two Vampires, and they _were_ vampires now that I could focus on them with my senses past the headache, as their Aura's all but screamed _Power_ in my head, stood in the center of the room. It had gone silent, a near to _deadly_ silence as the pair glared at each other. Both males were, at a glance, taller than I was but the one who seemed a touch taller _had_ to be an Eldar Vampire by the look of him. He skin was tinged a dark green and his ears were up and pointed like that of a bat's or a wolf's ears. He wore a dark-red and black robe lined with what looked to be gold filigree at a distance. I would swear that at that point, if my jaw was not connected to my skull, it would have hit the floor as memory clicked almost violently into place in my mind.

I recognized the Eldar Vampire as _Vorador_. The sado-hedonist of Termogant Forest, as a certain individual had once named him. I knew little else about the Eldar beyond the fact that he hated the humans with a passion for killing his Sire, and so many of his brethren and Childeren, as well as the males oft fierce protectiveness of his own kind. I closed my mouth with a rough swallow and looked over to the other Vampire. I realized with a start that it was the man that I had glimpsed before I had passed out earlier by his silvered hair. The male stood maybe a half inch or so shorter than Vorador and he wore a curious armored outfit on his upper body that _barely_ shielded any of his flesh and... well it showed off his chest... rather nicely. And _why_ was I suddenly thinking about _that_ of all things? He might be eye-candy in a rough-edged sort of way but I needed to remain _focused_ on finding out if I suddenly needed to _bolt_ even _if_ my instincts were far more relaxed than they had _ever_ been before, which was... odd. My instincts said 'safe' while my head screamed 'be careful!'. I needed to be mindful, watchful, regardless of if my instincts proved correct.

The white haired male was no longer wearing the red cloak that I had seen in the alleyway. I shook my head a bit to clear it of any further stray thoughts as I realized with a start that I knew of _this_ Vampire as well, especially when I saw the _Soul Reaver_ sheathed at his back.

This was _Kain_ , the representative of the Pillar of Balance, one of the Nine Pillars of Nosgoth that maintained the world. The one who had final say over the use of the powers of the other Eight and _the_ most influential of the Nine. He was _also_ supposed to be the soon-to-be _ruler_ of all of Nosgoth and the 'wild card' Moebius seemed to be the most afraid of outside of Raziel . . . what was the title given to him again? Ah, _right_ , the Scion of Balance. Again the question from earlier ran through my mind; how was it that I had fallen into the Realm of Nosgoth of all places? And having landed in _this_ kind of company as well! Either I was going to be _very_ lucky and have a safe harbor in the company of these two, or I was going to be in a _lot_ of trouble. I wondered, as I had another flash of dizziness, if anyone would want to place bets on the outcome. Kain spoke again, slowly, as if he were struggling not to physically lash out at Vorador.

"First the Sarafan have not lost their righteous sense of 'Holy Duty' as they should have with the fall of their 'gracious' leader," he said slowly with a sneer on his lips, "and now we must deal with the... _improbability..._ of a half-blood? Your explanation for the _Sarafan_ made sense Old One, but the _origins_ of that girl?!"

I had to think a moment once Kain had finished talking and try to figure out where in the timeline I might be. Wonders of potentially being in a Realm that actively has time travelers. From listening to Kain talk, I gathered that I had fallen into this Realm soon after Kain had managed to defeat the Sarafan Lord, a Hylden from the 'demon realm'. Which meant that I was post Blood Omen 2. Yet from what I could recall of this World and the time-frame, Kain had _less_ trouble from the Sarafan after beating the Hylden Lord, not _more_. Yet... it _had_ been such a long since I'd last played any of the Legacy of Kain games that I found that I just couldn't be sure. I focused again upon their words and tilted my head slightly as I did so. I was still partly confused by this entire mess and still partly convinced that I _had_ gone mad at some point.

"Kain we have been over this several times, must we do so again?" Vorador sighed in exasperation as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Her heart yet beats just like humans when badly injured when a _true_ fledglings heart will _halt_ when one is as critically injured as you described, all in order to help _reduce_ the drastic blood loss faced by such injuries and yet she _clearly_ has vampiric traits as well, fangs and claws just being the beginning. The blood we gave her did more to restore her than any healing magics just like a vampire. One can easily sense that she has an Aura of her own. There is only _one_ logical conclusion; that she is somehow both human and vampire, a 'half-blood' if you will. The _how_ of it all is the only thing we cannot confirm at this time, at least not without speaking with her further one she awakens."

"Very well Vorador," Kain said darkly with a dismissive flick of clawed fingers. "A 'half-blood' or not she _might_ be useful as she did not-"

At that exact moment a strong wave of dizziness struck me and I lost my grip upon the door. I fell forward into the main room and barely caught myself by widening my stance, just in time to keep from face planting on the ground. It took another second to regain my balance and I tried to maintain _some_ sense of wounded pride. Both Kain and Vorador were both now looking at me in a mixture of amused surprise and, in Kain's case, residual frustration from the argument.

I _knew_ that I was very close to collapsing to the floor, I could practically feel it as the blood drained from my face, but I tried to continue to put up the appearance of being fine and... failed _miserably_ in that attempt apparently. Kain made a noise that held either amusement or annoyance in the tone, if not both, as he walked toward me. Vorador however, was the one who actually spoke to me, his voice was almost gentle and yet very much firm, _stern_ really, like that of a parent lightly but firmly scolding a child.

"You should _not_ have gotten out of bed so soon young one," he said as he tilted his head at me. "You have only been here a few nights thus far and your wounds still have yet to fully heal. "

Kain grabbed my left shoulder to force me to turn around and then pushed me back toward the room I had just stumbled out of. I had been far too tired and too confused as to what was going on to do much more than hiss in irritation at him and try to pull away from his touch. Doing _that_ though, caused me to stumble to the side and almost fall over again. Kain caught me before I could do more than list to the side and then lifted me in his arms as if I were a child. I squirmed in his grasp and hissed again at him as I tried to get loose.

"I can walk on my own!" I snapped out.

"And _I_ can carry you," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Now that we each know what we can do, be _silent_ and enjoy the ride girl."

Kain smirked coldly at my growing annoyance, but I did stop squirming in his grasp if only to prevent myself from being dropped. Vorador chuckled softly at my reaction and moved to take care of some other business whilst Kain attended to me. The Eldar was probably glad to have a chance to avoid further arguments with Kain about how a half-blood could exist. Once in the room I had stumbled out of, Kain walked over to the bed and set me down, then he backed up a half step and tilted his head as he looked me over. I couldn't tell _what_ could be going through his mind but his eyes had the faint light of curiosity in them. I spoke again, not really caring if the tone of my voice was discourteous or not, I did _not_ like being carried around like a helpless little girl.

"My name is Katrina, not 'girl,'" I said softly yet firmly.

"Indeed," he drawled. "Well then, _Katrina_ , perhaps you can explain where you are from."

I could tell _immediately_ that he would _know_ if I was lying. I sighed and carefully began to tell him of where I was from. I omitted only a _few_ things. He seemed calm when I told him I was not from this Realm. Why wouldn't he be calm when visitors from other realms was becoming the norm lately what with the Hylden? He _might_ have even seen me appearing in Nosgoth as well which would explain how he had found me so swiftly.

I wasn't sure about mentioning _anything_ about the technological advances in my realm, but when he asked me _directly_ about such things, I found that I wasn't even sure how to respond. I found myself worried that Kain might decide to find a way to go to my own Realm and use such technology for himself, but I realized that something like that would take him _ages_ to work out and, at this time at least, he wasn't exactly known to be the most patient of men. I decided to tell him at least a _little_ of the differences between our realms technologies. Medical and transportation mainly with a few, very few, minor details regarding guns and such.

The next thing he questioned on was what _I_ knew of Nosgoth as I seemed to have not been all that surprised by my surroundings. Again his words hinted that he had possibly witnessed my arrival and fight with the Sarafan. Here I found that I was hesitant, it had been so long since I'd played the games that I wasn't entirely sure of what all I could remember. As such I theorized that perhaps the 'stories' of one realm were the 'reality' of another and that, maybe, it was possible that when people dreamed, in those dreams they saw events that had already happened in another world and, if perhaps skilled at it, they _might_ write about the _glimpses_ of the worlds they had seen within said dreams. As such... I knew about the Pillars, his 'choice' once he had slain the other maddened members of the circle, his fight with the Hylden and... from there about a one-thousand-five-hundred year gap? Longer? Less? I wasn't sure of the exact timeline. Any knowledge that I _did_ have of this world would be... _pointless_ for a long time really.

I'd rubbed at the back of my neck at that point and muttered something along the lines of 'and that's if I'm not _hallucinating_ this entire thing...'. He'd let out a faint snort of amusement at my words but let the matter drop, not bothering to help me work out the whole 'is this real or am I nuts' problem that was running through my head.

He then asked me _how_ I had come to be here. _That..._ had been a little more difficult to get into than the other stuff. I honestly just wanted to _forget_ , but I realized that dream or no, I needed to face the fact that I had truly gone through such torment and not just brush it off and ignore it as if it hadn't happened. I spared him any details about my sordid family life, of which I was now doubtful considering my father had definitely NOT been human and had most likely NOT died in a simple car crash, and just skipped to the day I'd gotten kidnapped by someone in the middle of the night. When I went into the bare bones details about my time with Auron, his minions and my eventual escape, Kain seemed to be faintly... amused?... at the fact that I tried to keep my tone as level as possible and my emotions under control in my attempts to keep my upset, rage really, at what had happened to me from showing on my face. Why was I surprised at that hint of amusement? Vampires had such an odd and morbid sense of humor sometimes.

From the look in his eyes, though, it also looked like he... _respected_ me for keeping my sanity whilst surviving countless years of torture in that fiends care. I doubted he'd ever _verbalize_ that respect though, he wasn't exactly the type, and I also found myself doubting that I'd even seen that flash of respect as his eyes suddenly narrowed darkly on me. After a few minutes of silence once I had finished speaking, he asked another question.

" _Where_ did you learn to fight as you did?" he asked. "You were quite wild in your movements but still had _some_ skill."

"Fight?" I echoed back at him.

I blinked a bit at the question even as I blushed. No one had ever really taught me how to fight _in depth_. When I'd gotten kidnapped and placed in Auron's care, all I had really been was just a out of high school and just into college 'bookworm' that liked swords and had taken very _basic_ self-defense classes during my early teen years. I'd hardly ever used a blade outside of self-practice, absolutely no formal training, and yet... the fight with the Sarafan had been... _almost_ simple in some aspects really.

"I guess what skill I had... just came naturally to me," I answered with a shrug. "I've never seriously had to fight and had only had some basic training when I was younger before I ended up in that hell hole. I would hazard to say that I did learn a few things about fighting dirty while there. Not _much_ , but apparently enough to survive."

He gave a faint nod at my response. I leaned back against the headboard of the bed and watched him closely as I waited for any other questions he might have for me. One had to be careful around this Vampire, I knew that much, one _hint_ at betrayal and you were in deep trouble. Remember Umah? Thought you might.

"Have you gained any Dark Gifts?" he asked.

Great, did he _have_ to ask that question? This would be to be a risk to take. Tell him, and he might try something to hurt me for having such an ability, perhaps thinking that I might be a risk to him or that he might find the ability useful for _himself_. Or _don't_ tell him and never use my Dark Gift again in Nosgoth while near him. Or end up using it on accident and getting into trouble for not saying anything. I wondered if my ability to sense someone's Aura counted as a Gift as well, but wait, no... didn't _he_ have the same ability naturally? I realized with a small start he was sneering slightly at me, fangs bared slightly as he spoke and interrupted my train of thought.

"Surely you _know_ what the Dark Gifts are?" he asked in a condescending tone.

I realized that I had a confused look on my face while I had been trying to figure out what to tell him. He must have thought that I didn't know just what the Gifts _were_. I took a slow breath to calm myself then let it out just as slow. Best to tell him the truth and see what happened. _Hope my luck has gotten better_ , I thought to myself.

"Yes, I _know_ what the Gift's _are_ ," I said with a shrug. "It is only that... I have just _recently_ gained my first Gift and I almost forgot I had it at all since I haven't been able to use it to any benefit save the once during my escape. It is, well, a form of invisibility you could say. I cannot be heard and cannot be seen when I have my Gift active, and as long as I am not bleeding badly, my scent cannot be detected either, at least from what I could tell during my escape. Hence the whole 'not used to it' thing..."

I said the last with a small, fluttering wave of my hands and his eyes narrowed upon me once more. His gaze was cold and impassive, almost _thoughtful_ really. I noticed that his eyes were a pale blue that was tinged with flecks of gold that made his glares all the more frightening for the unnaturalness of them. Those eyes held a deadly and powerful sense of grandeur to them. I looked down suddenly, avoiding his gaze any further due to some sudden, _instinctual_ tug in the back of my head. I know I was either red with embarrassment because I'd been staring at him or pale with fright. I couldn't tell which. After a long while he pushed away from the wall and then turned and left the room without another word. I did not relax until the door had been fully closed and I could no longer hear his footsteps echoing off the stone floor.

I decided at that point to get as much rest as I could. However, considering the company I was in and the rather dubious likelihood of my _actually_ being here, I found that I could not rest for long. I awoke only a few hours later and then slipped out of the room that I had been settled in to and wandered around silently as I looked for a way outside. Part of me was still in shock, still believed that this was all a dream and yet... everything was so _real_. I finally found my way outside and climbed up onto the roof. I kept my wings hidden away and safe. Safe, as no one yet knew of my weakness. Not _here_ at least. I slowly took in the scents of the city with a slow breath, only to have that breath catch my throat. I could smell spices, bread, alcohol, women and men and children that did not _immediately_ reek of fear and death and decay. Below all of that, was the subtle scent of _vampire_. A scent that was somehow _healthier_ than what I was used to.

I wrapped my arms around myself and looked up. I stared pensively up at the unfamiliar stars. The vampires here had not harmed me. In fact, all they had done so far was help me recover and they had yet to ask anything of me beyond asking me my story. That Kain had _listened_ to me was almost a kindness really, but I…

A voice sounded behind me and I tensed.

"Tell me, are you afraid?" it was Kain. I swallowed roughly and wondered what he would do, finding me out of the room he had left me in.

"Fear and I are old friends," I responded warily without turning around.

"And what is it that you fear? Light, darkness? Perhaps pain or solitude?" his voice drew closer and I tensed further still.

"Light and dark..." I shrugged. "Either can hide monsters or can even keep you safe from harm. Pain can… can provide a strange kind of clarity or drag out agony until time loses all meaning. Solitude… that meant safety, for a time at the least."

"Then what is it you fear? What drew you here?" he asked. He came to stop beside me. "What has you so tense and ready to bolt like the hare facing hound?"

"It is… this _strangeness_ that leaves me numb and excited at the same time," I said after several moments of silence. I waved a hand to indicate our surroundings. "It is the thought that all of this is but a sign that I've fallen to madness in order to escape what is being done to my unconscious body. That is what I fear, that I am not truly _free_ …"

I had to cough to hide the strained break in my voice as I finished speaking, though I was certain that he noticed. I was grateful when he did not point it out. Instead, he turned around and started toward the edge of the roof. I watched him silently and was about to turn back to my pensive thoughts when his voice caught my attention once more.

"Come with me," he said in a voice that brokered no disobedience.

I tensed up at the order and remained frozen for a long moment which gave him the time that he needed to leap to a neighboring rooftop. I swallowed roughly and followed him a few moments later. He eyed me stoically for a time and I could not tell if he was upset at my delay. Rather than say anything though, he turned and started to lead me across the rooftops to one of the larger buildings within the city that was also the furthest from the Sarafan controlled mansion. He indicated for me to stand at the center of the roof and then began to circle my form. He stopped in front of me and touched a claw to my chin to force my head up.

I _almost_ jerked away violently, almost knocked his hand aside when something subtle settled along the edges of my thoughts like a comforting weight. Kain... he was lightly brushing his thoughts against my own. I twitched uneasily. I'd only known the foul touch of Auron's mind, and that of his pets, against my own. I relaxed an inch at a time and, still uneasy, allowed him to tilt my head up just a bit. I found myself relaxing further still when he let his hand fall to his side, apparently satisfied with a token bearing of my throat.

"Show me your wings," he ordered a moment later.

And just like that I was tense once more.

"Why?" I asked, a hint of a growl in my voice.

"I wish to see them again," he responded. "And you are currently afraid to have them out where _any_ can see them."

" _So_?"

"Hmph," Kain's eyes narrowed on me that he did not lash out like I expected, like I was prepared for. "You are allowing your fear to control your actions woman."

I bristled and clinched my hands tight, my eyes narrowing on him in a glare. I refrained from speaking or moving however. I refused to rise to such obvious bait. He chuckled darkly a moment later.

"You know my words to be true, yet unlike the others that I have known who have also been tortured or tormented by our enemies, you wait and watch rather than lash out," he tilted his head and then circled around behind me. I watched him warily as he moved. "A wise reaction when dealing with the unknown."

His hand landed on my shoulder, a firm weight and pressure. I warred with the need to bolt, yet he did nothing further. I clenched and un-clenched my jaw as I warred was my emotions, my fears. I swallowed roughly and looked away from him as I shrugged my shoulder. His hand fell away and I close my eyes and took the chance… The first of many in truth…

I extended my wings and then drew them in close along the line of my back. They were held in such a position that it would be easier for me to lash out with said limbs and take him by surprise if… _If_.

A satisfied thrum of noise filled the air and I watched him reach out with his hand to touch one of my wings. I hissed in warning and his eyes narrowed on me. He held my gaze and very slowly and purposefully placed his hand on my right wing. A strained sound escaped through my clenched teeth and I watched him with wary, likely wild, eyes. I wanted desperately for this to be a real, to be free if the pain and torture that I'd known. I wanted this light touch of his to remain placid and calm. I wanted to believe that not all of my Vampiric kin were like Auron and his ilk. That there was a… a society… a _something_ that I could belong to and be proud to be a part of. Kain let out another thrum of sound and turned to walk to the edge of the building.

"Put them away from now if you wish woman," he said. "It is time to return to Sanctuary. You're still not fully recovered from your injuries."

I felt floored, shocked. That was _it_? I watched him lead to the lower rooftop and walked over to where he had just been. He continued ahead, as if expecting me to follow and I blinked at his retreating form dazedly. He… he had not harmed me. A shudder ran through me when the wind cut through the air and I hugged myself for a moment to shield from the cold. That I could _feel_ the cold so meant that he was right, I was not yet up to par. I withdrew my wings and moved after Kain, leaving a mess of feathers to drift in the breeze. All I really wanted right now in my shocked state was the warm bed that these vampires had provided to me so freely and yet somehow, once back inside and tucked into said bed, I knew that I would not get that much more in the way of rest…

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Please Review!


	7. Conversation with a drunk

I don't own any Legacy of Kain games, be cool if I did though... -wanders off muttering about finishing the series-

Here's the next chapter everyone! Hope you guys enjoy!

Edits courtesy of my fab beta Ellara Levellan as of 04/12/2017

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Chapter Seven: Conversation with a Drunk

"Human whelp! What do you think you are doing sneaking in here where you do _not_ belong?"

Kain's harsh, angry sounding voice and the solid 'THUNK' of a body as it hit the wall near my room was what tore me from my almost peaceful slumber. I leapt out of the bed and to my feet out of instinct at a potential threat and after fighting off a wave of dizzying sickness caused by my sudden movement, I moved toward the door to try to figure out just why Kain was yelling at a... human? He said human... but some humans were here to help the Cabal from what I could remember so... maybe I was in an area that was off limits to humans? I opened the door quickly and moved into the main room in order to find the source of the commotion and try to figure out why the silver haired vampire was upset. A commotion which had been... directly to the right of the door to my own room. I jerked fully awake and my jaw dropped slightly at the sight that was in front of me.

It was the boy that I had saved from the Sarafan almost... well, almost three nights ago or more now? Vorador had said I had been here a few nights so far. 'A few' could mean that I had been out cold for three or more nights. Kain had the boy by the throat against the wall with fangs bared. The young man was trying to raise his blade in the futile hopes of striking at Kain, whereas Kain's right hand was poised to tear into the kid's chest and relieve him of his heart. I let out a shout of surprise that caused both of them to look, or in Kain's case to glance out of the corner of his eye, in my direction. I had no intention of just letting the kid die, but I wasn't quite sure how to convince Kain to not kill the boy while at the same time not lose what little of Kain's respect, if any, that I had built up so far. I leapt forward and tore the sword from the confused boy's grip with the momentary distraction my shout had caused and then slapped my hand over his mouth to keep him from saying anything decidedly stupid. From the scent of alcohol on him it would probably be something that would be lethally stupid. I looked at Kain a second later and ignored the muffled sounds the boy was making.

"Kain wait," I said slowly. "Please?"

Kain sneered at me but he did lower his right hand from its' kill-ready angle. He did not however release the boy from his iron grip even what with the kid squirming the way he was. I reflexively flicked the kids ear with the fingers of my free hand and ignored the resultant muffled squawk of indignation. Still the bizarre and instinctive move did give the boy the clue _to shut up and hold still_. Kain turned his cold blue-gold gaze fully upon me. There had been a hint of curiosity in his eyes as well as the usual calculating coldness that always seemed to be there during the games. It was as if he were... weighing my actions and my words and I had to fight back the urge to pull away, bare my throat in submission and just let him end the boy. I felt a tremor run through me as I struggled to hold my ground under his stare.

"This boy is a fool. Not only that but he has a death-wish in sneaking down here the way he has," he growled out in a low tone even as he raised a brow at me. "Why protect him if he is actively seeking his death?"

"Foolish or brave or what have you. That is not the important part here Kain," I said carefully. "He owes _me_ a debt for having helped him... a number of nights ago and it appears he has enough honor in him to realize this. By the look of things he came down here intent, somehow, on helping me. Release him... please? I intend to collect on the debt that he owes at a later time, even if he _is_ just a human."

I held my breath as I waited for Kain to decide what to do. All I could really do was plead a brief case to let the boy live and babbling incessantly wouldn't help my cause any. I could feel my heart as it pounded away with nervousness and fear. Nervousness; because I've always been a Legacy of Kain fan, well a fan of Kain mostly, I'll be honest and I kinda didn't want him thinking I was a weak fool. I didn't mind being called ignorant as there were always things that people might not be aware of and new things to learn every day. Ignorance _could_ be fixed if you yet sought to learn. But I didn't consider myself _weak_ , nor a _fool_ , not after the kind of _shit_ I'd been put through over the years. Fear; because I wasn't sure if he would simply kill the kid and be done with it even if the kid did owe a life debt to me. Thankfully the boy seemed to realize how much danger he was actually in and what I was trying to do as he maintained a wary, fear-scented stillness.

After a few more moments of tense silence Kain gave a slight nod and released the boy with a hard shove in my direction. I caught the kid and held him still as I forced him to keep his head down even as he tried to right himself. Eventually he stilled himself as he registered that he wasn't quite out of the woods yet. Kain gave a cold laugh and dark amusement flickered clearly in his eyes. He leaned close to the boy in his slightly bent, head down position. There had been a low growl in Kain's voice as he moved to seemingly whisper in the kids ear.

"Do anything _foolish_ while under her care," he hissed out, "and _debt or not_ , I shall feast upon your heart-blood whilst you _watch_ _on_ as the light dies in you eyes."

Kain's sneer grew as the boy visibly paled at his words. I could even feel the shudder run through him as I kept a firm grasp on his arm and the back of his neck. Kain let out a huff of breath before he turned and walked, excuse me stalked, off elsewhere. I eased away from the boy and let him go. I then held out a hand to steady him as he almost fell forward without my grip to hold him steady. His expression looked pale and bloodless, as if he had nearly collapsed in shocked relief that he survived a direct encounter with Kain. I shook my head slowly and let out a small sigh of relief myself.

"Kain was correct, at least in part," I said to the boy. "You should not have come down here kid. _That_ was foolish indeed."

"I am _not_ a _kid_ ," he responded as he straightened himself and tugged at the bottom of his tunic in a visible effort to regain his dignity. "My name is Nikolai... and I never leave a debt unpaid."

I had to smile at both his actions and words. Even after having almost being killed by Kain, the kid, _Nikolai_ , managed to have a small air of confidence left about him... that or it was the remnants of the beer he'd obviously had now that I could catch a whiff of it as the adrenaline started to wear off. Then there was the fact that he'd also managed to get fairly far into Sanctuary without being detected by the other vampires besides Kain that should be in the area. Though, as I glanced around the area, I began to come to the conclusion that my room was practically next to the entrance, so _maybe_ him reaching this point wasn't actually saying much. Then again getting into Sanctuary _at all_ without being caught _was_ a feat in and of itself. I helped him into the room I'd been resting in and made him sit down on the bed while I grabbed the spare bandages that were laying on the table nearby and patched up the few visible wounds I could see on him. Namely the cuts and scratches around his neck left by Kain's sharp claws.

"You really did not have to come down here to find me Nikolai," I said to him in a soft voice. "I would not have initially sought you out to _demand_ anything of you for helping you survive the Sarafan's attentions."

"Yes, I did have to come," he said with a stubborn shake of his head. I had to force his head still so that I could finish applying the bandages. "You _saved my life_ when I was outnumbered by the Sarafan and instead of staying to help you, I _left_ you behind to be wounded and then to be _taken_ by vampires. Individuals who might or might not have been your allies. I've... I've lost enough to the Sarafan's and the Vampire's fighting, I wont loose at least one last chance to..."

"The chance to do what?" I frowned and tilted my head to the side slightly as I looked at him. "And what _have_ the Sarafan done to you exactly? I did overhear you shouting at them about your family. Something about your family being blacklisted as traitors?"

Nikolai gave a soft, bitter laugh at my words and looked over to me with a faint, bitter grin. He looked at the bandages I'd placed around the wounds on his arm and then briefly brushed his fingers against the bandages at his throat before he turned to just stare at the ground. I kept quiet though and waited. I knew that if he wanted to tell me about what had happened he would do it in his own time and I couldn't, _didn't_ want to, force it from him. Better that he tell me on his own.

"My family... was one of the lesser noble families here in Meridian," he sighed softly. "We stood by the Sarafan and the fight against the Vampire's in the beginning for _generations_ because we truly did believe the Vampires to be a threat to all of humanity what with all the animalistic attacks. When the old Sarafan lord was killed though, and this new... _boy_ , started to lead them, _everything_ went _crazy_. Several of the lesser noble families were suddenly arrested in broad daylight. Most were actually killed _on the spot_ as traitors when they were out doing something as simple as _shopping for fabrics._ The Sarafan kept saying that they were 'in league' with the Vampire menace! Which was not true!"

He looked up at me suddenly, the look in his eyes practically begged me to believe what he was saying. I nodded to him and then rested my hand on his lightly before I gave it a gentle squeeze. He took a deep breath and looked away again.

"I _knew_ the people that they killed," he continued, "one of the... one of the people they killed was _supposed_ to be my future wife. That's... that's when I started to think that maybe... _maybe_ the Sarafan were wrong. Maybe our long history of backing them had been wrong the _entire time_. I mean... why would they kill _so_ _many_ who were known to be complete _supporters_ of the Sarafan cause? It never made sense to me, the slaughters that they claimed were justified."

He shook his head slowly. I could see the faint glint of tears in his eyes, but they started to fade almost immediately as rage flowed over his features. Sorrow had been buried swiftly under his righteous anger at the complete betrayal he felt.

"Then... _then_ they targeted _my_ _family_. No bloody reason given for it, none _at all_! Instead of being killed outright, we had our titles and homes taken from us as we were rounded up and literally kicked out into the street! We had just enough money to our names to house ourselves temporarily in various inns. I left most of the money to my parents so they could stay at one of the better inns before moving to stay with family in another city but... Mother and Father were said to be killed in a vampire attack shortly after that, but I did not buy it! I could not!" he slammed his fist into the bed with a soft growl.

"Why do you say that?" I tilted my head curiously. "Why think it was anything but a vampire attack as the officials claimed?"

" _Because..._ I followed a group of Sarafan two months back. Quiet like. The group of men came across one of the remaining members of another family that had gotten the same treatment as my own. Left homeless and destitute. They _attacked_ him viciously without warning and they used some sort of Baghnakh," at my confused look he gave a faint chuckle and explained the term. "It's a weapon that goes on your hand, with blades styled to look like claws attached to it," I nodded my understanding and he looked away again with a small sigh. "They weren't exactly _skilled_ with it, but skill did not matter with what they intended with their attack. They just used it to... to hack and _slash_ the man's body up. Later it was reported as a _vampire_ kill. They were feeding the fear and paranoia in the city with their own actions."

"There wasn't much you could do..." I started slowly. "You wouldn't have even been able to report it to officials. Not without being slain outright for witnessing something you should not have seen."

He waved a hand at me and leaned back on the bed with a small and pained groan.

"Yeah, I... suppose you're right. Anyway... after that I got took to getting drunk a lot. Reason why is that most people don't pay any mind to drunkards and their ramblings. I found that, well it's _strange_ actually. In my acting the drunkard I was able to see Vampires as they fed from time to time. Most of 'em are... actually quite neat with their 'food'. Quick kills when they do kill, ya know? Most times though they just... take a nip, pardon the pun, and then leave their prey to sleep off the lethargy. The Sarafan have made them out for years to be _torturers_ and _monsters_ , and while I suppose they are the later and that some of them might even be the former, only a _few_ that I've seen actually leave a huge mess like that Sarafan group did. Been makin' me... wonder about it all," he yawned suddenly and rubbed at his face with one hand. "What if vampires are... are people too? Dangerous ones, predators... but still maybe a vampire can be a _person_ even while being a monster too?"

I smiled faintly at his words as I stood and moved back to the door. This kind of open mindedness... this was good, even if it had been the product of some pretty horrible events in Nikolai's life. His words meant that he might well be someone I might be able to trust... maybe. I decided to leave him to rest, I wanted to find Kain to make sure he was not too upset with my standing up to him, even if it was just a grunt of acknowledgement instead of outright hostility, and hopefully get something to eat after making sure the male vampire wasn't pissed. I turned to face Nikolai as I reached the doorway.

"You can repay me some other time. Stay in this room and sleep of the alcohol for now until I come to get you, unless you plan on leaving the same way you came in," I said to him with a shrug. "And if you _do_ leave, then make certain that I can locate you when I need that debt repaid, yeah? I may not have intended to cash in on the debt before, but I will do so now. If you need to find me, ask for Katrina. Alright?"

He nodded his head at my words and waved a hand weakly before said hand fell listlessly onto the bed. A snore escaped him a moment later. I shook my head and left to find Kain. I did not wish to be on his bad side. Then again, did he even _have_ a good side?

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Please review.


	8. Learning curve

This Chapter IS a Lemon, those who do not wish to read this, please Stop at the Asterix and skip to the next chapter!

On a final note, I do not own any rites to the Legacy of Kain games.

Pls read and review as I do appreciate the feedback

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Chapter Eight: Learning Curve

I was able to catch up with Kain before he could leave Sanctuary. I'd found out, by chance overhearing a pair of vampires as they left the underground, that most of the other Vampires had gone out hunting due to the fact that it was the new moon night and the added darkness this evening made it easier to avoid detection while hunting. Thus we were, for the most part, alone in the halls of the underground safe haven save for a few shut-ins. That had been the reason why no one else had shown up to try and help deal with Nikolai and also explained how Nikolai had been able to sneak inside so easily. I stopped a short distance from Kain and then rolled my shoulders without actually saying anything to him. I... wasn't entirely sure _what_ to say to the white-haired male now that I had found him.

He turned to face me and glared coldly at me with those blue-gold eyes of his. Oddly enough, I didn't see the Soul Reaver at his back any longer and I wondered briefly where had he left the legendary blade. Ah, well. The Soul Reaver was _not_ my concern in all honestly and I was not about to actually _ask_ him where he had left it. Kain walked toward me slowly and, after a long and tense moment spent looking me over, he caught my chin in his right hand. I did not even have the _chance_ to avoid that grasp. I let out a faint sound of surprise at the firm grip and I tried to pull away from him. He held tight and the tips of his claws dug lightly into my skin. I stilled myself rather than try to pull away again and risk actual injury.

"You saved that fool boy more out of 'kindness' than wanting a debt repaid. I sincerely doubt that you even _intended_ to search the boy out to claim that debt either," his voice was a mixture of sarcasm and calm, deadly seeming anger. At the same time I would swear by he look in his eyes that he was confused and curious about my recent actions involving Nikolai. "Do you care for those human whelps more than Vampires. Those who are more your kin by virtue of what you _consume_ to live? Are you rendered that _soft_ because of your supposed Human blood?"

I let out a faint hiss of annoyance at his words and yanked my chin free of his grasp, earning a few minor scratches as I did so, only to be caught again barely a second later. This time his hand latched onto the back of my neck in a tight and firm, unyielding grip. I shifted a bit as I tried to get free of his grasp only to stop the instant his claws began dig painfully into my flesh. I met his gaze angrily as I spoke as I tried to hold my temper at being held in such a manner in check.

"I will do what I can," I hissed out through the minor pain, "to honor both the Vampiric _and_ the Human blood that courses through my veins!"

"Would you show mercy to the Sarafan?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"The Sarafan murder vampires on sight and _enslave_ the other humans all while pretending they follow a 'holy' cause to excuse their grabs for power. Maybe, _maybe_ , there might have been a good apple or two amongst the lot but the _moment_ they helped the others murder and torture _other sentient beings_ , they no longer had the 'moral high ground' and thus are not worth my time," I said with no small amount of annoyance in my tone. "So, no, I would _never_ show mercy to one of those Cretans as they have no honor to speak of... now will you bloody well let go of my neck!?"

Kain let out an amused snort at my words and then shoved me back against the wall roughly as a sneer came to his lips. I stumbled slightly due to the shove but I managed to keep my balance after I had impacted against the wall. I pushed away from the wall a bit as I glared at him and I rubbed at the back of my neck. I could feel a small amount of blood as it smeared over my fingers but the wounds from his claws seemed to have already healed thanks to my being well fed for once. He looked his claws over and he eyed the blood on them for a moment before he licked one claw clean slowly. A hum of noise escaped him. He then looked up at me as he licked another claw clean of my blood.

"You... are a stubborn little thing girl," he said slowly.

"I _told_ you earlier; my name is _Katrina_ ," I responded with a wary look and a small growl that tickled at the back of my throat.

"Yes... you did, didn't you?" he purred in a low tone.

*****LEMON!*****

I straightened and pushed back against the wall, suddenly feeling decidedly nervous. The tone of his voice had changed dramatically from that of a paradoxically amused, annoyed and angry tone to that of a dark... purring growl that I couldn't quite place meaning to. The look in his blue-gold eyes had changed as well. A dark heat had filled them. The look I recognized easily enough; _Desire_.

He finished licking his claws clean before he suddenly moved closer to where I stood frozen against the wall. He stopped barely a foot from me, all the world looking like the hunter that he very much _was_. And from the look of things, _I_ had for some reason become his intended prey. And yet... unlike Auron when _his_ gaze went dark with desire, I did not feel the immediate need to outright bolt upon seeing a similar dark hunger in _Kain's_ blue-gold eyes. Something held me pinned in place, frozen under the white-haired male's gaze. I was poised not between fight and flight but something _else_ entirely and it... _confused_ the hell out of me.

He reached forward slowly and ran his claws lightly, almost... teasingly, from behind my ear and down my neck. The movement left just a few small scratches on the skin of my neck, scratches that healed rapidly due to my healing factor. I shivered faintly under that sharp yet light touch that felt surprisingly good and blinked rapidly in shocked confusion as I warily kept my gaze on his.

I opened my mouth to ask him what in the hell he thought he was doing and barely managed to produce a single _syllable_ before he took that last step forward. He forced his body carefully along the line of my own and braced his hands on the wall on either side of me. It had been as if a gentle yet firm and unyielding prison of flesh suddenly now held me bound, _trapped_ in place. His lips pushed hard against my own a moment later and his tongue slid over my lips lightly before said organ pushed into my shock opened mouth in a brief flick of movement. It was as if he were... _tasting_ me. I abruptly raised my hands and pressed them against his chest in order to try and push him back as I shook off the shock that held me immobile. I managed to push him away only a few inches and I couldn't seem to be able shove him any further back than that. He would not allow it.

"W-what are you _doing_?" I asked hesitantly, breathless still with my surprise at his actions and the brief yet intense kiss.

"What do you believe I am doing Little One?" his voice still held that purring, darksome growl.

"My name... is... Katrina," my voice had been barely above that of a whisper as I shivered as a result of his low tone.

Instead of speaking, his lips again connected with mine and I found myself returning that kiss hesitantly after a few moments of remaining as still as possible as another bolt of shock had torn through me. His tongue pushed against my own and I slowly pressed back in tentative brushes.

 _Perhaps... this would be alright,_ I thought to myself.

It felt good, _damned_ good actually. He was as skilled at kissing as he was at fighting and I rapidly found myself breathless. I could not deny that I had been attracted to him, even if it had just been the _idea_ of him when he had been naught but a story to me. There was a potent strength and power to him that called to a deeper part of me in a way that... that _muddied_ my senses and scattered my thoughts to the far winds without any seeming effort at all. His lips... they were so soft against mine, equal parts gentle and unyielding. When I shifted my hands against his chest, his bare skin felt so smooth against the palms of my hands. Even the scar on the right side of his lower chest felt perfectly smooth as I tentatively started to run my fingers over him in light, questing touches. He let out a low, pleased sounding rumble at my feather-light touches and his hands slid down from my neck, where he had been teasing, _scratching_ , the skin with the tips of his claws, to my shoulders where he started to rub and massage with firm, sure passes of his thumbs. The pain had been... _infinitesimal_... and easily ignored beneath the pleasure of that massaging touch, that deep, searing kiss and I trembled beneath his hands.

Kain's hands slid further down, thumbs continuing to rub and massage at my flesh. He abruptly pinned my arms at my sides. I gasped, partly in fear and the action caused me to squirm with a bit of discomfort at the restricting hold. My arms and than wrists were swiftly held immobile against my sides. He pulled back from my mouth with a soft purr of noise as he licked his lips. He then trailed nipping kisses slowly from my lips down to my neck. His fangs and tongue left a teasing trail over the skin of my throat, a trail of sharp nicks that were rapidly soothed by sweeps of tongue that left trails of near warmth and had me shivering within seconds. His fangs nicked harder and harder against my skin until those nipping bites finally drew blood and I let out a gasping hiss of breath at the small pain. His tongue swiftly laved away the blood he had drawn with that last pass of razor sharp teeth and a soothing rumble of noise escaped me as he repeated the move.

I squirmed in his grasp and groaned softly at the continued onslaught of pleasure mixed with faint, small pains. I tried to pull my hands free of his grasp, intent on trying to push him back again and gain some space to think. My nervousness, my _shyness_ I suppose, had to be fully apparent. It was... _very_ obvious what he wanted from me now, but I'd never _been_ with anyone before. I had fought so hard to protect that part of myself from Auron that even _now_ I wanted to pull away, to _run_ and yet... and yet that strange pull within me only grew _stronger_ as he nibbled and licked at the bend of my neck and shoulder. His hands were a firm yet gentle hold upon my wrists and the near constant rumble of noise helped me stay calm and not panic. Even though said tug within me that said everything would be 'okay', I wasn't sure I _wanted_ to be with him. At the same time... the deep part of me that was soothed by his rumbling purr just wanted to _give_ _in_. There was also the strongest sense that if I _did_ say 'no' outright, he _would_ stop. It was as if I still had the _choice_ available to me to deny his sudden advances. _That_ sense alone helped me to relax further, even if it was only just a touch. It took me three tries to find my voice though and even then it was barely above a strangled whisper.

"I'm... Kain... this..." I let out a near pleased hiss as his fangs scraped sharply over my neck again. I shuddered as his thumbs rubbed over the insides of my wrists. I found it hard to think straight. "Not sure about this... I just... I never..."

He released one of my wrists and reached up to press a finger to my lips in order to silence me. His lips quirked into a smirk of amusement and at the same time he looked very thoughtful as he met my gaze, as if he was trying to decide on what he would do or say at my shyly voiced and garbled concerns. He seemed to nod to himself before he moved his mouth close to my right ear and he spoke softly as his hand moved to press and rub again at my shoulder in a soothing massage. His voice was filled with a serene, calming lilt. A voice that was dark with promise and yet somehow sociable, genial, though it was tinged with his obvious arousal.

"I will be... _gentle_ ," he said softly. "You need not fear."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I tried to settle my nerves, to calm myself and push back against the odd rush that I felt coursing through me. That strange, _tugging_ pull that whispered in the back of my mind that it was _okay_ pulsed through me in time with my heart beat and made it difficult to focus. I barely had any luck in succeeding in pushing back the growing heat that pooled low in my belly as I tried to just _think_. Again I raised my hands, both now free as his other hand moved to close on my hip even as the hand on my shoulder moved to rub lightly over the side of my neck and I tried to push him back a little bit further. I needed a bit more space in order to think. He seemed to sense my need and yielded another inch of space to me, but he moved no further.

I felt dazed... _confused_ really, at the emotions and sensations running through me. My body reacted to even the _slightest_ touch in a way that was intense and focused. Even with all the time spent in that hell hole with Auron's power beating down on my senses, I'd not felt a true draw to _anyone_ within that place, either for aid nor for comfort. There had also _always_ been a layer of disgust and hatred that had helped me fight back against the bastard's power and I'd used those emotions to keep myself from giving in and breaking down the way he had wanted. It wasn't even that I was _scared_ of Kain at this point, far from it, I was... _excited_. But I _would not_ be used and tossed aside. I _would not_...

"All right, I... maybe," I shook my head again to try to clear it with little success, "but only if you... I would have... _something_... from you," I let out a sudden huff of breath as I closed my eyes and I struggled to organize my thoughts into coherent words. I let out a small growl of frustration as I finally forced the urge to... to _submit_...? down. It felt like I had suddenly breached the waters surface for air and I spoke quickly lest I be drawn under that strange mental tide again. "Look, I'll not be a... a... a _one night stand._ If that's all you are wanting from me... then _get away_ and leave me be..."

I opened my eyes and met his gaze as steadily as I could manage. I shuddered as his hand tightened briefly on my hip and his claw tips became brief points of almost pain before his grip relaxed moments later. He seemed to be... almost _amused_ with what I had said. I frowned at his amusement and then gulped as his eyes narrowed on me. He raised his hand and trailed his claws over my lips, not _scratching_ , just a feather-light touch that hinted at the danger inherent in those sharp points. His eyes were cold yet still filled with that blatant desire. The draw, the _desire_ , that I felt for him flared as I held my breath and waited for him to respond to my words. My heart beat wildly with a mixture of almost-fear and desire.

"You _demand_ my loyalty?" he asked in an amused tone.

"I... I'll simply not be _used_ and then _tossed aside,_ " I managed to growl out in a soft voice.

"Such a _brave_ little one," he purred out, "to demand such a thing from me. You are in luck, as it was already my intention to keep you as mine."

I felt a flash of annoyance and anger. I started to snap at him, outraged, "I am _not_ a pe-... _mmph_!"

He abruptly pressed his body hard against mine as he kissed me fiercely. His tongue suddenly began to caress my own as he silenced me with that intense kiss. Then, as I slowly relaxed and started to return the kiss, he began to suck on my tongue after he lured it into his mouth with guiding brushes of his own nimble and skilled organ. His fangs nicked the edges of my tongue and the sharp points drew a small amount of blood that filled our mouths and made me shiver again as the coppery taste registered to my senses. I let out a muffled moan as I tried to deepen the kiss, not content to remain placid in his arms, and I tangled my fingers in his hair. The hand that had trailed against my lips drifted down to my side as he increased the intensity of that searing kiss and I let out a low groan as his tongue swiftly won the battle and darted demandingly back into my mouth. That same hand then moved around to my back and slid down to cup the left side of my rear. His claws dug lightly into my flesh through the loose denim of the pants I had on and I let out a soft cry at the grip.

He raised me abruptly, hands tight on my hip and rear end respectively and I let out a startled yelp that was muffled by his mouth on mine at the sudden action. My legs wrapped around his waist whilst my hands dropped down from his hair and latched onto his shoulders in reflex. I did not wish to be dropped to the ground if he suddenly decided to let go. With the new position, I could suddenly and _easily_ feel how hard he was underneath the leather pants he wore. I let out a sound between a hiss and a whimper at the forceful contact as he ground that trapped length against me in a demanding thrust. The hand at my hip moved to keep my upper body pressed firmly against his chest. The palm of his hand shifted to press between my upper shoulder blades, high enough that I didn't feel a need to panic at the unknowing touch. I was quite firmly trapped in place between the wall and Kain's body. He pulled back from the kiss and, as I gasped for breath, he flicked his tongue over the skin of my neck where my pulse had begun to beat a frantic rhythm underneath. He then blew lightly over the moistened skin, which caused me to shiver in his arms and let out a faint moan of pleasure at the sensation.

"Such a _sensitive_ creature you are," he murmured as he let out a growling laugh of dark amusement at my reaction.

His fangs once again brushed teasingly over the skin of my neck and I gasped at the scraping touch. He bit down abruptly into the flesh of my throat and drew blood from me slowly, as if to savor the taste. A wave of pleasure hit me as his fangs sank home and he began to feed. I moaned once more as heat spread through me. It was a slow build of pleasure as he kept his feeding measured in a careful pull that oh, so slowly began to cloud my senses. My claws dug into his shoulders and my legs tightened around his waist as he started to draw blood from me at a faster rate that caused pleasure to sear through me and then stopped feeding altogether only to start the process all over again once my heartbeat started to calm. He let out a low, muffled growl that sounded approving as I started to pant and whimper as the tide of pleasure rose and fell due to that controlled feeding. I shuddered as the sound vibrated against my throat. My mind began to cloud up with need the longer he fed and he pushed me firmly toward a pleasurable peak. I found that I could no longer even think straight as I was lost in the bliss of that calculated feeding.

After a few more moments of this, yet before I could fall completely over that edge, he removed his fangs from my throat with a hum of satisfaction. I opened my eyes and blinked up at the ceiling, not even sure when I had closed them. My mind slowly cleared and I panted for breath as I became aware of my surroundings once more. I realized that he'd torn my shirt off at some point and had tossed it to the side. I shivered as I registered the cool air as it brushed over my mostly bare skin and couldn't help it as I let out a soft whimper. I looked at Kain and realized that he was eyeing the bra that I had been wearing over the past few weeks and had survived the Sarafan's cutting blade that had damaged my lung several nights ago. It was honestly a size too small for me, though the back strap was low enough as to not impede my wings when they were out. I never got much choice on the clothes I had been allowed to wear while at Auron's and oft times he would leave me things that were _far_ too small for me.

There was a look of mild amusement in Kain's eyes as he looked the bra over. Not for wondering _what_ it was but more, I think, that it was in his way. He ran his hand back down along my backside to where the bra was clasped closed and he fiddled with the hooks for a brief moment in curiosity. He let out another hum of noise and then moved his hand back along to the front of my body. He dug his claws into the fabric a moment later and yanked down, effectively tearing the bra apart and rendering it useless in less than a seconds time. I gave a faint yip of surprise and felt my eyes widen as the tug jerked my upper body forward harshly with the force behind that move. I shivered with both desire and a sudden small flash of fear. He reached up a moment later and slashed the straps as well. He had a satisfied smirk on his lips as he held up the small, _completely ruined,_ item of clothing. He then tossed the ruined bits of material and metal aside to join my ruined shirt on the floor.

This _is what he considers gentle?_ I thought to myself. _I'm not going to_ have _any clothes by the time he's done if he keeps this up!_

He kissed me again and this time his fangs bit into my lower lip and drew yet more of my blood. I growled a bit in response to the flash of near-pain and purposefully let my own fangs nick his tongue when he pushed it back into my mouth. His claws dug into my sides in response to my nip and caused me to let out a hiss of surprised pain. He pulled back a moment with another amused expression on his face as he most likely had not expected me to nip him at all. I was no passive creature though and I stared back at him unrepentantly as I ducked my chin down to protect my throat. A human might have jutted their chin out, raised it up as they glared and looked down their nose at someone, but for a vampire _any_ baring of one's throat could be considered a _submissive_ gesture, not a challenging one. It was _protecting_ one's neck, ducking one's head down and yet maintaining eye contact that constituted a challenge for vampires.

He chuckled softly at my defiant gesture and he leaned forward to nose my chin to the side with a small amount of force to make me bare my throat to him again. I capitulated after a few firm nudges, letting out a soft noise as I did so and he then laid a trail of nips from my lower neck down to my right breast. His mouth closed over the nipple and he bit down gently even as he suckled and flicked his tongue over the hardened peak. His fangs started out as pinpoints of pressure around the areola. A moment later I cried out in both pain _and_ pleasure as his fangs sank fully into the soft flesh of my breast and he started to feed upon me once again in controlled swallows. His tongue continued to flick and swirl around that nipple even as my blood welled in his mouth. I reached up with one hand and grabbed a handful of his hair tight in my fist even as the claws of my other hand dug into his shoulder, my grip partially impeded by his pauldrons and the claw of my thumb drew his blood as my grip tightened. My body trembled in his grasp as I moaned softly under that pleasurable onslaught and I bucked against him as I was again pushed slowly toward that peak with calculated care.

His right hand, claws extended, slid back up along my spine and left yet another half-bloody trail of light scratches on me that began to heal almost immediately despite the consistent, slow drain of my blood. I let out a groan and released his shoulder and hair in order to tug at the bits of armor that he wore on his upper body. I was filled with an almost uncontrollable desire for _more_ and the damn pauldrons were in the way of an easy grip. The belts of the armor were easy enough to find with my questing fingers but I found that it was getting them _undone_ with shaky hands and clouded thoughts that proved to be the difficult part.

After I'd successfully tugged off the pauldrons, Kain was quick to grab both of my wrists again and he moved to hold them both in one hand all without halting his slow feeding. He then yanked my wrists up and pinned them against the wall above my head. He kept them held immobile as he pressed my upper body, mainly my shoulders, hard against the wall and held me pinned in place.

His free hand remained pressed against the base of my back and his claws teased at my spine in gentle passes that caused me to squirm and groan softly before that gentle touch moved slowly upwards. His removed his fangs from my breast and then move to press his lips to mine once more in a demanding, tongue tangling kiss even as he forced his lower body back from mine a few inches. His free hand slid up then back down along my spine and came to rest at the top of my jeans. He grabbed the denim firmly and his claws dug in and nicked the base of my back as he suddenly tore the jeans off my body with a single harsh, cutting tug that pulled my legs away from his waist as my jeans were ripped from me. I gave a faintly aggravated growl at the loss of my clothes, the only clothes I _had_ mind, in such a manner. I shifted and squirmed while I tried to yank my hands free of his iron grip. He pulled back from the kiss long enough to whisper into my ear softly even as he nibbled at my earlobe.

"Do not be so upset Little One. The clothes can easily be replaced," he said with a low rumble.

Kain was quick to undo the belt of his own leather pants and pulled the front of them down enough to free himself. All the while he managed to keep me firmly pinned against the wall. He pressed his body along the length of mine and I let out a moan that was swiftly muffled as he started to kiss me again, tongue pressing demandingly into my mouth. I responded fiercely, _trying_ to take control of at least the kiss but he again trapped my own tongue briefly between his fangs with a commanding growl of noise as he thrust his groin firmly against mine. Because of the way he held me, I could feel his hardness pressed against my crotch. The _only_ thing that kept flesh from touching flesh at this point was my underwear. I squirmed in his grasp as he ground himself harder against me and teased me as he rubbed that very thick, hard and twitching length against my groin. I desperately wanted my hands free to try touch him and I struggled harder against that iron-like grip that held my wrists.

I managed to yank my left hand free and I drew my claws swiftly up the back of his neck, leaving a faint trail of bloody scratches of my own as I did so. His kiss became bruising due to my actions and his fangs caught hold of my tongue hard enough for me to let out a muffled yip as blood again filled our mouths. His free hand gave a testing tug along the line of my underwear. His lips left mine suddenly and he sank his fangs back into the flesh of my throat even as he tore off my underwear in the same moment. My body twitched violently with the harsh pull and I hissed softly at the minor pain. Once he'd tossed the cloth aside, he pressed the length of himself against my slicked entrance and he rubbed the blunt tip of that thick length along my slit slowly. I whimpered at the firm touch and wrapped my legs back around his waist.

I let out a soft groan as I did so, as my movement increased the pressure of him against my entrance. I nipped at his neck gently, enough to scratch but not draw blood, and then moved up to nibble at the top of his ear. A deep part of me was pleased when I felt him shudder and then heard him let out a muffled, purring growl against my throat as he continued to feed from me. He slowly began to push the length of himself into me and my eyes widened as the head of him breached my entrance, inch by slow inch, until he was seated within me completely. His actions, slow and careful as they were, still caused me to wince and make a small, uncontrolled mewling sound of pain as something inside me _tore_ due to that slow invasion.

He made another soft growling sound, only this time it was an almost a _soothing_ thrum of noise as his free hand moved to run through my hair. I realized dimly through that sudden sharp haze of pain that he was trying to help me _relax_. He slowly pulled himself out and left just the head of that hard rod within me as he pulled his fangs from my neck to nibble and lick along the line of my throat. He then pushed back into me, just a inch or so of movement in and out, several times in order to try and get me used to the sheer _size_ of him. I buried my face against his neck, still unable to help the soft mewling sounds that escaped me, but the pain began to fade as he kept his movements carefully measured and slow.

Pain rapidly began to be replaced by pleasure as he continued to push the length of himself in and out of my body in slow and short thrusts of movement. He moved at a slow and deliberate pace, one that wouldn't cause me too much harm as my body gradually opened to him even my inner walls clenched tightly around him. My body slowly but surely became adjusted to the inexorable invasion of his length. I groaned at the sensations that ran through me and my body started to buck, to tighten and clench reflexively around that hard rod of flesh, to meet those calculated thrusts instinctively as need again built up within me. He pulled almost all the way out then slowly slid the length of himself just as deliberately back into me. He moved oh so slowly and sank into me inch by inch until I was left writhing, body trapped between him and the wall. A strangled sound halfway between a moan and a shout escaped my lips as he abruptly thrust forward, impaling me all the way to the hilt with that swift, stabbing, action.

Kain released my other hand and I quickly shifted my grip so that I could hold tight to his shoulders with both of my hands. His own hand, now freed, slid down to grip the back of my neck firmly whilst the other gripped my rear end just as tightly. His claws dug into the my skin on my ass delicately, pinpricks of _almost_ pain. We stayed like that for a long moment, him sheathed to the hilt within my core, as I panted for breath and shivered, _shuddered_ in his arms as I struggled to process the new sensations that seared through me. I moaned low in my throat as he renewed that slow feeding at my neck and also due to the feeling of him buried inside me, stretching, _penetrating_. He moved out of me after a long moment, a slow and long draw that caused a small sound of need to escape my lips and I tried to buck against him, to force him back in, but his hand shifted to my waist and he held me still.

Again Kain continued to move torturously slow as he slid himself from me an inch at a time. I let out another faint sound of pleasure at the feeling of that hard and twitching length slipping out of me. Once he had almost fully withdrawn himself, just the _tip_ of that hardness still held within me, breaching me, he then rammed that solid rod of flesh back inside of me hard and blindingly fast. I bit back a cry of pained pleasure at the sharp thrust and the deep impact of that thrust jolted me to my core. I bit and nipped at his ear as my claws scratched along his shoulders and the back of his neck in response to that powerful movement. My claws left small cuts that healed almost as fast as they were opened and he growled low against my throat. Kain began to move in and out of my core at a fast pace and my back was pressed harder against the wall with each of his wild seeming, _dominating_ thrusts.

He pulled his fangs from my neck and licked and nibbled at the puncture wounds he had left behind. I could tell that the wounds were healing at a far slower pace than what they should have. I blinked at the ceiling and realized dimly that I had been left very much weakened from the loss of blood due to his continued, slow paced feeding. I moved to sink my fangs into his own throat instinctively at that realization as hunger suddenly seared through me, but his firm grip on the back of my neck kept me from moving forward. I struggled weakly and a plaintive, wordless moan of hunger escaped me as again I tried push forward to feed. When he didn't release me I dug my claws into his shoulders in order to try to pull him closer to me so that I could sink my fangs into his neck yet he was easily able to resist my tug.

Kain smiled at me darkly even as he nudged my chin with his nose. His Aura pulsed over mine in a light caress and I let out a keening breath as I bared my throat to him instinctively. He bit roughly into the flesh beneath my right ear and I jerked against him with a small yip. He tore at the spot carefully before he pulled back just a hair, lips just over the wound. I could hear him murmur something under his breath as he slowly began to speed up his thrusting movements. He plunged himself deeper and _harder_ into my core as he spoke. Distracted as I was by the movement of his length pushing in and out of my clenching body, as well as the sharp hunger that coiled through me, I barely noticed the pain of his bite as he attacked that part of my neck but I _certainly_ noticed the sudden flood of magic that pulsed through me when he stopped speaking. The pulse of power rippled through me and caused me to jerk my head back. I smacked the back of my head hard against the wall. The sharp movement briefly caused me to see stars along my field of vision and I blinked rapidly to try to clear my sight. The magic pulsed against my neck and I could feel it solidify into... _something_. Kain nuzzled at the area briefly, which caused small shocks of pleasure to sing through me, before he focused his attentions elsewhere on my body whilst he shifted me so that he could nip and lick at my breasts even as he continued to drive that hard shaft into my opened body.

Soft moans escaped my lips as he continued that rough onslaught on my core. He began to pick up the pace of his thrusts and my legs tightened around his waist in response. Hell, I could feel my _entire body_ tighten around him as I tried to hold him closer, to somehow pull him _deeper_ into me. He growled softly in pleasure at my reactions and he let go of the back of my neck a moment later so that I could finally move. I nipped at his ear again before I brushed my fangs lazily down the side of his neck, feeling drained and unfocused. I sucked gently at the skin before I bit down and let my fangs pierce his flesh in order to feed on his blood. Blood that... tasted like copper, bittersweet chocolate, coiled lightning, fire and _power_ all at once.

Kain let out a low, rumbling growl when my fangs sank a bit further into his flesh as I tried to feed deeper, to swallow that power filled blood that had been offered to me that much faster. His own fangs sank back into my neck a few moments later, though he kept his own feeding slow. Pleasure began to overwhelm my senses completely. Pleasure at feeding on his dark-sweet blood and his feeding from me. Pleasure as he drove the length of himself deeper into me, as he began to push into me harder and faster even as I struggled inexpertly to meet those demanding thrusts. I let out a throttled groan against his throat as my hips bucked wildly, unable to truly meet the rhythm he had set. His claws slid down my sides and he grabbed hold of my hips firmly in a near bruising grip. He pulled me down harshly whilst he drove upwards into me at the same time. He forced me down, forced me to meet his pace even as he shifted the angle at which he drove up into me.

A sharp, muffled cry escaped my lips as my body tightened around his length in a shuddering tremor that rocked me in response to that shifting action. The slight change in angle caused that hard rod to pass against a singular place within me and shot pleasure up my spine like a jolt of lightning. My back arched against the wall as I moaned and I pulled back from my feeding, close now to the release of my first true climax at the hands and touch of another person. On some level he must have felt my need and sudden want for release, because he began to drive himself that much faster, that much _harder,_ up into me even as his fangs slid from my neck.

" _That's_ it," he purred darkly in my ear. "Let me hear you."

Breathless sounds of want and need escaped me. His hands tightened further still on my hips and I arched against him. I let out whimpering, moaning, _begging_ cries of pleasure as I writhed in his grasp, unable to escape, _not wanting_ to escape as the pleasure heightened further still. I held tight to his shoulders all while trying at the same time to shift my body so he could drive himself just that little bit deeper. I wanted release. I _needed_ it. I felt stretched, full in a way that seemed impossible. Oh, but it all felt so damnably _good_.

"Yes," he growled in my ear. " _Now_."

Just as he spoke, I hit that peak. As I fell to the inexorable tidal wave, Kain's mouth closed over mine and he gave a final, powerful thrust that caused a muffled scream of pleasure to escape me and I bucked roughly in his grasp as my legs tightened around his waist and my arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tangling roughly in his hair. He moved his hands to hold me firmly against his chest as I writhed and bucked wildly against him in my pleasure. His kiss intensified as if he were attempting to swallow down my cries of pleasure.

A few moments later, I fell limp in his arms whilst I panted and whimpered from the pleasure that still coursed through my system. Pleasure that made me twitch in uncontrollable spasms. He slid himself out of me slowly and shifted me in his grasp to carry me. I kept my arms loosely around his neck, _far_ too overwhelmed with pleasure to do anything else but remain placid in his arms.

Kain moved us to a nearby bedroom. I realized after a dazed moment, as I caught sight of the Reaver against the wall, that this was his bedchamber while he stayed here. He laid me down on the bed, which was covered with black silk sheets, and I blinked lazily up at him as my breathing started to slow. He flashed a faint smirk at me as he looked me over and his blue-gold eyes flashed with a dark pleasure before he moved onto the bed to crouch over me, kissing me deeply as he did so. He pulled back a moment later and I had the chance to look him over. I felt my brows raise in surprise at the sight of his still hard and pulsing length. I blinked a bit and then shifted my gaze to meet his own, surprised that he had held back and focused so on my pleasure over his own.

I reached up slowly and let my hands run carefully through his long silver hair. He chuckled softly at my perplexed expression and nuzzled at my neck where he had marked me. At least I was _fairly_ certain that it was a mark of _some_ sort as the brief brush of lips made me gasp as I felt a spike of pleasure stab through me once more. I wondered, if it _was_ a mark, if it somehow meant that I was his and off limits to other vampires. Maybe? The thought felt... _right_ for some reason. He nicked my ear lightly with his fangs and then licked away the blood before he whispered softly into my ear.

"Why give into my need for release when we can continue for hours yet, hmm, Little One?" he asked as he answered my silent question. "There is _far_ more pleasure to be found this eve for us both."

I gave a faint, breathless laugh at his words and pushed myself up onto shaky arms in order to kiss him as deeply as I could before I let my body fall back against the soft bed with a faint, contented sound. I trailed my hands over his neck and his chest slowly and lightly dug my claws into flesh as I idly trailed them lower. I let out a pleased purring sound when I felt, more than saw, the shiver of pleasure that ran through him. It seemed to me that he liked a bit of pain along with the pleasure. That was good to know.

"I told you before, " I said breathlessly even as a faint smile came to my lips. "My name is Katrina."

"That you did... my Little One," he responded with a low laugh.

Kain's lips pushed against mine again and his hands trailed slowly down the front of my body. Claws teased at my breasts and I moaned, my back arching slightly from the pleasure of his touch. My body was hypersensitive after what we had already done and each touch made me twitch beneath him. I realized after a few moments of dazed bliss, that we would be busy till far into the night. I found that I didn't mind that idea one bit and I dipped my hands lower to brush the pads of my fingers over that still hard rod of flesh with another contented sound as I returned that kiss.

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Please read and review!


	9. To shock a Vampire

Alright, as usual, disclaimer, I do not own any of the LoK Characters, etc.

Now, On with the story!

Chapter nine: To shock a Vampire

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I woke slowly to the dusk of a new night. I still felt tired from last nights... activities, which had continued well into dawn's light. I rolled onto my side and drew the black sheets around me before I sat up with a tired blink and a small yawn. Kain had to have woken earlier than myself, as he was no longer within the room. A glance around the room showed that the Soul Reaver was gone as well. I rubbed my neck lightly where he had marked me as I shook off the last of the edge of sleep that still clung to my senses.

He'd teased me like hell throughout the night, taunting me as he pushed to the edge of pleasure again and again only to deny me. Many times I had been driven near insensate by his touch and had had to fight in order to think. At one point I'd even tried to force him down, force him back and to... well, take control of the situation, only to have him move quick as lightning to drain me of blood which had left me too weak to struggle free of the simple silk ropes he suddenly produced from the air and used to tie my hands and my feet firmly into place on the bed frame, which left me spread-eagled and defenseless. He'd moved around the bed slowly as he looked my form over. There was just a faint hint of amusement behind all that apparent anger, at least I thought there was.

I found out that, strangely enough given what I had been through over the years, I actually liked a little bit of pain mixed with the pleasure. Afterwards, both of us spent and satiated several times over, he fed me some of his own blood so that I would recover from the long night.

I looked around the room slowly as I finally now a chance to view his bedchamber without being... preoccupied with more pleasant activities. I noticed, to my amusement, that there was a set of clothes laid out just at the foot of the large bed. I leaned forward, grabbed the clothing and pulled it close in order to examine the pile closely. There was a black and red bodice-like top with a very low-cut back that left me room if I decided to extend my wings, a pair of crimson and black cloth pants that would be a little loose on me and a simple belt to hold the pants in place. Black was the dominate color of the overall outfit and I had to chuckle. There was also a pair of black half-inch heeled boots with blood-red lacing on the floor to the right of the bed. Overall the clothes and boots looked to be just about my size and would at least be comfortable to wear compared to the too-tight clothing that I'd been wearing.

I slipped out of the bed and grabbed up the clothes in my hands. I moved to stand in front of the mirror as I put them on. The top was just a little too tight in some areas but over all it wasn't as uncomfortable as some of the things Auron had forced me into at times when I was unconscious. I slipped on the thigh-high boots, happy with the snug fit of the boots as they were just my size. I then found a small bristle brush and brushed my hair quickly before I pulled it back into a very short ponytail. I paused when something caught my eye and I looked at my neck where Kain had bit down directly under my right ear. I brushed my fingers against the spot and shivered slightly as I did so. I saw the faint pulse of an Aura glow for a moment and I shifted so that I could get a closer look. I brushed my finger against the spot again and looked over the shape that the Aura glow took. I realized the shape was well and truly in the form of Kain's mark, his Symbol. I let out a small snort of amusement and moved to leave the room with a faint smile on my lips. A deeper part of me felt safer than I had for a long time.

Before I could leave the room, I noticed that the sword that I had 'acquired' from the Sarafan several days ago had been placed against wall next to the bedroom door along with a new leather sheath. I picked up both and then tied the sheath to my belt, sheathed the blade and practiced with it for a moment to make sure the draw would be okay. I then moved out into the main hall and looked around. I gave a faint laugh when I heard two voices clearly arguing further down the hall.

Kain and Vorador are at it again, eh? I thought to myself.

I made my way down the hall and warily into the room that the voices originated from. The first thing I really noticed was that there was both a map of Nosgoth and a map of Meridian proper laid out on a large table. Vorador stood to the left of the table and Kain to the right. Kain pointed a clawed finger at the first map and looked at Vorador with a sneer on his lips. The rest of his face was dark with anger and his annoyance with the Eldar was writ plain in his expression.

"We should move and move now, Old One," Kain growled out. "Strike out and take over new territory while the Sarafan's forces are at their weakest."

"I do not agree Kain," Vorador said with a shake of his head. "We still do not know who their new leader is and, from the rumors my childe have heard, this new... Leader, is a sorcerer who is somehow making the previous Sarafan Lord look weak in terms of magical might even if he seems lacking in physical prowess. We should find his haven within the city and defeat him first using stealth, not turn our attentions elsewhere and spread our forces thin."

Kain curled his hand into a fist, which he half shook in front of Vorador's face before he slammed said fist against the table as he looked about ready to start ranting Vorador simply stood there and watched the white-haired vampire coldly, decidedly unimpressed with the rude behavior, and the Eldar crossed his arms. The older vampire simply looked as if he were ready to wait out any pending rants and for Kain to calm down. Kain took a slow breath though and, instead of ranting, he growled out his next words in a forcibly controlled tone.

"Fine then, send one of your informants out and find out who, or what, this new leader is. I will not be taken by surprise by another Hylden and I will make sure the Sarafan rule ends for certain this time!"

I made my way toward Kain's side, half tempted to try to see if I could somehow help to calm his anger, but I instinctively knew better than to even attempt it. Something thrummed in my head, said 'Not in public'. Attempting to calm him in private might be one thing now, maybe, but I don't think it would have helped any to try and calm him with any others around to see. I did not want to mis-step when it came to whatever this relationship could be called. I looked back and forth between the two for a moment, I still wanted to be of some help, before I focused my gaze on Vorador. I tilted my head a bit.

"I believe that I can help... if you'd like," I said to them with a small shrug of one shoulder and a glance to Kain. "It... would be fairly easy for me to stay hidden and not get caught by the Sarafan. I'd like to be useful since you've already helped me."

"Indeed," Kain said with a suddenly satisfied tone. "Your Dark Gift would be advantageous in this instance, my Little One."

Kain flashed a smirk my way even as he looked my newly clad form over. He then grabbed my chin lightly in his hand. I gave a small start, just a twitch of almost unease, at the sudden grip but I made no move to pull away from his hold immediately. His claws just barely dug into my skin, pinpoints of pressure but not of threat. Just... a firm hold. I did not know what was going through his mind as he looked me over again from head to toe and from the look in his eyes, both calculating and hungry, I wasn't quite sure I wanted to know. Vorador watched the two of us with a raised brow and I could feel the faint blush rise to my cheeks. I pulled my chin free of the hand that held it, more to say that Kain let me pull free, and then looked to Vorador with a raised brow and a tilt of my head, as if daring him to say anything. I briefly hoped that the blushed faded swiftly. I then shifted closer to the table in order to look the two maps over. I eyed the one of Meridian as I worked to memorize the details of the map.

"So... where, and when, should I start looking?" I asked them after a moment.

Vorador looked faintly amused at my continued willingness to help, then pointed at a spot on the map around what looked to be a castle of some sort. I realized with a flash of recognition that it was the Sarafan Keep. There seemed to have been a few adjustments made to the map, markers and black lined areas where buildings seemed to have been destroyed or places lined in green ink where Ward Gates were still up and running.

"Here, the Keep itself, is where most of my Childe have seen the new Sarafan Lord," Vorador started to explain. "However large walls have been set up recently. They are too high for a vampire to leap over, magically rendered smooth to prevent hand-holds along the seems and made of stone strong enough due to enhancements so that even I would have difficulties making hand-holds in order to climb it. Regretfully there is no easy way to sneak in... even were you to posses a gift akin to Kain's 'Mist'."

"Huh," I let out a huff of breath at that and muttered softly. "That should be easy enough to bypass actually... "

"And how do you expect to get over the wall, hmm young one?" Vorador asked in a drawling tone.

I glanced over at Kain for a moment and wondered to myself if I should reveal my wings to the green-skinned Eldar or not. The only clue that Kain gave me to work with was the faintest of smirks.

Some help you are, I thought to myself.

I turned back to Vorador and shrugged my shoulder. I took a breath and spoke as confidently as I could.

"Fly," I said simply.

Vorador looked me over and raised a brow. He shook his head at me a moment later. He turned so that he could look at me fully, his attention no longer on the maps upon the table or on Kain and he waved a taloned hand in a dismissive seeming gesture. He stayed silent for a few minutes longer, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully as if he were examining my Aura with the mental equivalent of a fine-toothed comb. Vorador shook his head again moments later before almost growling out his question. Though it was more of an amused growl then an angry or annoyed one. Apparently, he was intent on mocking me now.

"And how do you plan to fly young one?" he asked. "Grow wings? Your Aura shows no signs of one who might know the Bat Form ability nor any shape-changing ability that might grant one wings like that of a hawk or a raven."

I gave him a bemused look of my own at his assumption and backed up about five feet from the both of them. I shot another glance at Kain and offered him a half smile, to which he responded with a single nod of approval as if he agreed with my plan to show Vorador my wings. I remembered briefly that Kain would have been the only one within this realm at this point, other than Nikolai, to have seen my wings. It was no wonder then that I looked to him to help as I wanted to know if this would be a wise thing to do, to let anyone else see them. I let my eyes fall half shut and let out a slow breath to calm my sudden nerves. I found myself grateful that the top Kain had left for me to wear this morning barely had any back to it. It would make it that much easier for me to bring out my wings, even if it was a little embarrassing to be wearing so damned little instead of a normal shirt with two holes torn into the back of it. I suppose he'd figured it a good idea since my previous shirt hadn't had much of a back left to it either by the time he tore it off of me.

I merely had to concentrate the slightest a bit in order to bring my wings out. I had learned at one point how to leave my wings within my body yet Auron had somehow known of a way to force me to bring my wings out when I'd first tried to protect them in such a manner. There was a sort of pressure point along my spine and between my shoulder blades. I preferred to have my wings out in all honesty. It felt more... comfortable, natural, to have them out and I wasn't left with an uncomfortable, pinned in sensation like a winged creature whose wings had been tied down and the sky denied it until the bindings were released.

As a small pressure at my back began to grow as I knew my wings were just beginning to extend. Flesh would raise, bulge and then within less then a handful of seconds the air would be filled with the telltale sound of skin tearing, yet I knew there would be no blood nor any signs of wounds to be found at the base of my wings. I spread my wings out to their full length behind me and took a brief moment to just enjoy the sensation of moving them about, of freedom, of having the faint breeze that they created in the air as they moved caress the feathers and the membrane underneath. Dragon-like, or bat-like as they were, there were no primary flight feathers or anything, more like a layer of down on the underside of the wing membrane and slightly larger feathers along the back of each wing that seemed like a... well a slightly fluffy layer of protective 'scales' if you will. The feathers were strong, not easily broken or damaged as it had always been an effort for Auron to... 'make patterns' as he damaged my wings.

I stretched them out again and let them jerk forward a bit in an abortive wing beat. I opened my eyes and looked to Vorador with an amused smirk as I brought my wings back around my body like a red-black feathered cloak where the largest bend of the wings rested comfortably on my shoulders. I had to fight back a burst of outright laughter at the sight in front of me and I raised my fist to my hand to hide my smile and let out a choked cough. I swear, I'd never seen another vampire look so shocked, so cute, and so blank in my entire life. Well, that is, if you ever even slightly thought to consider Vorador 'cute', now would be the ideal time.

His jaw had dropped at some point and his eyes had widen with his obvious disbelief. His arms, which had previously been crossed over his chest, were now slack at his sides. Kain gave a half laugh of his own, unable or perhaps unwilling, to contain his darksome mirth and snapped his fingers in front of Vorador's face with a sneer on his lips. A dark gleam of amusement flashed in those blue-gold orbs.

"Such a fine impression of a fish out of water you are doing at the moment," Kain drawled in a mocking tone. "But we have things to do, Old One."

Vorador's mouth shut in an instant and he let out a faint hiss of annoyance at Kain. He batted Kain's hand aside an instant later which merely elicited another dark laugh out of Kain. Vorador turned back to look at me and eyed my wings again, a mix of amazement and a bit of new respect in his gaze. He might well have been thinking of Janos' wings while he looked my own over, noting the differences. Or he might not be, I might have just been reading into his expression too much. Finally though, he gave a faint nod of acceptance.

"Very well, it seems you're fully able to get over the wall, but how do you expect not to be seen Young One?" he asked.

"I... have my ways," I responded with a shrug.

I'd rather that only myself and Kain know of my Dark Gift. From what I could recall, one could simply feed upon another vampire to gain a Gift, something that held true of the vampires in my home realm if what tidbits of vampiric nature Auron shared with me held true. But then again, everything of my forceably Awakened nature had been true and told to me in painful ways. He had taken great delight in telling me that my wings would grow back. In any case, my Gift to disappear from sight would be especially useful for sneaking up on one's enemies or staying hidden. Vorador looked at me, obviously waiting for me to explain further, but once he realized I wasn't going to elaborate upon the subject he simply began to give me more detail upon the Sarafan knights that guarded the place. I nodded a bit as I listened closely to him and did not complain when Vorador mentioned having me scout a few other areas to get a better lay of the land first.

It was about what one would expect of a castle though, heavy security was stationed throughout the whole building with lighter guard patrols in the surrounding districts. The big warning he gave me was that the Sarafan in armor would be the main ones to watch out for as they could sense a Vampire's presence due to the runes on their armor. Oddly enough, given the events of that night when I fought a few of them, I knew that their armor did not glow around me which would make things easier for me to sneak about. It seemed that being a half-blood had more uses than one would expect here in Nosgoth. I glanced over at Kain, who had continued to watch me with a bit of amusement in his eyes. I doubt any other person would have shocked Vorador as much as I had just done and he had been pleased by that. This was going to be a fun few weeks.


	10. Enemy Revealed

Alright everyone, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy. Please Read and Review

Edits as of 04/12/2017 courtesy of Ellara Levellan

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Chapter Ten: Enemy Revealed

The moon was high in the sky and the light of the sun reflecting off the surface shone brighter than the stars or even the sun itself given how cloudy the day-light hours were around Meridian. I've always loved the silvery light of the moon and now, _for the first time ever,_ I found myself flying high above the clouds with the moonlight playing upon my wings. It was a wondrously freeing sensation to wing through the air where I belonged.

It had surprised me, but it hadn't taken me all that long to learn how to fly. In the weeks I'd spent exploring the city to learn the area so that I could act as a scout, I often found a small bit of time for myself here and there to practice, though I had stayed low at first to avoid any painful mishaps. I'd been a 'caged bird' for a long time but the flight instincts were there and still strong in my mind. I wasn't an _expert_ flyer by any means and my landings were still a little rough on occasion but having learned how to fall without causing myself further injury helped me make decent recoveries on my landing attempts. And while I did keep my Gift up to keep any of my initial blunders from being seen, Kain was the one to idly point out to me one night, after he had _literally_ pounced me to test my situational awareness as I made my way back towards the Blue Lady, that my Gift didn't seem to include my shadow. My Gift might have warped light around me somehow to make it where I couldn't be seen, but it didn't allow light to pass _through_ me, hence I still had a shadow to give me away if I wasn't careful. Hence, I got caught unawares after years of having developed a decent situational awareness for dealing with people who couldn't _turn into a fucking cloud of moisture._

I began to _hate_ his damn Mist Form Gift in relatively short order...

After a few minutes spent just enjoying the feeling wind beneath my wings and the sheer sense of freedom it brought to me, I turned and finally headed for the destination for the night; the Sarafan Keep. I already had my Gift active in order to remain out of sight of any of the Sarafan guards below, just in case my flight took me out of the safety of the clouds. Good luck to them finding _this_ particular needle in a haystack, even if they did notice my shadow as it passed over them, they would see nothing above them but clouds and sky when they looked up. And how many people actually look _UP_ when they sensed danger? Even nights spent idly watching the other vampires from the taller rooftops showed that almost no one, guard, noble, servant or merchant, looked up when they felt that instinctive flash of fear that meant they were being hunted.

I looked over the building carefully as I circled it. Once I confirmed that it looked clear, I landed on the rooftop as silently as I could. I found myself grateful for my Gift's ability to muffle sound... as it was not the smoothest of landings and I had to roll to save myself from actual injury. I furled my wings and tucked them close to my body to rest on my shoulders. I moved to the door on the roof and carefully tested the handle. I found that it was unlocked and I felt a flash of relief as I did _not_ want to make noise or leave an obvious sign that someone had broken in by breaking open the door. I made my way silently down the stairs and past a few of the guards that were patrolling within the building. The amount of guards on patrol seemed to be... somewhat _lacking_ to me. When you _knew_ there was a vampire presence in the city, and one's base of operations was well known as the Sarafan's was, one would think that said known location would be better defended than what I saw.

I made my way deeper into a building that had once housed one of the villains of the worst sort and perhaps did again. I've never really liked people who waged wars for supposed 'holy' reasons, when it was just an excuse to wage war on a group of people they didn't like or an excuse to take control of resources and the lands of an area. I thought for a moment about what Nikolai had told me about his own family and realized that it was not a case of ' _perhaps_ ' but ' _definitely_ ' with the amount of people who had been displaced if not outright slain in the man's bid for money, property and power.

As I moved deeper into the building, every natural ability that I had which sensed danger started to scream at me to get out and get out _now_ before it was too late. I ignored the foreboding sensation and pressed onward as I knew the others needed what information I could glean from the area. Still, I moved at a slower and more cautious pace as I did not want to be taken unawares.

I came to a halt when I found myself facing a Ward Gate. I'd not tried to move through one of them before as I wandered the city and now would be the first time. The Gates were designed to deny vampires access to 'protected' areas by causing debilitating pain. I'd learned from Nikolai and Vorador that there were only a few 'protected' housing districts and that the cost of living in those areas was exponential. _Another_ reason to be disgusted with the Sarafan, had they truly been doing their proclaimed duty to protect the populace, then every district would have been 'protected' and the cost of living would have been affordable for _everyone_ , not just the well off.

 _Perhaps I shouldn't have put this off,_ I thought to myself with a small frown as I looked over the green barrier.

Thankfully, there was no one around to witness what I was about to do. I started forward slowly and held my hand up to the barrier before me. I pushed my hand forward, finger-tips first, and flinched slightly as I felt a near-to-tickling and somewhat itching sensation that wasn't in the slightest bit pleasant zap over me.

It felt like I had ants or spiders crawling, not only on my flesh, but _underneath_ the skin as well. Despite the unpleasantness of the sensation, I found that I was not encountering all that much in the way of resistance from the barrier itself, whereas I knew that many vampires would be physically incapable of passing through it or at least left badly drained and potentially even _burned_ by the action depending on how long ago they had been turned. I had seen one recently made fledge as he was brought back, harmed as a barrier was activated just as he darted through the Gate. The burns had been... bad, _really_ bad, but he had survived and recovered from his injuries. I took a slow, deep breath as I straightened my shoulders. I pushed my way forward, through and past the barrier in my way. I shivered a bit as that sickening, tickling sensation amplified throughout my body for several moments before it faded as I finished crossing to the other side of the barrier.

I stretched my wings out as I rolled my shoulders and, in doing so, I saw that many of my feathers seemed to have risen up in a rough, ruffled pattern. I patted at the feathers to push them back into place and wasn't all that surprised when a small shock jolted through me a moment later when I brushed the hilt of the sword at my waist on accident with my unoccupied hand. I grumbled uncomfortably and spent a few moments un-ruffling some of the feathers before I drew my wings back around me and made sure my Gift was firmly in place once more. I looked around my surroundings carefully before I moved to make my way further downstairs. I had gone down a few floors by this point and had only seen a smattering of guards. I had no real clue as to where to find the new Sarafan Lord either, but I made a mental map of the place as I went, just in case I got turned around. I'd gotten good at the swift memorization of my surroundings out of necessity.

I gave a bit of a start when I heard sudden an extremely loud cheers come from nearby room. I turned down the hall that the noise seemed to echo from and made my way toward the increasingly loud voices. I stopped as I reached a wide balcony which overlooked what seemed to be the 'art room' of the Sarafan Keep, as there were several large paintings and multiple large statues spaced throughout the room, and I took in the sight beneath me with widened eyes.

The room below me was filled with dozens, perhaps even a hundred or more, Sarafan knights all clustered together. Some had their blades held above their heads, others simply raised their arms, hands clenched into fists. All of them were cheering loudly, though I couldn't quite make out their words because of all the overlapping noise. A... rally of some sort? I turned to focus on the object of their attention, a human male that stood in front of a door that was directly beneath the main painting. He had long black hair and looked to be only around sixteen to eighteen years old and wore a fancy looking set of mage robes. There was also an odd, small stone orb about half to three-quarters the size of a clenched fist that he wore around his neck. The orb caught my attention and I leaned over the balcony in order to attempt to get a closer look. Half of the strange orb was a crimson coloration and seemed to be carved so it looked like a large droplet of blood while the other half the orb was the color of a dark sapphire and cut so that it looked like a jagged crystal. It was like some twisted version yin/yang symbol and seemed to glow with a kind of odd inner and malevolent light that made my eyes hurt just staring at it.

What _actually_ sent chills running down my spine was not the stone that he wore, creepy as it was, but his _eyes_. Humans did _not_ have that kind of highlight color in their eyes. His true eye color seemed to possibly be ice blue, but the color was highlighted with a pure glowing black light that made his eyes seem totally out of place. Something was wrong with this man, this boy but I just could not tell exactly what. He raised his hands for silence, not saying a single word as he did so, and just waited for quiet to settle over the crowd. To my surprise the Sarafan... rabble quieted down to a murmur mere moments after he raised his hands. The entire lot fell into an obedient and respectful silence in a way that made my wings twitch with nervousness. He looked over the crowd with a slow, proprietary air before he began to speak. He even sounded young but his voice held a strange level of confidence to it and it also held an odd aura that almost drew me into... into a spell that seemed woven into his tone. I had to shake my head to clear it and frowned down at the crowd below me and saw that the crowd looked enthralled.

 _Some kind of_ Charm _ability perhaps?_ I thought to myself.

"Sarafan warriors!" the boy called out in a voice that rang through the room. The built in acoustics enhanced his voice and carried it to every corner. "Champions of Light and Destroyers of the Plague that threatens us all, I thank you for coming here this eve. I thank you for signing on to aid our noble cause these long years. I see many brave souls standing here before me this evening. Men who have fought against the vampiric menace and helped to rid our lands of their scourge. To keep our people and our way of live safe. I see heroes in you all!"

The crowd began to cheer noisily once more at his words. The men's swords and fists were raised as they shouted, pleased with themselves and their 'holy' war with the vampire race. I felt a small burst of disgust. I had walked hidden through the city night after night and seen not good men and women like some of the officers I had known growing up, but power hungry monsters that took enjoyment in kicking the random beggar and harassing the women. Not good people who would help someone who had fallen over and spilled their wares but horrible minded people who would laugh at the other persons misfortune or who were the very cause of the fall. People who abused and molested their charges. The boy again raised his hands for silence and once more the crowd began to quiet down almost instantly. He smiled an almost benevolent smile, then that very smile faded into a frown and his eyes narrowed as he raised his voice and injected an ominous tone into it.

"But our job is not yet done my fellow Sarafan, my brave warriors! We may have them on the run, but we have not wiped Nosgoth clean of their plague! We need to redouble our efforts if we mean to free our people from the pestilence that infects our land. Search each town again, home by home, for those that escaped us the first time through. Search for those who dare to consort with our bestial enemy. There will be no safety for those that fear our cleansing light! Go now, my fellow Warriors! Go and free Nosgoth of the Vampiric infestation as only you can!"

He had a cold smile upon his lips as he turned and made his way through the door behind him. The crowd of Sarafan had started to cheer so loudly now, that I could feel the start of a headache due to the cacophony of noise below me. I made a sound of disgust low in my throat then moved downstairs to silently trail after this new Sarafan Lord. I wanted to find out more about this... apparent human, before I left and went back to Sanctuary in order to make my report. And perhaps, I might even get the chance to deal with him myself considering my stealth based Gift. That thought more than anything helped me to calm my sudden nerves as my hunting instincts moved to the fore of my mind and helped to guide my gait. If I had any chance at all to defeat this human, being as young and inexperienced in battle as I was, I knew that surprise would be the only way I would be able to take the boy by surprise and then make my escape.

I stopped in front of the door that the boy had gone through and looked up at the painting upon the wall. I was half tempted to take out my sword and mess up the painting somehow. A sudden rage seemed to fill me and I couldn't figure out the _why_ of it. I shook my head instead and struggled briefly to push down that sudden, impulsive thought that would have gotten me into _far_ more trouble than I needed. The Sarafan would need all but the hint that someone was within the building in order to raise the alarm. I moved through the doorway before the bizarre and childish urge became too strong.

I did feel a natural sense of disgust at the 'art work' that had been displayed prominently within the previous room. There were paintings upon the walls that showed vampires being beheaded or spiked. Worst of all, they still had that main painting at the back wall that I just barely remembered from the game. A painting that depicted Kain's defeat at the hands of the previous Hylden Sarafan Lord. I had a taste for classical art and music, of that there was no doubt as I used to draw a little, sing a little, but such things were not art to me. Nor were any of the other pictures like that murderous image, in my opinion. It was an atrocious and vulgar way for people to say 'Hey look! I'm better than everyone else!' or 'Look at what I killed and how I did it!' If it had been in Kain's room I would have thought the same thing, make no mistake. I took _no_ enjoyment of art that depicted the mindless slaughter of others.

I kept as close on the Lord's heels as I could whilst still maintaining a good distance, I did not want to lose him on a servant run lift or through the wrong doorway nor did I wish to be close enough that I might risk running into him or anyone who approached him. He moved sedately into what was apparently his bedchambers. I paused for a few moments and then walked over to peek inside. I felt a small flash of confusion as I stopped at near the doorway. Why would he have left the door wide open? The other thing that confused me was that there were no guards around. Absolutely none outside the room nor within. If he was their leader... shouldn't he have some sort of guard even here considering how stealthy vampires could be? Was he that sure of his own safety? I blinked and tilted my head. I had the thought that maybe I should finish the bastard off now if he was indeed foolish enough to leave himself unguarded. I mean, I now had the perfect chance to take this particular human out, unguarded and isolated as he was from the others.

I started forward into the room and had to bite back a hiss of pain as I fell back away from the door's threshold. I barely managed to maintain my Gift and felt certain that it had flickered due to the pain. The bastard had some kind of barrier that was much stronger than the Ward Gates up and, from the way it felt at that moment, I was almost positive that not even a human could have passed through that barrier safely. There was also the fact I could not see nor even sense the barrier itself til I ran into it. No wonder there were no guards, he had no need of them with that kind of defensive magic at hand to ensure his safety and it would further improve the morale of the Sarafan to known that their leader was untouchable.

I heard the man-child give a faint chuckle as he stood from what looked to be a work table. He moved to stand just about a foot in front of the doorway. He did not step any further forward than that, safely ensconced within the barrier. He eyed the hallway carefully for a few moments before his eyes seemed to settle on my own.

 _Damn_! I thought with a flash of panic. _Can he see through my Gift_?

But no, it had to be something else, something in the odd blackness that rimmed his eyes even now. His eyes did not fully focus on my form but on my general location. I held still and waited, barely even breathing, as I tried to contain the sudden flash of fear that filled me. If he sounded an alarm things might well get dicey. I couldn't keep myself from jumping when he spoke and I took a few silent and careful steps back from where I had stood frozen.

"Come now, I know you are there," he said softly. "Hmm, yes indeed. 'The one whose wings are stained with blood'. I know of _you_ my dear."

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. A small sneer curled his lips and his eyes turned almost completely black a moment later. He raised his right hand to his chin and his expression took on an almost playful look as he continued to look 'at' me whilst he tapped his chin. He gave a soft laugh, an almost coquettish sound, before he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Oh, don't worry, things will become clear soon enough little pet," he drawled as his voice changed slightly, oddly. "Go... run away little girl and let this Dance of Death continue to play out to its' completion."

I let out a startled hiss and I bolted at that point in fear. Not only was it not a good thing that he could somehow sense me, but I also had the sense that somehow there was an entity of enormous power around, behind, IN that man-child. His laughter, laughter that suddenly sounded warped and twisted, echoed through the halls as I made my way out of the Keep. Even my courage had a limit, I did not wish to fight this boy... this thing, without knowing more about him and how in the blazes he knew of me!

I raced through the halls of the Sarafan Keep as quickly as I could and managed to somehow avoid running into or getting near any of the Sarafan guards in the process. Now that the rally was over, there were more guards in the area. I may have been invisible, but I did not wish to risk being caught by blindly barreling into someone in my panic. I hoped that Kain or Vorador would be able to make more sense of what had just happened when the new Sarafan Lord spoke to me. It was as if he was human but... changed somehow by... by something...?

I got to the point where I'd passed through the Ward Gate and started to move through it at a run toward freedom, yet for some reason the pain I felt when I had first gone through it had tripled to the point where I collapsed in a pain-filled heap on the other side of the Gate. I lay there, unable to move past the blinding, itching pain for several moments as I tried to catch my breath and wondered if that new Sarafan Lord was behind this, that he had somehow boosted the barriers in the building so that they would affect even a half-blood. I stood back up with a wince and as I stood, a young Sarafan warrior came out of one of the rooms and entered the hall I was in. I froze, then paled a bit when he caught sight of me.

"Intruder!" he shouted as he drew his sword. "Intruder in the halls!"

 _How the hell could he have seen me?_ I thought to myself.

I realized an instant later that the pain of passing through that strengthened gate had made me loose my concentration on my Dark Gift. This was... definitely not good. I swore softly and drew my own sword a I lunged forward quickly. I swiftly cut the Sarafan warrior down in order to silence him, but it was far too late. The others had heard the man's shout and the alarms within the building had been triggered. They knew I was here.

 _Fuck, shit and damnation!_ I thought angrily to myself. _If only I hadn't panicked!_

I raced up the stairs back toward the roof and reactivated my Dark Gift once I could focus clearly on it once more. What they couldn't see, they couldn't find to hit! I got to the doorway that led onto the roof and I froze as I caught sight of what was now on the roof and in my way. There were over forty guards on the large rooftop, most of them looked to use huge broadswords but there were many with bows and crossbows. I knew I couldn't handle this many of them alone.

The number of Sarafan upon the roof was not my only problem. There was a layer of early pre-dawn mist right outside the door leading to about ten or so feet from the exit. A layer of mist that I had not been expecting. There was no way I could pass through the mist without my outline being seen and thus I would be ferreted out by the guards and attacked if I tried to make my way across. Damn! There were times like this that I actually _wished_ that I had Kain's Mist Gift! I looked around and tried to think of what to do when I got an idea. It was a bit crazy, but it was the best idea I could come up with at this point. I sheathed my sword and then backed up to the wall opposite the door before I ran forward. I leapt up and grabbed the top of the door frame as I did so. I used it to add to my momentum and swung forward as I lifted my legs up. I managed to flip out over the mist using my enhanced strength and agility and landed silently just outside of the mists border without my movements much disturbing the low hanging moisture.

I ran forward silently past the guards and leapt up to the highest part of the roof, safely bypassing the entire lot as I did so. I looked down and saw that the whole of the Keep was now on high alert. Oh well, time to fly. I leapt into the air and spread my wings out in full and flew forward swiftly as I gained height. I banked to the side in order to head back toward Sanctuary. I almost didn't notice it in time, almost slammed right into it, but I managed to back-wing in time to avoid a faint green barrier. Someone had activated a Ward Gate that seemed to be wrapped around the whole damn Keep! I flew around a bit, up, to the sides and then down as I tried to see if there might be a hole to pass through or if there was an opening at the very top of the barrier. There were no openings. I didn't really want a repeat of earlier but it seemed I had no choice available to me.

I maintained the height I was at with several rapid wing beats and pressed my hand against the barrier Gate. I could only push my hand through the barrier just about a quarter of an inch before I had to yank my hand back. I hissed softly in pain as I shook my hand. I knew that the only way away from this place and to safety was through the barrier in front of me, but damn, this was going to hurt. I clinched my teeth and prepared myself as best I could. I was used to certain kinds of pain after the long years of torture, but this was a new kind of pain. I growled low in my throat and then flew forward through the barrier. Pain seared through me as I made it past the green barrier but my focus on staying in the air failed as I fell a few feet. I was wracked by that itching agony as it tore through every inch of my body. I managed to force my wings open again and caught an updraft before I fell too far.

Annoyingly, when I had passed through the gate I had once more lost my concentration on my Gift and thus I was spotted a second time by the Sarafan guards below. Their shouts of warning and anger rang through the air as I flew away and I had to twist, spin and dive in order to avoid the flame-lit arrows that were shot in my general direction. I found myself unable to focus on my Gift due to the pain and the distraction. I let out a cry of pain when I felt one of the arrows pierce my left wing near the base and I plummeted toward the ground. My right wing beat frantically to compensate and I just managing to make a landing that did not leave me with broken bones. Half a dozen bruises, yes, but nothing was broken by the impact.

Shouts of the Sarafan guards echoed in the air as they got closer to my position and I shakily got to my feet. I quickly ripped the arrow from my wing and put out the flames that had started to spread over my feathers. I unsheathed my sword and tried to focus on using my Gift again. I found that I couldn't, not yet anyway, and I knew that the sense of skin crawling pain needed to fade more before I could focus enough to use the Gift. Seriously, Ants under the SKIN tingling pain.

I moved forward at a hurried pace and stayed to the alleyways while I tried to move as silently as I could. I managed for the most part to avoid the Sarafan that kept watch at key places where they thought I might flee. It helped that their armor did not react to my presence like it would have to any other vampire. As I came to one wide open area, the only main route by foot back to Sanctuary that I knew of from where I had landed, I found at least twenty or so Sarafan in my path.

 _Fuck, Shit and Damnation!_ I thought with a huff.

I eyed the group for a long moment whilst I tried to figure out how to either slip past them or, if that option was out, the best way to attack. I took the small dagger from its' sheath in my boot and shifted it so I was holding it by the blade in a loose grip. Thankfully, Kain had shown me that each of my boots had small sheaths built into them and had even given me two small blades to keep hidden on my person at all times.

I stood, all the while keeping hidden in the shadows, then flung the blade toward the throat of the one that seemed to be the leader of the group. Everyone was deferring to the man after all. As the man fell with choked sounds of pain, I raced forward whilst staying quiet and I struck one of the other guards from behind to cut him down with a swift blow. The surprise caused by my attack didn't last long, but by the time they figured out they were under attack, I had managed to use my enhanced speed to take care of at least ten of the lot.

Yet that still left me with another ten, fully aware of the danger guards, to deal with. I was fairly outnumbered, but I knew that if I was careful about it that I would be able to defeat them due to my vampiric enhanced nature. I leapt forward, past the lot of them, and started to flee down on of the other, narrower alleyways. The narrow built ally forced them to come after me one by one. Using this method, I was able to take most of the group of warriors out. Run for a time, turn, strike down the one closest to me, turn and run ahead. Rinse and repeat. It was a tactic I had only read about in my history books, but it was a tactic that I knew would work. Hooray for proven guerrilla tactics!

With only about five or so left to trail after me, I reached an empty and turned back around, ready to take the rest of them out easily enough. In the brief wait for the other Sarafan to come out of the alleyway, someone shouted my name and I found myself suddenly shoved to the ground. I let out a startled grunt of noise as I started to scramble to my feet and looked behind me. Nikolai stood before me with a pained smile on his lips. The sword held in his had fell from pain his loosened grasp. He then fell to his knees and toppled to the ground on his side. An arrow was lodged straight through his chest and I could tell at a glance that it had to be right against his heart.

I glanced around rapidly and saw an archer close by on a low hanging roof. She was trying to swiftly reload her crossbow. I snarled, quickly picked up Nikolai's fallen sword and then threw it at the woman. The blade embedded itself neatly into her skull and impaled her brain. I started to move to help Nikolai as I ignored the clattering sound of the woman's body as it hit the ground, but the rest of the Sarafan warriors that had been chasing after me decided to show up just at that moment. I was far too upset and too enraged to want to deal with them longer than I had to, so I leapt forward and slashed my sword in a wide arch to take the remaining five out as they piled out of the alleyway and tried to cluster around me in an attempt to overwhelm me. They had to have been rookies, as I knew I wasn't THAT skilled of a fighter to have just barreled through them like that.

I took a great amount of dark pleasure in tearing out the final guards throat, the odd sense of... of _proprietary_ rage that had bubbled within me settling with the exhalation of the man's final breath. I shuddered at the odd sense, briefly confused by the wild emotion. I shook my head and then sheathed my blade in order to run back to Nikolai's side. I knelt beside him and checked over the arrow wound. He was bleeding faintly, the arrow itself stopped up the wound and he was still breathing. I looked over the wound then shook my head helplessly. I didn't dare remove the damned arrow. With it so close to his heart, I knew that if I tried to remove the arrow too hastily it might well pierce the pericardium around his heart and he would bleed to death as a result if he wasn't bleeding out internally already. I carefully picked him up in my arms and tried once again to focus upon my Gift. I felt the small pulse of energy as it activated, coiled around me sluggishly in response to my will and turned the both of us invisible. I moved swiftly back toward Sanctuary with my... friend in my arms.

I only hoped that he would somehow _survive_ his injury.

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Alrighty, Please Review!


	11. Back to Sanctuary

Okay! Here's chapter eleven folks! I do hope everyone is enjoying the story.

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Chapter Eleven: Back to Sanctuary

On the way back to safety, I found that many of the Ward Gates that had previously been inactive in my initial exploration of the city were now up and running. The light from the gates bathed the city streets in a sickly light. Because of that, it took me far longer to get back to the Blue Lady than it normally would have if the Gates had still been disabled. Several times I had to wait for an area to clear of people before I could dart through the Gates and force my Gift back up once I was on the other side. I found myself cursing almost constantly at one point after nearly stumbling into a wall and I forced myself to shut up when two humans nearby started to look around wildly while they tried to figure out where the voice they were hearing was coming from. One more thing to know about my Gift, the more drained I became, the less my ability blocked sound. I had to wonder if the same would prove true for my scent. I noticed that Nikolai had passed out at some point during the long trek, but I refrained from panicking as I could still hear his heart beat loud and clear.

I wasn't entirely certain _what_ kind of a reaction I was going to get from Kain, or even Vorador, once I returned with the injured human. Though, I knew it was likely that both of them might well have a ' _who the hell cares_ ' attitude about helping Nikolai since he was a human and not a vampire. To them the Vampiric race was the superior race. In Vorador's words, and later in Eldar Kain's as well, humans were nothing but 'cattle' to be fed upon and tended to like a shepard might tend a flock. I wasn't sure how much help I would really get from either of them due to that... _entitled_ mindset, yet at the same time I _was_ hopeful as there _were_ several human Cabal members that had been previously vouched for by other vampires. If I needed to, I would see if I could vouch for Nikolai, he did just save me and in the process prove his value and his word after all.

Nikolai shifted a bit as he regained consciousness up. He stayed silent for several steps and then suddenly tried to move out of my arms in an attempt to walk on his own. I gave a faint hiss of annoyance as his movement almost knocked me off balance. I stopped and shifted him a bit so he could at least stand on his own feet, but I did not release my grip on him. Thankfully we were in a darkened alleyway so I carefully let go of my Gift in order to conserve some of my energy. He shook his head a bit to try to clear his thoughts and pulled away from me in order to lean against the wall closest to us. He gave me a brief, weak smile at the worried look I shot him.

"Do not worry about me," he groaned out in a rather pitiful tone. "It's all right. I'll be alright. T-the arrow missed my heart. Go on, I can get it out... by myself. I've dealt with worse wounds while out h-hunting boar."

"Are you _crazy_?" I hissed softly as I looked around. With my Gift inactive, _anyone_ might stumble upon us. My wings twitched with my unease at the situation and I turned back to face Nikolai with a growl. "If a thief doesn't run across you, another, _unfriendly_ or _hungry_ , Vampire might. You would be easy prey for either right now!"

I decided not to say anything regarding my disbelief regarding the 'he'd dealt with worse' comment, but only because I'd never hunted boar myself. Then again, they did have fairly dangerous tusks. So... maybe he had? He smiled again in an attempt to reassure me but the pain he was in was obvious. He leaned sideways against the alley wall. He braced his shoulder against the wall and wrapped one hand around the shaft at the base of the arrowhead. He then reached back and grabbed the arrows back portion where the fletching was and a sharp snap filled the air as he broke off the end of the arrow. He stopped and panted softly for a moment before he started to ease the rest of the arrow's shaft from his body.

I let out a faint hiss as I watched him with another nervous twitch of my wings, unsure of how I could help or even if I _could_ help. I did not want to accidentally make the wound _worse_ than what it was, so I made no move to aid him. He held up the arrow once it was freed from his body like a bloody trophy, and then let it fall to the ground. He still had a pained smile on his lips despite the fact that his actions had left him gasping painfully for air. The arrow had either nicked one of his lungs or that had hurt a whole hell of a lot worse than he had made it seem. I leaned closer to him and listened to see if I could hear the odd whistling sound that a punctured lung made and then relaxed a bit when I heard no whistling. I shook my head, partly in relief, partly in exasperation and then gently took his arm to have him lean against me once more. He issued no complaint and I let out a worried hiss of breath as I led him to an open building with a rusted sign hanging from the door. The sign had what looked like a stylised 'R' carved into it that meant it was an old wagon shop. I glanced around the area to ensure no one was around and then moved him inside to find a place for him to rest.

"At least you'll be safer in here for the time being," I said as I tried to make him comfortable. "This is far safer than leaving you out on the streets. Look... I'm going to go and try to send some help for you. It may take some time so keep your head down and stay put."

"Thank you," he answered with a groan of pain. "And don't worry about me. I will be fine... you're the o-one in the most d-danger. If you stay here worrying about _me_... then the Sarafan will catch you. I don't... I don't want you to get caught because you were looking out for me. Go... _please_. G-get yourself to safety and make your r-report. That's the i-important thing here..."

I looked at him for a long moment before I turned away from him. He seemed like a good kid, especially as he had just taken an arrow for me when he didn't have to. He was the first person, human or vampire, that I'd met and actually wanted to have the chance to call 'friend' for so long and... well... I really didn't want him to die. I'd like the chance to have another ally, and actual friend, at my side. Hell, even Kain and Vorador had fallen into the 'potential allies' category when I'd first awoken. Though I was still unsure of how to properly term the odd relationship I now had with Kain.

"You... you are a _fool_ , you know that?" I said softly. "Following me, trying to watch out for me. Especially when I was on a scouting mission. I'm not _human_ like you are. I can survive quite a bit more than you can."

"I know that," he said with a small sigh. "I still wanted to make sure you returned safely."

I glanced back at him over my shoulder and wondered briefly if I reminded him of any of the people he had lost to the Sarafan. It would make sense considering how strongly he seemed about his insistence in helping me when he could. I stood there a moment in contemplative silence before I shook my head. I decided that I shouldn't poke along that particular line of questioning.

"Stay hidden," I said instead. "I will try to send someone..."

I pulled my weakened Gift around myself as I ducked quietly out of the building. I looked around for a brief moment to ensure no one had followed us before I moved on and headed back toward the safety of Sanctuary. I desperately wanted to stay by Nikolai's side and find some way to tend to the wound myself, but he was right. I wasn't going to be able to maintain my Gift for much longer, not with my being as tired I was. I needed make my report, needed to feed and then rest. It also didn't help that I did not really know how to go about treating a wound such as his beyond a little bit of basic first aid. I hoped both that I could get someone out to Nikolai swiftly and that Kain would not make me go back out soon. I wasn't sure what good I'd be given how exhausted I was. I knew that I'd at least be physically able to function for a good while longer given my past and the extreme situations I'd been put through that had built my endurance, but with exhaustion came reduced mental capacity and if I was to be a scout I would _need_ my mental acumen to be at peak capability.

As I neared the Blue Lady, I made sure that I was not being watched before I let go of my hold on my Gift. It was a relief to eliminate that draw on my energy reserves. I moved inside the building as swiftly and silently as I could. I eased down the steps that led deeper into Sanctuary then immediately started to look around for Kain and Vorador instead of stopping by the 'kitchens' for a blood vial. Kain had wanted me to report to him immediately upon my return and I was not going to consciously do anything to earn his ire this soon, not when I wanted to make a good impression and earn my place as thanks for the aid he and Vorador had provided me. Neither of them had _had_ to help me. Kain could have _easily_ left me to die or to be captured. _Vorador_ could have turned me out on my ass as _soon_ as I had recovered my strength. Instead they took me in and Kain had even left his Mark upon me, a sign of protection and more. Though he had yet to elaborate on the ' _more_ ' aspect of the Mark.

I found them in another of the many rooms within the underground, it had been modified into library of sorts... and the pair were arguing again. I wasn't sure what it was about seeing them trying to verbally flay each other, but I had to contain a sudden, tired giggle.

 _They fight like an old married couple_ , I thought to myself.

I let out a small sigh as I tried to pull my wits together and managed to keep myself from having a bit of a minor break-down after both the nerve-wracking flight as well as the worry that I was going to lose someone that I was just beginning to see as a friend. I moved carefully into the room as I steadied my thoughts and cleared my throat to catch their attention.

Kain and Vorador broke off their argument and turned to look at me expectantly. It was obvious from their expressions that they had only broken off their fight to hear my report. My wings twitched with my unease. I was not well pleased with myself considering the fact that I had almost been caught. I hadn't been caught outright but the fact that the young Lordling had somehow known that I was there had left me decidedly shaken. Vorador was the first to speak and he waved a hand in a small welcoming gesture.

"You've returned," he said. "Well, have you learned anything about what we should expect from this new enemy of ours?"

Kain shook his head slightly. He also rolled his eyes and bared his fangs briefly in annoyance. Knowing Kain, he was likely thinking the same as I; 'what a waste of breath and words'. I had gone to gather information and that is what I would speak of, I did not go out _shopping_. I took a slow breath to calm my nerves and started to go over what I had witnessed.

"I... was able to do little more than observe the new 'Sarafan Lord,'" I said with a shrug and a twitch of my wings. "His physical appearance seems to be that of a young man around sixteen or seventeen year old at the most. He seems younger in a way. Despite his youth, the Sarafan warriors are following him readily and obediently. It was a little strange."

Kain raised his eyebrow at me, obviously taking note of the facts I was sharing. He sat down in the chair that he had been standing next to, his attention focused fully on me as I spoke. He waved his hand at me in a small motion for me to continue. I bit back the impulse to take another deep breath and focused instead on quelling my nervousness caused by the adrenaline rush fading from my system. It did not help that my wings kept twitching, expressing my unease with unconscious movements. I grabbed onto the edge of one wing to pinch it slightly in an effort to quell the small vibrations that were running through it.

"I listened in on one of his speeches," I said with a frown, "and I _believe_ that their willingness to follow him might have to do with the fact that I felt some kind of energy that was _almost_ like a vampire's Aura. It filled the surrounding area as he spoke. It was as if he were somehow enthralling them, _forcing_ them to listen to him and obey. He really did not look like much physically, yet he held an... odd sense of power to him."

Vorador tapped his talons lightly against his chin, deep in thought regarding what I had said. Kain continued to look at me, he knew there had to be more to the report, but instead of signalling for me to continue or verbally telling me to, he leaned back in the chair. I watched as he unsheathed the Reaver and moved to hold it in his hands across his legs. He idly tapped the skull hilt with his claws.

"It would seem," he said slowly, "as though this child has a mage behind him or is a mage himself and uses an artifact that enhances his own powers."

Vorador nodded his head at Kain's words. He seemed to actually agree with Kain for once, much to my surprise. What memories I had regarding the stories of this world told me that it was rare indeed for these two to fully agree on anything. Their near constant arguing since my arrival had done _nothing_ to disprove that belief. The green skinned Eldar turned to face Kain and his yellow, cat-like eyes seemed to narrow as he spoke. The tone of the Eldar's voice made it clear that he was still mostly lost in thought.

"Yes, it could be that or perhaps this new Sarafan Lord, as has happened before, is of another race entirely. One that ages slowly," his gaze turned to me again and he searched my expression with a critical air. "Could you tell if perhaps he is was vampire, a young one simply trying to grab for power and hiding his nature? If he is as such then that may explain a few things, especially this apparent 'Charm' ability of his."

Kain looked like he did not entirely agree with the Eldar, but did not voice his opinion. He instead turned to look at me once more as he ignored Vorador and he nodded at me in a nearly imperceptive manner as if he was telling me to continue with the report. I nodded slightly in return but before I could continue, a thought flitted through my mind. I decided to answer Vorador's question instead of simply ignoring it. I had been around enough vampires in Auron's... mansion and the vampires of Nosgoth had the same 'sense' to them. With that Aura sense, Aura pulse if you will, I could tell a vampire from a human easily enough.

"No, he in no way appeared to be a Vampire and even if he were a fledgling I think I would have been able to tell. I can pretty much 'see' a vampire's Aura," at that point I rubbed my neck under my right ear in a near idle move. Kain raised a brow at my purposeful gesture and a flash of amusement filled his gold-blue eyes for a moment as he realized by my words that I could actually 'see' the Mark he had left. I let my hand fall to my side a moment later and shook my head. "What was odder still though..."

I frowned and shook my head slightly as I felt the beginnings of a headache. I had to resist the sudden urge to start pacing about the room. I did not need the two of them following my movements as I knew they would do if I did such a thing, which would make me feel as if I were being tracked. To add to my nervousness, I felt like I had somehow forgotten something important, something that I _needed_ to remember, but _what_? _What had I forgotten?_ Something about... what the boy had in his possession perhaps? Maybe? I just... could _not_ remember. I became so lost in thought that Kain's next words made me jump a bit.

"You are certain that this boy is truly the new leader? Was he wearing anything gaudy or ornate?" Kain flashed a small, fanged smile along with a derisive chuckle before he continued. "We know humans like to make themselves seem more important with fancy and often overly colorful garbs... hmm... even the Dark Gift cannot take that desire away from _some_ of them."

Kain's eyes turned to Vorador, making the target of the last comment obvious as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the Reaver. My eyes widened abruptly as I saw Vorador's gaze flash solid white for in instant in response to Kain's not-so-veiled insult. I quickly moved forward, not exactly getting between the two of them, but close enough to put their combined attention back on me instead of each on other. I did NOT want to be in the middle of a full out fight between these two and they both thrummed with enough contained power that they each gave off the sense that they were waiting for just the hint of an excuse to fight.

"I don't think he was wearing anything too gaudy. Nothing _overtly_ flashy," I said quickly before I frowned again and tried to remember what exactly it was that the Lordling had been wearing beyond a basic set of mage robes. I shook my head and continued. "Honestly what stood out the most was..."

Again I paused with a frown and rubbed at my head as my thoughts began to scramble once more. Apparently I was quiet for far too long, because Kain snapped at me.

"Out with it!" he barked.

I jumped and just barely managed to keep myself from letting out a yip of noise. I shook my head and shivered as I looked up at the two full vampires in front of me but my thoughts seemed to stabilize as I remembered _something_ of importance.

"What stood out the most was his eyes. I _think_ they were supposed to be a natural blue, but they were glowing, kind of like your eyes just did," I nodded at Vorador for a moment before I looked back to Kain, "except that they glowed _black_ , not white, and only around the outer edge of the iris. It felt _wrong_."

I frowned again as I tried to remember what else I had noticed while watching the Sarafan Lord, but for the life of me I could not remember anything else and the headache was getting worse as I rubbed at my temple. I noticed that Kain's eyes had narrowed on me, but he waved his hand slightly and spoke in a curt tone.

"Is that _all_ you have to report?" he asked.

I shook my head and took another deep breath before I continued. I managed not to burst out with any kind of an apology, though I know I was blushing suddenly with my embarrassment. I had been foolishly cocky...

"No, I... not wanting to be seen, I kept my Gift active as I moved after the Sarafan Lord. He was not travelling with ant kind of a guard and I thought I might be able to dispatch him myself without being seen," I shrugged and tugged at the edge of one wing again, "thus ending whatever plans he had tonight. I tracked him to what I assumed was his quarters and yet there was a barrier that I could not see, a barrier far stronger than the Ward Gates. It blocked the doorway completely. It was like running into a brick wall at full tilt even though I just barely bumped into it. I do not believe that even another human could have gotten past the barrier. As for the Lordling himself, it... was as if he saw me, or could sense me or something. He spoke as if he knew exactly where I stood in the hall. The entire time I was in his presence he never seemed to take his eyes off of me and I had shifted my position at least once. It was as if I hadn't enabled my Gift active at all."

Kain glanced over at Vorador briefly before he looked back to me. He seemed lost in thought for a few moments and his frown seemed to deepen. I knew he was contemplating the importance of the new information. He muttered to himself, though it was loud enough for me to hear him.

"It is seeming more like a strong mage or an artifact of power assisting the boy with each passing moment," he said. "That boy, no matter his natural talent, is not the only one at work here."

Vorador must have heard him as well, but then again, with those ears it would be hard for him NOT to have heard the silver-haired vampire. I had to bite back another giggle at that wild thought and I looked down as I tried to hide the fact I was about to burst into inappropriate laughter. I really needed rest and food soon... I looked back up after I had taken a few deep and steadying breaths. Vorador turned his gaze back to Kain and spoke.

"Do you think it is the Hylden again?" he asked.

I shot Vorador a look and I raised a brow slightly when I saw Kain stiffen and scowl out of the corner of my eye. I spoke before Kain could make a comment. The tension was still thick in the air between the two and was steadily getting thicker with that last comment.

 _Please don't fight, please don't fight,_ I kept thinking to myself.

"I doubt it," I said quickly. "From what I've heard, Kain sealed that enemy away."

I let out a faint sound of annoyance as I tried to think of what else had happened and I knew that my sudden confusion had to have shown on my face. I started to pace back and forth as I rubbed my temple, no longer able to contain my agitation as I thought about what I had seen, what I had recalled and what that... man-child, had said to me. I no longer cared at that moment that I was being watched by the two older vampires. I mumbled to myself softly, lost in thought.

"'The one with wings stained with blood'. How did he know that I was there? Maybe he knows how I got here...?" I stopped and rubbed my forehead again with a grumble of noise. "Or is the cause of it...?

I noticed Kain looking at me and saw him shake his head in response to my words. I almost kicked myself for having actually said all of that out loud. I should have known that at least one of the two would have heard me, should have realized they'd pick up on my anxiety. I felt my wings twitch again and I rubbed at the back of my neck. How embarrassing.

Kain waved his right hand at me while his other hand remained upon the hilt of the Reaver. He had moved the blade at some point in order to lean it against his left leg. His grip on the blade tightened bit as he leaned forward to speak to me.

"No, you were not brought here by him," he said firmly. "The manner in which I found you proves that. His dogs would not have been trying so readily to kill you had he wanted you here, they would having been working to capture you instead. Though I do not doubt that he may have something powerful that spies on this realm for him."

"True enough, I suppose," I said with a shrug. "But that still doesn't tell us what he is. He appears to be human and the energy I sensed coming from him was... not Vampiric from what I could tell but it didn't feel human either. Perhaps... I should find a way to observe him further?"

Kain stood and leaned over the table in front of him to look into my eyes, the Reaver hilt held firmly in his left hand. "I believe that you have learned all that you are capable of... for now."

There was a grin upon his face that _screamed_ that he had a plan that he intended to set into motion, soon. He straightened and paced around the table to stand just behind me and his claws startled me as his hand came to rest on my shoulder. I could feel his gaze upon me and I kept my own eyes carefully away from his as a sudden flash of instinct pushed at the back of my mind. An instinct that screamed 'Alpha' and 'do not offer challenge'. Vorador remained silent as Kain trailed his claws over the back of my neck. Perhaps the Eldar had already heard Kain's plan through the Whisper. As for Kain himself, he seemed to be focused solely on me. Maybe, I don't know, judging me, weighing my worth to him and his cause? Either way my vampiric senses were all but screaming and I realized that his energy, his Aura, was pushing against my own in testing waves that were not helping my growing headache. I grimaced briefly in pain but made no noise to indicate the pain I was in.

"You have not met all the forces that live in Nosgoth Little One, so how can you possibly know if this boy playing at being a Lord is otherworldly or not?" Kain said as he slowly turned me to face him.

I let him shift me around and the warily met and held his gaze when the pressure of his Aura eased up. The only part of me that moved beyond that was my wings as they twitched and trembled with my unease. He ran a claw through the feathers of one wing in an idle caress and I let out a soft, wary hiss of noise. He knew already how tetchy I got when he touched my wings but he had taken to ignoring the warning hisses I made. It was as if he was trying to force me to get used to his touch.

Kain smirked with a light of dark satisfaction in his eyes before he moved away from me. I could still see his intense gaze in my mind's eye and it made me shiver. There had been something there in Kain's penetrating look that had promised... danger. I had wanted to prove that my assistance could be of value, but suddenly I felt very, _very_ worried for some reason. My racing thoughts were stopped by Vorador, who had started to point out several spots on one of the many maps that littered the table amidst all of the books.

"We know that the Sarafan have outposts in these locations," Vorador said, "and that this young Lord makes personal checks upon them regularly."

Each camp had been marked with a small scratch. Kain reached out and added a few others that I believe Vorador may have overlooked. Kain's actions caused Vorador to frown in annoyance and I swear I could see a hint of embarrassment in his eyes for just a moment. Kain examined all of the marks, all the while his normal scowl grew deeper and deeper.

"All of this information is useless to you, Little One," he looked up at me suddenly, a dark smile on his lips. "Not only that, but as Vorador has been stressing so very much, you are a half-blood. Go. Feed and rest."

He started to turn back to Vorador, intent perhaps on finishing what they had been arguing about earlier.

"Ah, Kain? I... would ask something?" he paused and I quickly spoke into that silence. "Nikolai, the human? He was injured helping me get back. Took an arrow for me. I left him hidden in an abandoned building just a few blocks away. My Gift wasn't going to hold much longer for the both of us. May I ask for you to send someone to get him and bring him back here for healing?"

He leaned over the table, shifting so that the Reaver blade was leaning against his left leg and he turned his head over his shoulder to respond to my request. His tone was filled with a dark, cruel bit of amusement.

"Perhaps," he said. "Rest and we will speak more at a later time. Now... go."

I nodded and left the room swiftly.

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Read and review please!


	12. Missing Memories

Alright people, new update, and yes quite quickly as well.

More edits done.

more edits done as of 04/12/2017 courtesy of Ellara Levellan

Okay then, on with the fic!

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Chapter Twelve: Missing Memories

I quietly grabbed a vial of blood from the 'kitchens' storage closest, avoiding doing anything more than offering a small nod to those within in the process. Vial in hand, I all but ran back to Kain's room and barely refrained from slamming the door behind me when I had reached the relative safety of said room. I rubbed at my face, confused by the sudden attack of nerves that was flooding through me. I had the distinct impression that... that something wasn't _right_. I leaned against the door and let out a heavy sigh. I pushed away from the door and dropped heavily onto the large bed. I let my wings sink back into the safety of my body, feathers covering part of the bed in a light coating. I brushed the feathers off of the bed idly and let out another heavy sigh. No one here yet knew of my weakness. No one knew that there was a way to force my wings from me, not even Kain. Still... they certainly knew that my wings were a weak point when they were extended. As much as it was a relief to be able to leave them free, right now it felt far safer to leave them within me.

Something had me on edge, but what...?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and then opened and downed the blood within the vial with several swift swallows, though it did take a few moments to fully drain the vial of life-giving fluid. The magic cast upon the vial allowed it to hold far more blood within it than it seemed capable of holding. The vial I had grabbed actually held roughly a half a gallon of blood within it. Whilst it was more than enough to assuage the edges of my hunger, it was not enough to sate the hunger in full. I had a bit of a habit of just taking enough to get by. In fact, Vorador had scolded me something _fierce_ a few nights ago when he'd realized I had been taking only enough blood to get by. He had seen me grab one of the smaller vials, one that held only a half-pint of blood. It was the equivalent of someone grabbing a single piece of toast as breakfast instead of a good meal. Which was... unwise for a predator in all honesty, regardless of how spartan my feeding habit had been forced to be due to the long years of torture. He was upset with me because he knew, and I knew in truth, that I no longer needed to function on little to no food. He had stopped me to make sure that I understood, _really understood_ , that he would _always_ be a gracious host to those who were in his care. After that stern lecture, he'd grabbed the smaller vial from me and then forcefully shoved one of the larger vials into my hands with the clear expectation that I would polish it off and sate my hunger in full.

Kain had been... well, he'd been highly amused by my mood when he'd found me later that same night. I had been muttering to myself about the situation, annoyed that the older, green-skinned vampire had decided to take me to task verbally. He had chuckled at my antics, startling me as I had thought I had been alone, and had then proceeded to 'concede that Vorador had a point' regarding my very spartan feeding habits. He'd then proceeded to rub salt in the proverbial wound by telling me that I was allowing what had been done to me control my current actions and feeding habits. I'd flushed, angry with his words but had refrained from lashing out as he too had a point. I was no longer caged as I had been and I could feed as I wished rather than continue to squirrel away unnoticed with the smallest amounts of sustenance in hand. Being around others still bothered me some, a lot if I was honest with myself, and they were both right. I was free.

I'd then downed the entire vial Vorador had given me only once Kain was out of sight. There had been a full gallon, or eight pints, of blood held within. Enough that it was _quite_ possible that an enemy human had been drained dry to fill the vial that the Eldar had handed me.

While it _had_ felt good, refreshing even, to be so well fed for once, I still only grabbed the quarter or half-gallon vials when I felt hungry. I was not entirely comfortable grabbing more than that, not just yet anyway. Perhaps that would change in time. At least when it came to blood, I did not have to worry like a human might about eating too much too fast after having limited food available.

Finishing off the last of the blood, I set the empty vial on the night stand next to the bed and rubbed at the side of my head with a soft grumble of noise. I laid back on the bed and just glared at the ceiling for a long time as I tried to think past the headache that had started to pound away in my skull. I knew _,_ just _knew,_ that I had forgotten to tell Kain and Vorador something when I had made my report to them but... for the life of me I could not remember _what_ that elusive 'something' could be. In fact, now that I thought about it, for some reason I could hardly recall what the 'Sarafan Lord' looked like, save for the color of his eyes and... and some kind of light that had been around his chest?

 _Has my mind been messed with?_ I thought to myself. A low, angry growl and I closed my eyes at the thought.

The longer I thought about it, the more I examined that _lack_ of memory, the more certain I became. _Somehow_ my mind had been fucked with, either by the Sarafan Lordling or something else. I shuddered at the unpleasant knowledge and drew the covers on the bed around my body with a soft groan as I rolled onto my side. I was not at all happy with the prospect that something important was missing from my memory, that someone had likely out and out messed with my mind. I... I needed to try to push past the pain in my skull and remember whatever it was that had been blocked from my memories. I really did. I knew that we _needed_ that information on an instinctual level. If it was somehow so important that the damned Sarafan _brat_ messed with my head in order to protect himself, then I _needed_ to remember it.

 _Not only that, but what about Nikolai?_ I thought with a sudden and worried gasp of breath as my eyes shot back open. Just like that, my thoughts were focused on the boy and not the loss of memory...

The worry that filled me about Nikolai's safety was mostly caused by the thought that Kain... well the other vampire might not bother to send anyone to find him. Nikolai needed to be brought to a healer. His injuries had been bad and I was worried that the young man would die. I had promised to try to get help for him... What if Kain refused to send someone out...?

I moved stiffly in order to try get up, to go back to where I had left Nikolai hidden and out of sight but... My body fell like lead back against the bed. I felt too tired, too weary to function no matter what my desires or worries were. I felt drained; from the fighting, from my worries for Nikolai and from my increasing panic at forgetting something vital. I twitched almost violently as my thoughts once more rolled back to the knowledge that I had forgotten something. Then my worry for Nikolai came back... then the worry about the memory loss. It was like my thoughts were stuck in a volatile loop that I could not control whenever I tried to focus on what I had been made to forget. I felt my eyes fall shut again as the pain blossomed higher still and then abruptly... I found myself fighting to stay awake. It felt like a heavy blanket had been placed over my mind. I growled weakly at the sensation and I tried once more to push myself _out_ of the bed, to get to my feet. In the end I fell onto my side with a groan and drifted off into a dreamless sleep against my will.

It felt like only moments had passed before I jerked awake once more due to the sensation of barely being able to _breathe_ and laying on my back instead of my side. I coughed hoarsely whilst I tried to draw breath past the constricting feeling at my throat, my hands spasming weakly as I tried to untangle my limbs from the blanket. My vision was heavily blurred though. Thought and movement rendered difficult due to lack of oxygen. I found myself unable to focus clearly on anything for several worrying moments. Slowly though, that pressure eased just enough that my sight began to clear from a haze of white and grey splotches. I found that I could finally focus on what was around me and I started in confusion. Kain stood on the right side of the bed with his body leaning over mine. His left arm led away from his body and... the line of it led down to my throat. I quickly realized that it had been his _hand_ that was preventing me from getting much in the way of air into my lungs. Were it not for the iron grip around my throat, I would not have been able to tell that he was angry as his face was a mask of calm. I blinked rapidly and then twitched when I felt his angered Aura settle over me in a slow weight.

 _Well... fuck_ , I thought to myself in dazed confusion. _I'd angered him...? Somehow? Shit, but I'm in trouble! Why though?_ Why _is he angry with me?_

I almost started to reach my hand up to grab at his wrist, an automatic attempt to pull that hard grip away. I arrested the movement before my hand could do more then twitch and inch upwards however, when my instincts suddenly began to scream at me _not to move a single goddamned muscle_.

" _What_ are you hiding from me, my Little One?" he purred out in a low, rumbling growl. He leaned in close enough that his nose almost brushed against my own. He took a slow breath and I twitched faintly as I realized that he was taking in my fear-filled scent.

"What are you talking about?" I asked worriedly.

At least, that is what I meant to say. If I'd have had a decent amount air to say it with. What came out was more like 'Glug ack gah?' and I twitched again when his claws lightly scratched over the skin of my neck. The look on my face must have been filled with enough fear and confusion for even him to understand through his rage, or at least... I hoped that was the case. At the very least, he either understood my confused look or he knew that he could get no information out of me until I could speak properly. And that meant letting me have the air to do so. He loosened his grip again, just enough to allow me a little more of the precious air that I, as a half-blood, still needed to survive. Once more he spoke and his voice was a tone that fell into that category of a kind of utter, deadly calmness that was reserved for those times when he was well and truly pissed off. I'd only heard him this angry once, with a scout that had gotten someone killed out of carelessness. Suffice to say, that scout was no longer with the Cabal...

 _Oh, lucky, lucky me,_ I thought as I swallowed hard and took in a strained breath of air. _The hell is going on?! Why is he angry?!_

"You did not tell us _everything_ when you made your report Little One," he growled out in a low tone as he pulled his head back. Blue-gold eyes pinned me in place and I shivered. "What _else_ happened at the Sarafan stronghold whilst you were there, _Katrina_? _What_ are you _hiding_ from me? I warn you, Little One, _now_ is not the time to test my patience with you."

With that last comment, I felt a sharp point suddenly jab against my skin right below the left side of my rib cage. A hungry energy began to dance over my flesh, an energy that started to tug at my very _soul_ and a strained gasp escaped me at the almost _painful_ sensation. It was as if my soul was a ball of yarn that a rambunctious kitten had started to play with. I realized with a very large and healthy surge of fear that the Soul Reaver itself that was currently pressed firmly into the skin below my ribs and... it was angled in a way that made it plain that its' sharp point was aimed for my heart. The arching energy that tugged against my soul made it plain that the sword was also hungry.

 _Fuck, Shit and Damnation!_ I thought in a near panic as I forced myself to hold completely still rather than try to struggle away.

I really, well and truly hoped that my current streak of good luck would hold out and I couldn't help the small whimper that escaped me as the pull on my soul increased. Ah fuck, my soul was not a ball of yarn being batted around by a kitten... but a mouse or a bird caught and being played with! The urge to struggle free increased and it was only sheer force of will that kept me still.

"Whimpering will not save you from my fury if you have betrayed me, Little One," Kain said with a small tilt of his head. "Only the full truth of what happened and what you can recall might save you. Pray, Katrina, that you do not disappoint me _again_. Now _speak_!"

 _Woof woof?_ came the wild thought that flooded my mind as I blinked up at him.

He raised a brow at me and I had to fight down a sudden blush _along_ with my panic at the odd look that I was suddenly getting. No, _no_ , bad girl, _definitely_ not the right thing to say to a pissed off Kain. I swallowed hard and tried to figure out what to say that wouldn't get me skewered upon the Soul Reaver's blade. The full truth was that... I still could not remember what it was that I had forgotten, though... I really, really wished I did.

 _Oh, hell,_ I thought to myself. _He's going to either kill me or just be pissed with me. Best to just get this over with._

"I-I'm not sure what... what happened..." I started hesitantly. I let out a heavy, shaky sigh and I tilted my head up to bare my throat. A movement made out of pure instinct. "I went through the stronghold to that stupid 'gallery' in the building, just like I told you. I... I know that I watched the new 'Sarafan Lord' as he gave his speech, _specifically_ so that I could describe him once I got back but, but... I just can't seem to hold his image clearly in my mind right now. I keep trying to remember but I honestly can't! Other than his eyes I... I can just _barely_ remember seeing a strange light at the level of his chest... but nothing else... I... I can clearly remember going through the building itself. I recall listening to his speech... hell, I can still remember what he said to the crowd. I know that I followed him after he was done speaking in order to find out where he stayed within the building, that way I could report a layout of things inside if you wanted to stage an assassination attempt or something but... when I try to recall what he looked like... I simply cannot remember exactly what he looks like anymore. What he was wearing. If he was armed and armored. If he had any... any items of note or... or... Dammit! I _know_ there was something important! Something he looked like or something that he had...?"

I let my eyes fall shut and I shivered beneath that intense, judging gaze. I felt so much worse than I had when I had fallen asleep. The headache was once more pounding away in my skull and the more I tried to narrow down what it was that I had forgotten, the more my skull _hurt_. Even that strange tug on my soul was diminished because of that heavy thudding in my head. I... I was likely as good as dead and I was _afraid_. More afraid then I had been in some time. I muttered softly even as I tilted my head and bared my throat further to him in a supplicating movement.

"I... I'm... fairly certain at this point that he fucked with my head somehow," I said. "I swear... I've been trying to remember, but I keep getting this _splitting headache_ when I try... and then my thoughts almost forcefully move on to other things when the pain gets to be too much..."

His claws tightened around my throat, a grip that was strong enough that it cut off my air supply once more. I winced and bucked slightly as a result of that tightened hold. It was a battle indeed to remain limp beneath him, to not struggle against him more than that one abortive movement. I had the distinct, instinctual sense that if I had struggled any further than that, that I'd be in far worse trouble than what I was already in. One does _not_ struggle against a pissed off Kain if one is willingly 'under his rule', not when one was attempting remain _alive_ and in his good graces. If you did, well, the most likely result was that you would get yourself killed. _Fuck_ , but I knew that I'd gotten myself into a weird relationship indeed. He was a bloody Warlord... he was not going to coddle me. Shelter me. He would hold me to the same, if not higher, standards than his men. If he believed that I had actually, willingly betrayed him for _any_ reason... But I hadn't... I _hadn't_! I heard Kain sniff once at the air and then his grip loosened, just a bit. I blinked up at him, surprised by the loosened grasp.

The next thing I knew, my back and left shoulder was slamming into the far wall. I'd been thrown so hard and fast that I hadn't even realized that I'd _been_ thrown until I had hit the blasted stone. I groaned softly, more a reactionary sound than a sound of actual pain. I was resilient enough and had been tossed around enough, that it didn't exactly hurt. I caught myself and managed not to slump down to the floor in a heap. I froze again in fear when I felt the sharp tip of the Soul Reaver brush against my neck in a light, nicking caress that made me twitch as the small tug at my soul started up once more. _Shit_!

"Perhaps you are nothing more than a _weak-minded fool_?" he asked in a dark and soft tone. He tilted his head and stared down at me with those cold blue-gold eyes of his, waiting for me to respond to his accusation.

 _Yeah... how to respond to this?_ I thought almost bitterly. Without _getting myself killed for being a smart ass?_

I decided in the end to just keep my mouth shut, though my gaze did not waver much from the Reaver. My eyes flashed upward briefly and I glared up at him through my hair but I looked away swiftly when he bared his fangs at me in a warning display. _He_ was the Alpha here and we both knew it...

 _It's not like I'm_ used _to the magics of this world for fuck's sake,_ I thought to myself, fingers clenched angrily against the stone floor. _It's not like I'm from_ another fucking realm _or anything, right? Not like I know how to_ sense _subtle mind magics..._

The Reaver was... abruptly moved _away_ from my throat. I blinked in surprise as it was then sheathed against Kain's back in one smooth motion. I stayed completely still regardless of the fact that the blade was no longer at my neck as I did not want to let my guard down. I looked back up at him warily through my hair, uneasy with this sudden change in his mood when I hadn't said anything. I felt a small flash of surprise run through me. He had this... _amused_ look in his eyes despite the anger that was still writ plain on his face. Shit, had I been inadvertently been _Whispering_ my thoughts? That... would be embarrassing, if true. I wasn't used to communicating in such a fashion. I'd had no one to safely talk to using such a method of communication so I had no way to tell for certain if I had indeed been projecting my thoughts.

Kain turned his back on me suddenly and he moved swiftly over to the doorway. He paused with his hand on the handle of the door. He did not look back at me, but he spoke over his shoulder to me in a dark tone. His voice was as cold as ice.

"A group of Sarafan soldiers have recently been making themselves known as pests in the canyons. Go and eliminate them. Alone. _Now_ ," With that abrupt order, he left the room.

I stood there and stared at the door in complete shock. One, I was alive. Holy shit, but I was still alive? Two, he expected me to deal with what was possibly a large number of soldiers _on my own_?! Without any _back up_?! Now that I thought about it seriously, I _had_ managed a couple large groups by myself and taken them out, but I had been badly wounded by the time each fight was finished. Great, so either I proved my worth or I got myself killed outright. He was testing me, I _knew_ that he was testing me. He most likely wanted to see if I would obey him or try to make a run for it. I _would not_ run. I _hadn't_ betrayed him and I would prove it. Still, I sighed softly and rubbed at my face. A group of Sarafan in the canyons and I needed to kill them by myself. This sounds like _so_ much fun...

 _Fuck, shit and damnation!_

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Please read and review and let me know if I'm keeping everyone in character.


	13. Hate Spiders!

Okay everyone here's the next chapter

Enjoy!

edits done as of 04/12/2017 courtesy of Ellara Levellan

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Chapter Thirteen: Fuckin'... Hate... Spiders!

I decided to travel by foot to the canyons that Kain had ordered me to clear. I did not wish to be seen up in the skies if my Gift failed me due to my yet fatigued state. I was still tired and I knew by the placement of the moon that I had only been asleep for around an hour before Kain had woken me so abruptly. If I had to hazard a guess, he had _wanted_ to confront me in such a state merely to ensure that I did not have the time to organize an elaborate lie. Not that I _would_ have even had I _had_ the time to do such a thing. I also did not take to the skies as I did not want to get shot down with a lucky strike by any Sarafan in the area wielding a bow.

I had grabbed a darker outfit from the small collection of clothes Kain had obtained for me to wear. For this impromptu mission, I had picked an outfit that was mostly dark browns and hid my pale-skinned figure so that it would be easier for me to travel at night through the canyons outside of Meridian. Black clothing actually stood out more than dark browns or dark blues. I also grabbed a cloak and a light set of leather chest armor.

The intent behind that _last_ item was due to the fact that I intended to pass myself off as a random male traveler. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to worry about thieves quite as much. Being a non-vampiric female in Nosgoth could be a _bad_ thing. Even _with_ my vampiric nature, travelling without concealing my gender could cause me annoyances that I did _not_ have the time for. I would be able to handle any thieves easily enough, but that would take time and keep me from my assigned task.

I paused for a moment and looked around the area carefully as I reached the paths that led to the canyons. The paths laid before me were all shaded in dark shadows that was difficult to pierce for even my enhanced sight. I scented the air with a few delicate sniffs and found that I could detect the faintest scent of fresh blood as well as the stagnant scent of old death on the wind. Both scents seemed to be coming from either of the paths laid out in front of me, so either direction would likely going to lead to trouble. I knew from having glanced at the maps that both ways _would_ lead to the canyons that I needed to reach in order to deal with the 'pests' and yet... the left path would take me closer to where the Pillars stood, in a round about way at least and... the other path... well, I wasn't so sure about the path to my right. It _likely_ broke off at some point with a route that led toward Provence. Probably...

I left out a faint sigh and then started to move down the left path that would take me close to the Pillars. Who knew? Maybe I'd have the time to see them. This _was_ my first foray out of the city. I let my hand fall to the hilt of the sword at my waist as I started down the path, ready to draw it in an instant if I needed to. As I entered the beginnings of the canyons, cliff walls rising up around me like the impenetrable walls that they were, I began to hear a faint... _chittering_ sound that echoed softly off the rock walls. I came to a halt once more and looked around warily as I eyed the shadows. The sound had been faint even to my ears, yet it had still sounded... close. Rocks fell to the ground to my right and I spun around to face the sound. My hand tightened on the hilt of my blade. I was ready to draw it if I needed to. Yet...

There was _nothing_ there.

The chittering sounds grew louder though and started to echo strongly off the walls of the canyon. The echo made it difficult to pinpoint where the sound originated from. I bared my fangs with a growl of noise, the sound of a predator warning others away. The chittering stopped for only a moment before it resumed, _louder_ than before. I drew my sword with my right hand and held it at the ready. I spun around and started down the path I'd chosen at a faster pace. I needed to get out of this ever-narrowing path and swiftly.

I came to an abrupt halt when something landed heavily in front of me.

" _Fuuuuck_! I forgot about the God's be damned _spiders_!" I yelped out reflexively as I stumbled back a few steps.

It was not one of those jumbo sized, Goliath bird-eating spiders. Fucker's that grew to be around a foot long back on Earth, Gaia. _This_ was a spider big enough for me to _ride_ the bloody thing like a _fucking horse_! I backed up another handful of steps as I realized that the chittering sounds that I had been hearing were originating from the spider in front of me and, from the sound of it, there were others moving to surround me.

 _Dammit all Kain! I_ thought to myself angrily. _Couldn't you have told me about the canyons being_ infested _with Giant spiders? I fucking_ hate _spiders!_

"How the fuck do these things get so _big_?" I hissed under my breath in a sarcastic tone. "Welcome to Nosgoth; home of the Pillars, Vampires and _GIANT FUCKING SPIDERS_. Please, do _enjoy_ your stay! Fuck spiders!"

I suddenly had the distinct feeling that someone was _laughing_ at me... the hell?

I shifted slowly and tried to look around the general area without taking my sight completely off of the spider in front of me. The blasted thing had started to edge closer toward me, its' front legs raised in a threatening gesture. I saw out of the corner of my eyes that there were several of the large spiders. They had started to ease down the walls of the canyon to surround me. I could count at least eleven of the bastards within my peripherals. That number did not include the random amount that could be behind me and completely out of my sight.

To quote a rather overused phrase in my realm; 'I have a bad feeling about this!'

I started to back up slowly while I attempted to be mindful of my footing. I did not want to trip on anything and leave myself open to an attack. The spider in front of me lunged forward suddenly and I slashed out horizontally with my sword in instinctive retaliation as I widened my stance in order to maintain my balance. I managed to cut off the creature's front two legs which caused it to let out an ear splitting screech. The creepy-as-fuck creature scurried backwards to safety. Another readily dropped down to take its' place.

"Oh, fucking _hell_ ," I muttered under my breath.

I heard a faint, sticky sounding 'plop' behind me. I went still for a moment and licked my lips before I started to move backwards again. I really could not risk taking my eyes off of the spider in front of me, especially as it was suddenly flanked by two others of equal, horrifying, size. I let out another warning growl as I backed up another step. I let out a startled shout as the ground beneath my right foot suddenly lurched _upward_. I landed hard on my back and let out a grunt of noise. I managed to contain another startled sound as I tried to move my foot and found the bottom of my boot was quite firmly stuck to a long strand of webbing. A brief bit of struggle only led to my foot getting more and more tangled in the webbing. That plopping sound that I had heard was the sound of a thick strand of webbing as it hit the canyon wall across from the spider that had spun it. The damned sticky thing made an effective tripping wire and trap since it was sticking quite stubbornly to my booted foot.

I slashed down at the webbing swiftly with my blade and just barely managed to cut myself free. I rolled to the side to avoid the slashing clawed limbs of several of the spiders as they advanced on me. Their chittering sounds had gotten louder and they moved almost as if they were confused. It was as if they weren't used to their prey being quite so fast. I glanced behind me and spotted a few more of the giant spiders as they moved toward me. I winced and fought down a whimper. I faced a total of at least twenty-seven spiders all in all. At least that was how many I could count that were now within my immediate line of sight.

 _Fuck, Shit and DAMNATION!_ I thought as I turned my fear into rage. _This was nightmare material!_

I let out an angry hiss of breath and yanked my cloak off. I threw it at the largest number of spiders in an effort to distract them. It worked, as they scuttled backwards to avoid the perceived threat. I quickly extended my wings out in order to startle the closest spiders behind me. That too worked and drove an additional number of the creatures back. I drew my wings close to my body in the next moment and then I slashed at one of the spiders on the wall. I hit its' leg and it fell off of the wall with a screech of pain. I leapt up and kicked off the canyon wall where the spider had just been in order to try to gain some needed room. The walls of the canyon at the lowest part was far too narrow a zone for me to be able to fly in though, so I had to kick off the other side of the canyon walls in order to leap higher. I did this several times and managed to reach a wide enough area that I was able to spread my wings in flight. I pumped my wings rapidly as I tried to get higher when several lines of webbing were suddenly shot up at me from multiple angles.

I let out a startled hiss and tried to twist out of the way of the webbing without loosing height. I was able to dodge most of the strands but I let out a yelp of pain when one of the strands hit and latched onto my left wing. The spider who had spun that particular strand of webbing yanked back hard. The tug wrenched my wing down at a painful angle that almost snapped the bone. The strand of spider-silk was used to bring me back down to the ground, hard. I hit the ground with a pained huff of breath. My wing was twisted at an odd angle beneath my body by the impact and once again I felt the pressure exerted on the wing near the breaking point. I managed to twist to the side and off of the limb just before the bone could snap. I let out a snarl of breath as I scrambled to avoid the spiders as they advanced on me. I had just started to regain my feet when I felt a sudden sharp pain in my right side and then another sharp pain in my left leg. I glanced back with a yelp of pain and then winced at the sight that met my eyes.

One of the spiders had bitten me, _twice_. Within moments I could feel the venom begin to spread through my system. This was no slow working venom either. It coursed through my system fast enough that barely seconds had passed before I realized that I could barely feel my body. I tried once more to get up, to escape the damned spiders, but all of my limbs felt heavy and leaden. I could just feel the pressure of spindly legs as one of them grabbed onto me and began to drag me off and out of sight of the road down a hidden crevasse. My wings fluttered weakly as I tried once more to pull away and that was the last movement I made before I sank into unconsciousness.

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I woke up slowly to the sound of soft chittering and the rough feeling of multiple clawed limbs as they ran over my wings. I tried to move and found that I was bound to the ground on my stomach. There were thick, sticky strands of web wrapped tight around me and the cocoon of webbing kept me from moving any more than a half-inch in any direction. Yet... my wings were curiously _unbound_ by the webbing, save for the remains of the strand that had been used to yank me from the sky.

Again I felt those clawed limbs play over my wings in curiously light touches that caused them to shudder and flare out in uncontrolled movements before they furled close to me again in a natural, resting position. I heard the scuttling sounds of the few spiders around me as they darted away from my body whenever my wings moved as a result of the prodding touches. It sounded like they were chittering in... surprise? My only guess was that these creatures had never seen a human or vampire with wings before. That or they were surprised that I was yet alive. That did beg the question of how intelligent the damned things were. It was equally likely that they were just inspecting their prey before eating, though I planned to escape _before_ I became dinner. The venom that had been injected into me probably would have turned a human's insides into a goopy soup by now so that may have been the main reason that I was being poked and prodded instead of any actual intelligence.

I shifted my hands as quietly and carefully as I could as I attempted to move my claws so that they could cut into the webbing that held me pinned to the ground. I listened to the spiders as they began to advance upon me again after the latest, prodding touch. They started chittering again to each other, this time in a softer tone that I could just barely hear with my enhanced senses. I listened closely as I stilled myself and I realized that I could just barely hear the echoing sounds of a large group of men as they passed through the same path that I had taken. The Sarafan I was sent to kill most likely, that or some poor, and soon to be _unlucky,_ travelers.

The chittering noises stopped all together as I heard the spiders scuttle off, intent to either catch more prey or to simply kill those who had just invaded their 'territory'. I took the chance to shift my body slowly and began to cut at my bindings in earnest with my sharp claws. I knew that if I struggled too much as I cut that I would only bind myself further within the webbing that held me down so I made sure to keep my movements careful and calculated. I shifted my head a bit and watched as the claws of my right hand began to cut through enough of the webbing to poke out and be seen clearly. Yay, visible progress! I shifted and my left hand mirrored the movements of my right. I held my breath as I kept up the slow, cutting movements.

It was... difficult. I had to get the webbing to stretch in places just enough for me to shift my claws in order to continue freeing myself. What I found annoying was something that I could deal with once I had finally freed myself though. It would be rather difficult to get the blasted webbing out of my hair and off of my clothes. I paused briefly when I heard screams fill the air. The men that had recently passed by the area were now trapped by the spiders as I had been. I had very little time left to complete my escape from the sound of it. I managed to free myself and I looked around slowly as I got to my feet. I could tell that I was within a cave and I could just make out a secondary exit that I could reach through all the webbing.

I gave a low growl and started forward slowly, being mindful of where I stepped and where I was walking as I had no desire to trap myself in the webbing that trailed throughout the cave. I even had to draw my wings back into my body to keep them from getting trapped in the webbing. I let out another faint growl when I reached the exit as I found myself confronted by a single, younger looking, spider standing guard at the path that led to freedom.

I bared my fangs as I issued a low snarl and I moved forward swiftly. I used my claws to cut the young spider to ribbons. I dealt first with its' legs, then promptly rid it of its head. My actions left a bloody mess of a spider carcass before me and I let out a satisfied huff at the carnage I had wrought. As I left the cave, I tentatively licked at the blood on my claws and almost immediately spat out the blood when the taste registered. Turned out that spider blood had a very acidic taste, like grapefruit and motor oil mixed together. I knew the taste of motor oil as I had briefly helped a high-school friend out with his car and had gotten a mess of the shit sprayed into my face. Very, _very_ gross tasting shit. Any spiders I ran across would find a very pissed off and extremely hungry vampire half-blood tearing through their ranks.

I glanced up at the sky and frowned as I tried to get an idea of how long I had been out of commission. By the position of the stars and the moon I'd been out of it for a half hour, if even that long. For a fleeting moment it felt as if I was being watched. I looked around the area anxiously as I ducked into the shadows next to the canyon wall. The sensation faded a several seconds later. I waited several moments after the sensation had faded and then continued on in order to try and find my targets.

I eased around the corners of the canyon slowly as I peeked around the edges of said corners as I moved. The deeper I got into the canyons, the more armored bodies I found laying in tangled heaps. The bodies lay torn open upon the ground, most with deep puncture wounds from massive fangs. The spiders must have stored enough food to last them for a long time, that or the Sarafan had put up enough of a fight to piss them the hell off. Spaced amongst the bodies of the humans were only a handful of spider carcasses. I raised a brow and moved around the last bend in the canyon. The walls dipped low and ended rather abruptly as the path led into a wooded area. I could see the last of the Sarafan, a small group of only four men. They were surrounded by _dozens_ of spiders. I shuddered and then moved swiftly into the shadows of the trees in order to get past the fighting. I really, _really_ hated spiders, _especially_ after the debacle that I had just been through.

I was able to ease safely behind the trees, mindful to watch for any webbing that might trip me up. Safely hidden, I stayed low and watched as the Sarafan warriors were slowly picked off by the spiders one by one. The spiders remained in the area for only a little while after the last Sarafan was slain. They then moved back toward the caves they had claimed as their home. They did take a few of the bodies with them as they left. I shuddered as I turned and leaned my back against the tree that I had hidden behind and I let out a sigh of relief when I could no longer hear the scuttling of those far-too-many legs.

I climbed the tree that I had hidden behind and looked around the area to get an idea of where I was. I realized that I was only a few miles from the Pillars. I bit my lower lip then shrugged to myself. The last of the Sarafan were dead. I hadn't even had to get _involved_ in the mess. Mind you, Kain had wanted me to deal with them myself, yet why should I interfere when nature decided to kill my intended prey? I did drop down and wander over to the corpses in order to insure that the lot of them were indeed dead. I nodded to myself when I heard not one human heart beat fill the air near me. I grabbed a quick bit of blood from the still warm bodies in order to regain some of my strength as I had been further drained whilst my body exerted plenty of needed energy in fighting off the spider's venom. At this point I, probably, had some spare time to myself. Kain had not given me a deadline. I had no expected time frame as to when I needed to be back. I... _really_ wanted to check out the Pillars. Regardless of how long I was to be here, I wanted to see them at least once up close without anything or anyone else around to distract me. I stood as I licked my lips clean of blood and started down the path that led toward the Pillars.

The Pillars of Nosgoth. From a distance, one could only be left to imagine how majestic they had once looked when they had stood in their pure, undamaged glory. Even broken as they were now due to the events that led to Kain's eventual 'refusal of the sacrifice', even knowing the basics of the 'door, lock and key' that they really were when it came to the Hylden and the Elder Parasite, they still managed to have a powerful aura that surrounded them and permeated the air with a potent energy.

I moved toward the fallen Pillars, careful to duck around and behind the trees as I avoided the main road. I stopped for a moment and a small frown twisted my lips. I could hear soft chanting as it was carried on the wind. I shivered a bit as I could easily hear the _malice_ buried within the chant, though I could not make out the words being said. As I moved closer toward the Pillars, I could make out a large group of people. The group was chanting softly and stood on the circular, stone base of the damaged Pillars. I knelt close to the base of a tree and leaned forward even as I tried to stay hidden in the shadows. I frowned as I tried to get a good view of what the hell was going on.

There were twenty people standing in a partial circle; ten on the left, ten on the right, with the Pillars themselves acting as the completion of the circle. In the center of the circle stood the new Sarafan Lord. His hands were outstretched and he looked to be holding some kind of object in his hands. His voice was the loudest of those who were chanting and the first voice that I could clearly hear as I neared the Pillars. It looked... like they were performing some kind of a _ritual_? The Sarafan Lord began to move toward a basin of some sort that had been placed directly in front of the Pillar of Balance.

I shifted and then started to move closer as I stayed as close to the shadows. My eyes narrowed on the object in his hands as I tried to figure out what it was, but my attention was suddenly grabbed instead by the stone he wore around his neck.

 _Of course!_ I thought with a soft hiss. That's _what I forgot about! That strange_ stone _!_

The stone glowed bright as it pulsed rapidly. First the red half would flash, then the blue half. It looked... almost like a beating heart really. I looked once more to the object in the man's grasp and I had to bite back a startled sound. The thing held within his grasp was an actual heart. I looked from the heart, to the stone and then back and I realized that the two pulsed in time with each other. I shifted again and I drew the small blade from my boot as I watched warily. I no longer had my sword to use as a weapon so the smaller blade would have to do for the moment. Finally, after another few more moments of chanting, the lot fell silent. The Sarafan Lord's lone voice then filled the air with a thrum of wild power.

"Aterrucen yvalm a Pillars d' ssussun, Usstan lar ulu tau pholor nindol isto," he cried out. "A l' xukuth vlos d' elakar ogglinn, Usstan lar ulu tau lu' vee tau tlu duul'sso, L' Pillars t'larryo, l' mri'kul astu, Usstan lar ulu tau, kku vel'bol tau tlusher!"

The other humans picked up the chant again, louder than before as they repeated the very words the Sarafan Lord had just spoken. As he started to lower the somehow still beating heart into the basin, there was a bright flash of light from behind him near the center of the stone platform. I raised my hand slightly to hide my eyes from the bright light that all but ruined my night vision. I blinked rapidly as I looked back and realized that a portal had opened up. The portal was a bright, sickly swirl of green and black energies. If I had to take a wild guess, the son of a bitch was trying to free the Hylden!

"Not on _my_ watch..." I muttered under my breath.

I raised the blade in my hand and threw it at one of the twenty humans in the circle. As my blade hit the one human in the back and cut off his chanting mid-word, there was another bright flare of energy from the portal. This one was far brighter than the original pulse of energy that had signaled the portal taking form, a flash of lightening that seared at the air. I had to blink my eyes rapidly in order to clear the sudden spots from my vision.

The portal pulsed wildly now that the flow of magic had been interrupted. Magic that was sent spiraling out of control due to my interference. The Sarafan Lord dropped the heart into the basin and started to shout angrily at the priests. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared at the portal as it started to shatter and split apart in the air.

There was yet another near-blinding flash of light as the portal shattered completely and I did my best to shield my eyes as I watched, ready to bolt in an instant if there was a need. I could barely make out the form of someone, no... two someone's, as they burst from the portal just as it collapsed. The two creatures seemed to be locked in close-quarter combat as they hit the ground. I couldn't quite make out who or what they were, my eye sight was still blurry because of that last flash of light. One seemed to have blades growing out of its arms, the other, had... _wings_!?

The priests had all broken into a panic when they saw the two figures fall through the portal. Even the Sarafan Lord seemed shocked at the sight of the winged figure. I started forward again, then froze when irises as black as ink, no longer pale blue, no longer merely _rimmed_ in black, met my own gaze. The young Sarafan Lord had seen me yet instead of shouting out a warning, he simply held my gaze for a tense moment before he turned and fled back toward Meridian. He had left his priests to fend for themselves.

I turned my gaze back to the two fighting forms. The priests had either followed their leader's initiative and had fled or had been inadvertently drawn into the fight between the winged figure and the Hylden that were battling in front of the Pillars. Those unlucky priests were either killed as soon as they got in the way or thrown to the side to strike one of the Pillars or the trees nearby. I could clearly hear the sounds of breaking bones and winced in near-sympathy. The winged figure fought bravely, but I could tell that he was weakened from blood loss as he was steadily being pushed back by the Hylden warrior.

I gave a faint growl and jumped forward in order to try to help. I drew the small blade from my other boot and cut deep into the Hylden's shoulder from behind. The blow forced the creature away from the winged figure as the Hylden tried to focus its' attention on me. I knew that the Hylden could not be left to run loose. I smirked as I kept pressing forward, as I ducked below its' wild attacks and dodged to the side to keep from being skewered on its long, bladed arms. The creature fought in a wild pattern, but it was still a pattern I could follow and predict. Again I jumped back and to the side as I narrowly avoided a slash that would have removed my upper body from my lower. I let out a faint hiss and started to circle the creature as I waited for it to attack. When it finally attacked, it brought both bladed arms toward me as it tried to trap me in the middle of its' pincer attack. I leapt back and again narrowly missed the Hylden's faster than human strike.

I watched as it seemed to stumble, as if that last move had weakened it or left it winded. I leapt forward swiftly and knocked its' left blade arm to the side, earning a deep cut in my right arm in the process, before I shoved the blade up and into its chest as I dug and cut viciously in search of its' heart. It let out a piercing screech as it reached up to try to cut its' other blade into me before it suddenly went limp. The blade had found my intended target. It _was_ a close call as the bladed arm hit my shoulder instead of my neck due to the creatures sudden loss of bodily control as it died.

I shoved the Hylden warrior off of the blade and flicked my tongue over the weapon out of curiosity. The Hylden's blood wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It tasted faintly sour but it did hold an odd quality of sweetness to it or perhaps that was merely the heart blood.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and then I looked around once more. The winged figure was on his hands and knees just in front of the Pillar of Death. He panted softly from exertion as he tried to recover from the long fight. I moved over to him and bent over as I held out my hand to him in an offer to help him up. Massive, bird-like wings fluttered gently as he shifted and I knew that he was eyeing at my hand warily.

He slowly reached out and grabbed my hand several tense moments later. I closed my hand around his taloned one and carefully yanked him back to his feet even as he pushed to stand up. He wobbled unsteadily as he regained his balance. His wings spread out briefly to help steady him even as he raised a taloned hand to cover and rub at his face. He lowered his hand a few moments later and looked at me with gratitude in his tired eyes. I felt my jaw drop open and I knew that I was staring. I'd had an _idea_ of whom I might be saving, as who else would be in the Hylden realm, but that did nothing to quell the surprise I felt at meeting the male face to face.

The vampire I had just saved... was Janos Audron.

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Translation of words

"Creatures bound at pillars of light, I call to thee on this night, By the heart blood of thy enemy, I call to thee and bid thee be free, The pillars broken, the lock undone, I call to thee, finish what thee begun!"

Please excuse but the only language that seemed 'evil' enough was the drow language so, to add another disclaimer, I don't own anything of the forgotten realms, translation was found at www grey-company org/Maerdyn/resources/translator/ put a period were the spaces are, I couldn't get the link up here any other way x.x

Please Review folks. I do appreciate it!


	14. Eldar reunion

New Chapter now up!

Note: edits done to fix spelling, grammar and a few other things X.x

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Chapter Fourteen: Eldar reunion

It took me several moments to get past my initial shock of being face to face with Janos Audron himself. He was the _last_ surviving member of the Ancient, _original_ , Vampires and the 'Tenth' Guardian whom had been tasked with protecting the Reaver.

I snapped out of my shocked daze mostly due to the fact that he was smiling at me gently in amusement more than anything else. I could hazard a guess that he was likely used to getting amazed looks along with expressions that meant 'I can't believe I'm meeting the Janos Audron!' or 'A vampire with wings?!'. He also likely got the last type of staring looks mostly from younger vampires.

I made a firm resolution with myself to _not_ act like a _youngster_. I would not start asking questions, silly or otherwise of haggard looking Eldar. The Ancient Vampire looked like he'd been through _more_ than enough lately and I did not want to make things _worse_ for him by asking questions about the Hylden realm and if he knew anything about what they were planning on their side of the portal. There was so much missing information regarding the Hylden even in the game and it would do no good to go posing questions or postulations about them to someone who had just escaped the 'prison' realm where they were kept.

I shook off my shock and then glanced around the area once more to try to see if any of the human priests left lying about on the ground or against the trees that might have had enough blood left within their dead bodies to make an easier meal for the winged Eldar. Sadly, the bodies strewn about each had large puddles of blood pooled around them. All of them had received brutal wounds as they had gotten caught in the cross-fire of the vicious fight. Even the few that had been knocked away into the trees lay broken in pools of their own blood. I... did not know how to draw blood from a distance like Kain could and I was unsure if Janos had the same ability or not. I was quite likely the _only_ viable donor around and Janos looked like he needed more than I would be able, or willing, to offer at the moment. I shifted my stance as I looked back at him and the shrugged my shoulders in a helpless gesture. Couldn't hurt to ask him...

"There is plenty of blood around," I said to him. "If you know how to draw the blood to you that is?"

"That... was _not_ an ability that I cared to master over the centuries," Janos responded with a weak shrug of shoulder and wing.

I nodded in understanding at his words. It was a bit of a gruesome ability and the Eldar male had seemed to give off a kind of monkish or pacifistic attitude in game that always made me think that he did not much like to fight or deal with gore. He had also seemed to be the orderly, immaculate sort that preferred to be clean and tidy when he could. I watched as he looked himself over and he weakly brushed at a few feathers in a brief attempt to straighten them before he seemed to give up on the movement barely a moment later. Yep, clean and tidy sort when he could be bothered to manage it. He seemed far too tired to do more than take basic stock of his injuries. It was a bit of a relief that this too remained true when it came to comparing the real thing to the story I had come to know during my youth. It seemed like it was only the small things that differed between what I knew and what was reality.

I realized suddenly that I was glad that I had drawn my wings back into my body earlier and yet I found myself equally _disappointed_ by that fact as well. I found that I was actually curious to see what his reaction to another winged vampire would be and then there was _also_ the thought that I might well have the chance to learn how to fly from the ancient vampire. I mean, I could fly _now_ , but not _well_. I had found out swiftly that I was only really skilled at gliding, banking and catching thermals to remain airborne. Skills that seemed to be mostly instinct driven. Once in the air... it was everything _else_ that proved to be a bit difficult for me. Maybe... _maybe_ I would be lucky and have the chance at some point to ask him for a few pointers. First thing was first though, I needed to get Janos back to the safety of Sanctuary where he could recover in peace.

"I... um... I'm going to take you back to Sanctuary. You..." I waved a hand at his bedraggled form. "Well to be blunt, you are a _mess_."

He let out a half-hearted laugh at my words and nodded his head. He took barely a half-step toward me before his eyes abruptly fluttered shut and he let out a soft groan as he started to collapse. I moved swiftly to catch him in my arms and let out a grunt as I stumbled a bit under his weight before I was able to regain my balance. It seemed as if the battle with that damned Hylden had indeed taken it's toll on him.

I looked him over closely and rapidly came to the conclusion that his injuries were worse than I had first assumed. He had slow-to-heal wounds spaced over his body. Wounds that were bleeding sluggishly. His hair was sweat slicked and disheveled from the fight but there were several fresh beads of sweat trailing down his skin. Had he been human, I might well have thought he was running a fever. I frowned as I realized that he might actually _be_ running a fever considering the fact that he was one of the First Vampire's and had never actually died to become what he was. I put my hand to his forehead and found that he was human warm.

I worriedly bit at my lower lip as I tried to think. From what I had learned from Vorador, full-blooded vampires on Nosgoth did _not_ actually get 'cold as death' unless they had not fed for several days, if not one to two weeks, and _that_ was all dependent on their age. Kain himself normally ran a temperature that seemed to be about ten degrees below human norm, around eighty-eight or eighty-nine degrees Fahrenheit or thirty-one Celsius. He had a cold-warm touch that made me shiver as a result of that lower body temp. That Janos was _human_ warm might very well mean that he was feverish, but it could also be his normal temperature.

I snarled softly in worry as I just _did not know._ I needed to get the Eldar back. I looked around and then groaned softly at the thought of having to carry Janos _all_ _the way_ back to the Sanctuary, which meant going back through the spider infested canyons and potentially having to deal with the threat of thieves, if any survived being around the arachnids.

 _Egggh, there has to be a better route to take than that one,_ I thought to myself, but sadly if there was another route, I did not know of it.

I knew at least that if I moved carefully and precisely, then I would be able to keep both myself _and_ Janos invisible with my Gift. If I could manage _that_ then the spiders, and potential thieves, would not realize that we were nearby, even if we were right under their noses.

As long as I managed to stay away from the _webbing_ , that is.

It was a very long trek back to Sanctuary. Seriously, you try to carry the dead-weight, no pun intended, of a winged Vampire Ancient sometime and tell me how _easy_ it is, especially when you are having to be attentive in order to avoid tripping on the poor guy's wings _and_ keep your Gift active the entire trip whilst also trying to avoid the spider webs that lined much of the canyons. Webs that would get you into trouble you can't afford to get into. Several times I had to avoid groups of spiders regardless of my being as careful as I could. _Then_ I had to carefully avoid the Sarafan guards once we were back in the city as Janos' presence would set off the glyphs on the ones wearing heavy armor. There are times when I wish I knew how to teleport from one place to another, it would be _so_ much easier than this.

 _Ugh_ , I thought with a wince as I ducked us down a back alley to avoid yet another patrol. _I think I'm developing a cramp in my arm!_

I rolled my shoulder as much as I could given Janos' heavy weight on my arm. I let my focus on my Gift go once I, excuse me, _we_ , were just in front of the door to the Blue Lady and even then only after I had confirmed that no one was around. I growled low in my throat when my attempts to open the door without dropping Janos failed and had to resort to kicking the door open. I started to make my way laboriously down the steps. I was greeted by a handful of younger vampires who had apparently thought that the Sarafan were suddenly breaking in. I... _had_ kicked the door open a little too forcefully... In the end though, instead of _helping_ me, they just stared at me in numb shock as I carried Janos down the rest of the stairs and toward the main halls of the underground Sanctuary.

 _Idiots_ , I thought with a soft growl. _They could have a least offered to give me a hand! Fuck._

I could hear Vorador and Kain in the distance. They were arguing once more from what I could tell. This time the fight seemed to be over some sort of detail regarding the Sarafan troops movements. Vorador seemed to be nitpicking really, as the shouted information seemed to be rather minor a thing to be fighting over. I let out a soft sigh as I started toward where the shouting originated from. It was going to be hard to explain how I'd ended up finding Janos, but hopefully I wouldn't have to explain anything in too much detail until after the Eldar was well on his way to recovery.

I _did_ take comfort in one thing more than anything else. I had _remembered_ what had been forgotten, what had been _blocked_ from my mind. I could to tell the pair about that bizarre yin-yangish stone that the Sarafan Lord had been wearing. The son of a bitch had not had the time to fuck with my mind as he had when I had trailed after him back in the Keep. I took grim satisfaction in the knowledge that my actions had both cost him twenty men _and_ had once more given me the crucial seeming information that the boy had obviously not wanted me to have.

I eased down the last of the steps leading to the libraries where the two males argued. I had to pause a few times in order to prevent myself from stumbling and inadvertently sending both myself and Janos sprawling down the stairs. I moved into the library and watched the two males with a growing sense of annoyance as they argued pointlessly. After another minute or two of listening to their vicious banter I finally let out an aggrieved sound and coughed loudly to get their attention.

"Ahem! Excuse me. I am so _very_ sorry to interrupt the rather _enlightening_ conversation you two gentleman are having," I bit out sarcastically through clenched teeth, "but I have an Ancient vampire here that you _might_ know and he is in rather poor health at the moment. So, _boys_ , can I have just a _little_ bit of help here?"

At that point, I honestly did not _care_ if either of the two male vampires got pissed with me because of my sarcastic tone of voice. I was tired, hungry and increasingly worried about the male vampire that I was carrying. Plus there was the simple fact that it was getting harder and harder to hold Janos up. A human would never have been able to carry him as far nor as swiftly as I had. What I _was not_ , was in any way concerned with whether or not a particular group of new guards that had just started out, green-horns to use the military vernacular, should be killed off now or at a later date. Nor did I particularly care about the egos of the two males in front of me.

Vorador turned toward me with a growl and his expression twisted from anger to shock in less than a second as both my words and the sight of whom I had in my arms registered. As for Kain, once he saw Janos, he _too_ was shocked at the sight of the Eldar male but he seemed no less angry. Ah, well. Vorador moved to my side swiftly and then gingerly took his Sire from my arms in order to brace the older vampire himself. I stood up straight and rubbed at my stiff shoulders with a faint groan of relief. I winced as I rubbed at the crick that had developed in my neck and shoulder. Of the two, Vorador spoke first with amazement laced clearly in his tone.

"Where did you _find_ him childe?" he asked.

"At the Pillars," I responded with a shrug as I rolled my shoulder and shook out the stiffness in my arm.

"And _what_ were you doing at the _Pillars_? I told you to take care of the Sarafan in the canyons!" Kain's voice was a low snarl as he started to advance on me.

I flinched slightly at his enraged tone but I held my ground as I turned my gaze to him. I squared my shoulders and kept my gaze on his. I figured that it would be best to treat this like another mission report.

"The Sarafan that were in the canyon are dead, exactly as you wished. I saw that the Pillars were not too far off from where the last of the group was finished off. I wanted to see them. When I got close to the Pillars, I heard a weird chanting and felt some strange energy. The Sarafan Lord was there at the very base of the Pillars, along with a group of twenty priests. I believe they were attempting to open and maintain a portal to the Hylden realm, mainly because when I interrupted the chant by killing off one of the priests," I jabbed a thumb backwards to point at Janos, "he and a Hylden warrior came flying through the portal whilst tearing at each others throats."

Kain's right brow had arched upwards by the time I finished giving a summary of what had happened. Though his eyes still glared down at me, his upset with me seemed to have faded... just a touch. He reached up with his right hand and grabbed my chin firmly. I twitched uncomfortably at the tight grasp but that only resulted in an increase of almost painful pressure on my chin as his claws started to dig into my flesh just enough to draw a few droplets of blood.

"Regardless of the _result_ of your actions, you were _supposed_ to return here. You were not to go on a _walk_ ," he said in a low, hissing tone of voice.

I opened my mouth to snap back at him that he had given me no direct order to return once my task was complete, when Janos gave a low groan that stopped my angry words in my throat. I turned my head as much as I was able to given Kain's unyielding grip on my chin. I could just see out of the corner of my eye that Vorador was attempting to help Janos stay on his feet. The older vampire kept trying to stand upright on his own but had to give up and had to use his Childe as a bit of a crutch when his energy ran out again. Janos spoke softly after a few moments spent regaining his breath. His voice was obviously weakened from blood loss and and fatigue.

"Do... do not be upset with her, Kain," he said as he blinked wearily in our direction as he tried to focus on us. "The young lady did us all a great service in going to the Pillars, even if the intent of her going there was merely a desire to see them. The Hylden... they have found another ally in this realm... they seek to break the bindings that hold them once more. However tenuous those bindings may be at this time, they still hold our Enemy at bay. Stay your anger Kain. She has done no wrong."

"I will _not_ tolerate disobedience!" he growled at the older vampire.

"You _did not_ tell me that I had to come back _right away_ you know!" I snared with a small, frustrated shake of my head. Kain's grip tightened further still and I flinched more due to the increase of pressure more than the pain, but I kept my gaze locked on his. "You told me to deal with the Sarafan in the canyons, _that's it_. I figured that I could take a small walk since I had some 'free time'. It's a _damn_ good thing I went, beyond finding Janos I saw the Sarafan Lord again Kain. He didn't have the time needed to work any spell in order to fuck with my head. I remember now what it was that I had been forced to forget!"

"Oh?" Kain tone was suddenly curious. "And what is that exactly, Little One?"

"A _necklace_ ," I said, somewhat eager to explain. "He was wearing a stone necklace. Circular in shape, about the size of my fist. One part of was a deep sapphire in color and looked like a jagged crystal, the other part was a deep red and looked like a large drop of blood. I can even draw a quick sketch if you need me to. It pulsed like a heart when its' magic was being used during the ritual. He was using it, as well as an _actual_ heart, as he cast the spell to open up the portal between the two realms."

"I have never heard of any such stone," Vorador shook his head slightly as he looked first at me then to his sire. "Perhaps it is an ancient Hylden relic?"

"No," Janos said as he leaned a little more heavily against Vorador. "I have... not heard of such a stone. Not in all my years."

Kain's grip had loosened slightly on my chin as he looked me over almost... approvingly. Because I had obtained vital information? And remembered it this time? His eyes narrowed suddenly and he tilted his head. He forced my chin up a little higher, an action that forced me to move with him to the point where I had to stand almost on my tiptoes in order to avoid my jaw being impaled by his claws.

"Perhaps this stone is from _your_ world Little One," he said. "Have you heard of such a thing?"

I frowned a bit at his words and started to shake my head automatically before I stopped the motion. I tried to remember if I had ever heard Auron, or any of his pets, mention any such object while I was in their tender 'care'. I couldn't recall them mentioning any object of magic outside that which was used to 'tame' others. Objects of which I had been mostly unacquainted with over the long years. I then tried to remember if I had seen such an object in the room that I had used to escape. There had been plenty of items laying about the room, I could remember that easily. There had been beakers, jars and the like, a few random seeming objects that looked old. I had been far too intent on escaping that I had no time to take inventory of what could or could not have been useful to me outside of said escape process. I knew, at the least, that I'd never heard of such a thing being mentioned in human legends. Finally I shook my head as much as Kain's grip allowed for.

"I don't know. Maybe?" I shrugged helplessly. "There's nothing that I know of in the _human_ legends of my world that matches what that then looked like and I cannot recall Auron or any of his pets mentioning such a stone. I suppose it is _possible_ that the stone is from my world. If it _is_ from my realm, then it _might_ well have been within the room I escaped from and just ended up here a little earlier in the timeline compared to myself but... I just don't _know_. I was more focused on escaping, not taking inventory, and because of my capture I know next to _nothing_ of whatever vampiric legends my world might have."

Janos had started to frown as we spoke. He eyed Kain and I with a confused, if slightly upset expression. His blue skin was even paler than earlier and I saw that he had started to lean even more heavily against Vorador.

" _Her_ _world_...? What are... you...?" Janos started.

He slumped suddenly in Vorador's grasp, once more unconscious. The older Vampire was easily able to support his collapsed Sire and managed to keep the Eldar from hitting the floor in and undignified heap.

"I must needs to take him to rest. Keep it down Kain," Vorador's tone said that he expected to be obeyed.

Kain gave a small huff, almost as if to say that he'd do whatever the hell he pleased. Vorador merely shook his head in exasperation before he carted Janos off to another room to tend to the blue-skinned Eldar. I stood as still as I could and simply waited. I found myself quite glad that Kain had lessened his grip enough so that I was no longer forced to stand on my toes. Kain just... continued to look me over critically. He finally let go of my chin a few moments later and started to walk off in the direction of his room. His Aura and energy still projected a mild anger. Well, mild for him. He paused just outside the doorway of the library and he glanced at me over his shoulder.

"You did better than I thought you would, Little One. Luck seems to favor you," he paused as if he were considering something and then turned to continue on his path. I almost didn't hear his next words. "The boy is below, recovering."

I felt my jaw drop in surprise. I had thought that Kain would not have been bothered to try to assist Nikolai, the boy being just another human, but he had sent someone? I gave a soft laugh of relief and smiled to myself. Kain had most likely decided to 'help' Nikolai so that he would have something to keep me in line if I got out of hand. Kain did not seem the type to be nice 'just because'. I shook my head and started for part of the Cabal's hideout where everyone went to either rest and to be healed in the 'medical' rooms. I hoped that they hadn't treated Nikolai too roughly.

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Alright chap done! hope you all enjoyed!


	15. Budding friendships and Training woes

Here you guys go! Please remember to review!

Recent edits done month of 04/2016

more edits done as of 04/12/2017 courtesy of Ellara Levellan. mostly some spelling errors

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Chapter Fifteen: Budding friendships and Training woes

I moved down the halls at a brisk clip as I was eager to check in on Nikolai and see how he was doing. I picked up his scent and started to follow the fresh trail to the location that he had been moved to for treatment. I tracked his location down mostly on auto-pilot as my mind was yet spinning in circles due to everything that had happened over the past several hours. The spiders, the Sarafan warriors, the Sarafan Lord and his crazy priests, the Hylden, Janos and the fact that Kain _had_ actually sent someone to get Nikolai and bring the young man back to Sanctuary in order to get him much needed medical attention, such as it was in this world. Then again, Nosgoth had magic. They might well have some sort of healing magic for humans, right? I only knew about the blood vials and beakers that vampires used thanks to the games. The games had all been vampire centric and thus I was unsure what magics or health healing options might be available to the _human_ portion of the Cabal when there were injuries.

I reached the room that Nikolai's scent led to and delicately pushed the door of the room open. I peeked inside discreetly. If Nikolai was currently asleep, I was not going to disturb his slumber and it would only take a brief, quiet moment to check on him and make sure his wounds had been tended to. I would probably go off and get some much needed rest myself afterwards.

I blinked in surprise when I opened the door part way and peeked within. A low hiss of annoyance filled the air and I took in the sight of a female vampire bent over a _very_ beet-red Nikolai. His current scent finally registered to my senses, the tang of fear tinged his scent but it was mostly the bitter scent of discomfort that stood out strongest, and for good reason. The vampiress' in question had a hand pressed against him with her claws just starting to dig scratches into the bared portion of skin on his chest. All in all, the Vampiress looked _very_ attractive. She was tall with most of the height due to long, toned legs. Her long auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail tied back at the base of her neck. She was... _buxom_ with a very curvaceous and full-figured form. She also wore an outfit could only be described as a 'dominatrix' outfit that showed off her assets rather... noticeably. Obviously, she was within the room for far more than just helping to change Nikolai's bandages which were wrapped around his chest and soaked with drying blood. I did my best to hide a small smile as I looked at Nikolai and I raised my brow at him.

" _Busy_ Nikolai?" I asked as I tried to fight off the laughter that bubbled in my chest. "I _can_ check in on you later if you'd like?"

" _No!_ " he sat up abruptly and then winced in pain both due to his injury and the simple fact that the Vampiress' claws had suddenly dug just that little bit deeper into his chest at his abrupt movement. "I, _uh_... she was... I was..."

The vampiress let out a soft 'hmph' of sound before she pulled her hand back. She looked me over slowly, hazel eyes flecked with faint traces of gold narrowed in contemplation as she considered my presence in the room. I squared my shoulders even as I ducked my chin down and narrowed my eyes on her. She felt older than I was, _stronger_ , but I was not going to be pushed around if she wanted to start something. She let out a soft huff of noise as she broke eye contact and looked down at Nikolai with an almost disparaging expression before she started for the door.

"I was just leaving," she said to me with a soft sub-harmonic growl laced through her tone. As she passed me she muttered to me in a soft voice. "Human males are becoming more and more _stubborn_ these days..."

The comment caused me to chuckle softly despite my continued wariness. I waited until she was gone and then started for the side of the bed that Nikolai was in. There were a handful of other, empty, beds and his own was closest to the door. I smiled gently at him before I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You helped me Nikolai, when you stopped that arrow," I said to him. "I wanted to thank you for that."

"Why thank me?" he asked with a shrug. He winced at the movement and rubbed at the bandaged portion of his chest. "I owed you a debt, you know that."

"I know, I do know how seriously you seem to take your debts," I said as I shook my head and let out a soft laugh. "I still wanted to to say thank you. Not everyone holds so strongly to their word, their moral core."

He gave a soft chuckle and his lips curled into a small, teasing smirk. "I owe you again though."

"Why?" I asked with a raised brow.

"You had the vampires come to get me, to save me when you did not have to. You, too, are a person of your word," he said earnestly. Then he frowned and looked toward the door. "Though truly, if any other female vampire's are like _that_ one, perhaps I might well reconsider the debt that I owe."

We both burst into amused laughter at that. I stood after I had calmed myself and picked up the clean bandages. I set them on the small table beside the bed before I turned back to Nikolai. He started to speak but I hushed him with a small wave of my hand and had him sit up as best he could. I slowly began to remove the blood-stained bandages and began to clean his wound with the alcohol in the room. It wasn't quite hydrogen peroxide, or rubbing alcohol, but by the smell of it, it was likely some of the strongest alcohol that Nosgoth could produce. The wound seemed to already be partially healed, which was a good sign. For it to look partially healed meant that magic had been used. I glanced around and saw a few odd looking bottles stored on one of the high wall shelves. An empty bottle lay on the table directly below the shelving. Were those healing potions? Weak ones perhaps considering the half-healed state of his wound? Maybe. I turned my attention back to my task and wrapped the clean bandages around his chest to cover the wound back up. I tucked the end of the bandage into place much as the previous one had been tucked. Nikolai had gone quite pale by the time I finished and had him lay back once more. I gave him a faint, apologetic smile as I gave his arm a gentle pat.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," I said in a soft tone, "but those bandages had to be changed. I'll check up on you later to make sure you are not, um, shall we say, bothered?"

Nikolai nodded a bit in response to my words but did not actually say anything. His eyes fell shut a moment later, a grimace of pain writ clearly across his face. I sighed softly as I looked him over. His heart beat was a bit faster than what it should be. I listened close and then started to relax as both his heart and his breathing began to slow as he fell asleep. I did wish that I could do more to help him. The wound _did_ look to be a clean one, but it was obvious by his continued pale expression that he had lost a lot of blood regardless of the half-healed state of his wound.

I had truly doubted that he would be able to survived the night when I had left him in the abandoned building. I hated the fact that this very brave young man, my... my new friend, might well still die if any infection had a chance to seep into his wound. I stood up quietly and left the room. I started toward Kain's room with my head down. I got lost in thought as I tried to figure out something that might help ease Nikolai's pain or help heal him faster, but I couldn't think of anything. I was unsure if he could have another of those vials on the shelf or if it was like medication back on Gaia where you did not want to take too much within a particular span of time. I'd have to ask one of the vampiric healers. I reached up to push my hair out of my face and then bumped face first into something that was suddenly in front of me. I let out a faint yip of noise at the impact and stumbled backwards a few steps. I looked up and blinked, then blushed. I'd run into Vorador and oh, how _wonderful_ , Kain was right beside him and had an amused sneer on his lips.

"Careful of where you are walking Childe," Vorador said with no small amount of amusement laced in his voice.

"I... ah... excuse me, Vorador," I nodded my head to him then to Kain. "Kain."

I started to move around them and Vorador caught my arm firmly in his taloned hand before I could move more than a few steps. I half jumped at the abrupt contact and blinked first at his hand on my arm before I looked up at him with widened eyes. He had... a very _peculiar_ look upon his face, as if he there was something he wanted to say that he didn't couldn't quite put to words.

"Childe... you not only found my Sire when my own magics had failed to derive a way to reclaim him from the Enemies realm... but you also prevented him from being killed at the hands of that same Enemy. I am... _appreciative_ of your timely actions," he looked like he had bitten into a lemon by the time he finished speaking.

Before I had a chance to sputter out anything in response, he let go of my arm and swiftly turned around and stalked back down the hall in the opposite direction. This left me with my jaw dropped partially open in shock at the abruptness of the entire... well, we didn't have a _conversation_ exactly, he'd just talked _at_ me. Kain let out a soft, dark chuckle at my shocked state and I snapped my mouth shut. I looked at him with a small frown and tilted my head a bit. I'd have glared at him for finding amusement at my confused state, but I didn't want to push my luck with him. I shook my head a moment later and then glanced back at Vorador's retreating form. I looked back to Kain a few seconds later.

"Did he just say what amounts to a 'thank you'?" I asked in a wary tone.

Kain smirked a bit at my question even as he grabbed my upper arm. He started to steer me toward in the direction of his room once more.

"Yes Little One, I do believe he did. I also believe that it is time for you to get some rest now that you have visited your..." he sneered and bared one fang in near disgust,"...' _friend_ ' and seen that he is recovering."

"I am doing _just_ _fine_ , thank you," I said with a small, annoyed huff of breath.

It did not matter that I had intended to do just that, I would _not_ be treated like a child who was up past their bed time. I tried to pull my arm free of his grasp with a low growl of frustration as I partially bared my fangs. I should have known better however. Here I was, tired and worn out, and Kain was fit as a bull and well fed to boot, his grip was like steel around my arm. He twisted me around as I struggled in his grasp and pushed me hard against the wall with an echoing thud of noise. I froze and my heart started to pound in my throat when he leaned forward and place his mouth right over my neck. His fangs became a sharp point of warning for a brief moment before he pulled back to speak in my ear. His spoke in a low voice that was dark and cold. His tone made plain that he desired no hint of argument from me.

"You will _do_ as you are _told_ , Little One," he rumbled. "I will let your 'walk' to the Pillars slide. It is true that I gave you no order to return immediately and even I was awed by the Pillars the first time I saw them in my youth, but from now on you _will_ do as I say."

"I am _not_ a _pet_!" I snarled out as I tried to pull free from him again.

I flinched as his grip tightened on my upper arm and stoppered a sound of pain. His teeth sank into the flesh of my neck. As he did not feed from me there was no pleasure within that bite, only the brief pain that was meant to be a punishment for my outburst, a warning bite that barely lasted more than a second and hardly drew any blood. He moved his head back so that he could meet my gaze and then grabbed my chin as he pushed against me to hold me pinned and still against the wall.

"That may be so Little One, but you are a young vampire. You seem to be no younger than a hundred years and no older than two hundred by the feel of your Aura," I felt a small flash of mental pain at the thought of how much _time_ that I had lost. I had to push the emotional pain back down as he continued to speak in a low voice. "You know almost nothing of how to survive in a real world environ, that much is plain by having observed you since your arrival. You do well enough in close quarters with one on one battles but groups give you difficulty. I witnessed your little 'tussle' with the spiders, my Dear Katrina. Do they truly not get quite so big on your own world?"

His voice had dipped to a lower octave and his voice twisted to become mocking. I stared at him and knew that my eyes had widened with surprise at the knowledge that he had followed me. No wonder it had felt like someone had been laughing at me and watching me at the time. Well, that was an embarrassing realization.

"Do you expect to keep surviving on _luck alone_?" he shook his head suddenly. "At the moment, you still need further rest. Later on, _after_ you are well rested, you will undergo training under my instruction or the instruction of someone of my choosing to improve your skills. Do not take this _lightly_ either. This will be no simple game with wooden swords. You will learn to fight with claws, sword, club and anything else I deem you capable of using. If you are wounded you will continue to fight whilst the wound heals just as you would have to on the battlefield. If you pass out due to blood-loss due to said wounds then you will be fed and we will continue until I or your trainer at the time says that you are done for the day. Is that understood Little One?"

I nodded wordlessly and had the sudden thought that Kain would have been hell on any army recruits on my world. I'd even wager that he'd sic tigers or worse on them!

"Good. You wish to be worthy, Little One? To fight alongside me as an equal? Then you will have to earn that right and prove not only that you have the skills to survive on your own but an unwavering loyalty as well. You have done well so far given your past, however," his voice dropped to a low, whispering growl, "I'm sure that you know what will happen to you if you betray me."

I nodded again without saying anything and lowered my gaze as I bit at my lower lip. For some reason I was both scared half out of my mind and... strangely excited. My blasted vampiric instincts were pleased, there was no doubt of that. His words also made it plain that I was not to be coddled and treated like a broken winged creature that needed to be kept safe. I would have the chance and the time to grow stronger. The knowledge that he was willing to treat me as an equal once I had proven my strength made me strangely happy as well. I frowned as I suddenly thought of something and then let out a small sigh as I raised my gaze to meet his.

"There are some things I _will not_ do Kain," I said softly yet firmly.

His grip tightened on my chin and I knew I needed to tread carefully with my words.

"Oh, truly?" he asked in a low voice. "And what is it that you would _not_ do, Little one?"

I shifted a little bit at the pain along my jaw but I kept my gaze on his. I would not back down when it came to my morals. I had been forced to give up a number of things over the years; any sense of privacy, oft times my sense of dignity and decorum due to the times that I was left without clothing and unable to maintain even a modicum of cleanliness, but some things I had clung to stubbornly.

"I am not a murderer. I will kill if I _have_ to, but it's one thing to kill enemy soldiers or someone trying to kill you and quite another thing to attack civilians without rhyme or reason. I will not kill children and I will not kill innocents that are not attacking me outright. Even then, I'd likely knock someone out if I could, especially if they were simply attacking out of mindless fear and not a true intent to do me harm. I especially do not condone torturing people for fun given what I have been through nor do I condone rape," I shuddered faintly as memories of my time in Auron's hell hole tried to push to the forefront of my mind. I shoved the memories back down forcefully and continued with a strained voice. "If you allow others to do such things than I can tell you now Kain... _I'm_ _out_. I'll leave and do what I can to survive _on my own_. That or you can just kill me now. Those are the things I do not, cannot, tolerate."

I held my breath once I finished speaking. My entire body was vibrating with a fine trembling because of my sudden nerves. Kain's eyes had slowly hardened to cold glass the longer I spoke and his grip had tightened just a touch more. He abruptly burst into dark, cold seeming laughter that send further shivers down my spine. I eyed him warily as he laughed and fought not to fidget in his grasp. Finally he stopped laughing and met my gaze once more as a satisfied smirk curled his lips.

"I will say this my Little One; you press your luck as much as you can and _somehow_ each time Lady Luck continues to keep her _gentler_ smile upon you," he leaned in close to me and stopped with his lips hovering just above mine. "Torture is something used to glean information from captured enemies. I do not find it to be an amusing game as some would, such as Vorador and his Bride's who oft use some torments as a route to dark pleasures. It is merely a necessity that is sometimes needed. As for rape, where one party has no true desire for the attentions of the other, where there was _no_ agreed upon rules for little games of role-play in the bedroom? I do not tolerate it. My warriors _must_ be focused upon the hunt ahead or upon the immediate destruction of mine enemies. The foolish few that I have caught committing such acts? I killed _myself_ for leaving themselves open to death or capture so unwisely all to slake their detestable cravings. I do attack the villages that are known to house the Sarafan amongst their guard force. Any who get in the way of the Sarafan's deaths will also die, but the families? The men, women and children which simply stay hidden to avoid the fighting? They are not an issue for me. I do not find it... sporting... to kill women, the infirm or children who cannot defend themselves. If one does not challenge me, then one may continue to live under my rule. I may be known as a Tyrant, but I am no _Nemesis_ that destroys everything before him in mindless, wanton destruction. Does that _reassure_ you, my Little One?"

He said the last as the sneer on his lips turned cold. I nodded slowly at his words and relaxed a hair. I cautiously tried to pull my chin free of his grasp. He let me go after a moment and then grabbed my shoulder as he pulled me away from the wall. He turned me toward his room once more.

"Now. Go and rest," his tone brokered no further argument. "You will be busy enough later on."

I watched him turn and walk away. Kain had always been known for his speeches, that had not even been his longest one, but it was perhaps one of the more honest ones. His viewpoint plainly drawn for me regarding my own concerns. I shivered a bit, glad to know where he stood on issues I had been hesitant, almost fearful, to bring up with him considering my being new to Nosgoth. I moved on toward his room. I suddenly felt _far_ more exhausted than I had been when I had first returned after having carried Janos. I ducked into his room, closed the door and then collapsed onto the bed after having tugged off my boots. I hoped that I would be able to sleep a nice long time before I had to start this 'training' Kain had planned for me. I knew he would likely make 'boot camp' look like heaven.

I do have to say this about Kain, he _was_ nice enough to allow me get a full day of sleep before he started me on whatever training regimen he had planned for me. When I finally woke up it was well into the next night, roughly around eight or nine o'clock from what my internal clock told me. There were new clothes for me lain out on the foot of the bed. My old ones had been pretty much shredded because of the fights the night before. This new outfit was designed much like a black body suit. Thankfully the back of it opened up so that, if I needed to, I would be able to extend my wings readily. My short sword, which I had thought lost because of the spiders, lay in a new sheath that fit quite comfortably once I managed to figure out how to put it on. I'd actually stopped to look at it for a few moments, both surprised that Kain had retrieved it for me and confused with the new sheath.

The sheath that I had been using connected the blade to a belt wrapped around my waist. This sheath was angled along my back, placed directly along my spine so that it wouldn't inhibit my wings. Two belts ran from near the top of the sheath over my shoulders and then another belt ran from near the bottom half of the sheath just under my ribs. The top two belts then connected to the one around my lower chest. It was definitely an awkward way to draw a blade but the sheath itself did move when I shifted my body, so I was able to draw it freely from over either shoulder. I spent a few moments testing the range of motion the sheath allowed for both with my wings put away and with them out. I withdrew my wings once I was done, a small mess of feathers were left where I had been standing. I let out a mostly satisfied hum under my breath as I started for the door. The motions seemed like they would be smooth enough once I got used to the angle.

I slipped from the room silently. I felt a bit hungry, but not for blood. There were several humans amongst the Cabal that found their homes within Sanctuary itself, whether it was due to them loosing their homes because of the Sarafan or because one of the vampires had taken a liking to a particular human. Due to this, there was a medium-sized kitchen set aside just for the humans so that they could have fresh food. It had been a while since I had enjoyed _any_ kind of human food myself, I had been stuck with a diet of only blood. While I was certain that I didn't _need_ to eat human food any more, I wanted to find out if I could actually stomach it at this point or not.

I found the human kitchen and saw that it currently had six humans sitting together at one table, eating and drinking together jovially, and the one cook a vampire who continued to enjoy cooking even with the risk that plain water posed to him given the natural vampiric weakness. The meal tonight was a simple soup with bread and cheese to go with it. I could not tell right away what kind of soup it was but I went over to grab a small bowl anyway. My actions earned me a shocked look from every human in the room but the vampire male just flashed me a kindly smile and readied a small bowl for me as I had requested, likely aware of my dual nature because of either Kain or Vorador having mentioned something to him.

"Bread and cheese to go with the soup?" the cook asked in a gentle tone.

"Ah, no," I shook my head. I took the bowl of soup and the spoon as he handed them to me. "Not tonight. Thank you though."

"Of course. Now it might be a bit bland tonight," he warned with a small smile. "I'm out of a few spices."

"T-thank you again," I said as I nodded my head to him. "I'm sure it will be wonderful regardless."

His grin widened, though not enough to bare fang, and I blushed a bit. I moved over to an isolated table in the shadows as I tried to avoid the stares of the humans and I ignored their sudden mutterings about me. The cook wandered over to the group and started up a conversation that distracted the lot from me and I relaxed.

I picked up the spoon I'd been given and dipped it into the soup. I blew a cooling breath over it and then took a slow sip. The soup had been made with some kind of fowl, maybe chicken. I rolled it over my tongue for a moment, just wanting to savoir the taste, before I swallowed and let out a contented sigh. It _was_ a bit bland as the cook had warned, not fully seasoned but what can you expect when your spice rack is missing a few key things to bring some 'oomph' to your dish. Regardless of that, the soup was delicious and while, yes, it held no candle to blood, it was nice to have some variety in what I ate. Human food was something I had enjoyed and had dearly missed over the years.

I ate slowly just in case my body got upset with me and I thought about everything that had happened to me. I had been forcing down the memories about Auron and the tortures he inflicted since my arrival here. Most of the time it all seemed dim and distant even though I hadn't been on Nosgoth for more than a month. I did not know for certain if it was simply that my mind was trying to protect me from the past or if it was simply the hardiness of my vampiric nature. What I _did_ know, was that I already preferred it here, in Nosgoth, than being back on Earth, my Gaia as I had always called her even in my youth. I had always liked the old Greek name for my world over 'Earth' or 'Terra'. I did not know how things would turn out here, but I had decided that I would live in the moment and enjoy the new freedoms I had available to me.

I know, I know, Kain _was_ a bit bossy, well, _really_ bossy when you got down to the bare bones of it, but at least I could do things freely now. I was allowed to truly use my wings, even if I was a bit klutzy while flying. Kain had done nothing to harm my wings and while we'd had a few small issues so far, those had made sense at the least. I could even let the whole thing with the Reaver go as he had most likely thought that I had been hiding something from him purposefully. I had even been able to start scouting for the Cabal within barely three weeks of my arrival and bring back information that was important to everyone's survival in this Sarafan ruled city. I felt useful, and more importantly _safe_ , in a way that I hadn't for years.

As my thoughts wandered, I wondered again if Janos would be willing to teach me how to properly fly once he was all healed up. Though I had to admit I really needed help in learning how to land more than anything else. I still misjudged the landing distances and my own speed enough to stumble each time I reached the ground.

I finished the last of my soup and leaned back with a contented sigh as I set the spoon aside. I stretched my arms upwards and back and abruptly hit something with my hands. I jumped and turned quickly to apologize to the person I had hit and had to bite down a groan. It was Kain, arms crossed and a look of blank indifference on his face, though I was sure that I saw a hint of a smirk cross his lips for a moment. I let out a faint sigh.

"Training starts now?" I asked.

Kain nodded and this time anger flashed briefly in his eyes. "Indeed. It was _supposed_ to start near to a half hour ago, Little One."

"What?! You didn't tell me!" I yelped as I stood up swiftly.

He growled softly and held out a piece of paper to me. "Do _not_ deny that I told you, Little One."

I took the note and opened it up, then blushed brightly. The letters were in Nosgothian text which I knew was based upon Gaia's Futhark runes. I didn't know how to read this writing! I looked up at him and saw that he was turning around.

"Let us go," he said.

"Um. . . Kain?" I asked softly.

I did not want to be overheard by the humans in the room, now thirteen in total. There was nothing I would be able to do about the cook overhearing me.

He paused and looked at me over his shoulder. "What?"

My voice lowered even more.

"I'm sorry. One; I didn't see the note and that was my fault for not looking," I rushed on before he could snap at me about being inattentive. "Two; even had I _found_ the note... I don't know how to _read_ this writing. I mean, it _was_ used in my realm a _long_ damn time ago. It's considered a dead language now and only dedicated scholars know how to read and write it. I can read in write in what I know to be English but... I have no idea if your world even _has_ the written script that I'm used to."

I watched as he stiffened and heard him let out a cross between a grunt and a sigh as he reached up to rub the bridge of his nose. He dropped his hand and turned back around to walk over to me. I looked down at the note again, then back up at him. I knew that I was still blushing brightly and I really hoped that he could tell that I was being honest with him. I mean, who reads or writes in using Futhark runes on Gaia any more outside of people who do it as a hobby or scholars? Admittedly, I _had_ looked up a website before everything happened with Auron to try to find out what the symbols on the graves meant in the game when I had played it, but I hadn't gone as far as learning enough to be literate in the language! Kain let out another faint sound of annoyance as he plucked the note from my hands delicately with his claws.

"Very well then," he said with a huff. "After your training each day I expect you to go to Vorador to learn the written languages of this world. Perhaps we will also find out if any of our scripts match the one you know from your home."

I let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

"Hn," he shook his head faintly. "Now come along."

He turned back around and started for the door once more. I hurried after him without a word, glad that he no longer seemed upset. We went deeper into the underground of Sanctuary and stopped within a very large circular room that could have fit a hundred people within it easily. It was old and there were many scratch marks from claws and swords alike painting the rotunda wall. One portion of the wall had various weapons that were hung in place by hooks. Kain moved forward and stopped once he had reached the center of the room. I looked at him with a raised brow, to the rack of weapons and then back. He nodded approvingly at my silent question and then indicated the blade sheathed at my back.

"You are to use that weapon at the moment," he said. "Draw it."

I nodded and, clumsily, drew the blade. Definitely still a weird angle despite how the sheath shifted with my movements and my little bit of practice with it earlier.

"You will get use to it," he said as he noted my unease. "You will also get used to several other types of weapons, their positions upon you when not in use and how to draw them swiftly when you have a need."

"So... who is to be my sparring partner?" I asked as I glanced around. There was no one in the room other than myself and Kain...

Aaaaand I had a really, _really_ bad feeling all of a sudden.

Kain lips curled into a cold smirk at my obvious unease. "Me."

 _Fuck, shit and damnation!_

* * *

Thanks again every one, I hope you are enjoying the story!


	16. Angel's sorrow

On with the story!

Edits done 04/2016

Edits done as of 04/13/2017 with the wonderful help of my beta Ellara Levellan

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Angel's sorrow

I clenched my sword tighter within my grasp and fought not to show my sudden nervousness. It hardly helped that my hands had already started to get clammy at the mere realization that I was about to spar with Kain. Out of everyone within Sanctuary I was to fight Kain first? I had hoped to be trained by someone else to start with, as I knew Kain was not going to take it easy on me in the slightest. The only thing I could think of was that he wanted to get a proper baseline of my abilities.

 _This... is going to hurt isn't it?_ I thought to myself.

Kain smirked and started to circle me slowly as his eyes narrowed upon my form. I shifted a bit and started to move as well as I tried to keep him in front of me instinctively. I knew that I wanted to keep him within my line of sight. If he got behind me then the fight would be done within seconds. I was not fighting other vampires with no real battle training, I was fighting a hardened warrior who had seen plenty of battle grounds and had slain nigh on _thousands_. Unless I got really, _really_ lucky, the best I could hope for was to maybe nick him with my sword, once...

 _Yippee_! I thought when he made no immediate attack. _So he isn't going to start kicking my ass right off the bat!_

He feinted without warning and started to lunge in at me. He stopped without moving more than a foot in my direction though. I still tensed at the sudden movement and gripped my sword tighter at the feint, but I held my ground. He tilted his head at me and then nodded his head with a satisfied hum of breath. One thing that I had gotten good at spotting over the years was when someone was doing a testing feint just as Kain had just done. I think he was pleased that I had not flinched.

I forced myself to ease the tight grip I had on my sword with a mental shout at myself for being so foolish. I knew that when holding any weapon, you did not want to tense up too much and hold the hilt of a sword, knife or anything really, too stiffly in your hand. It could easily cause the grip that you had to be weakened at _exactly_ the wrong moment, especially if your enemy struck your hand successfully with a disarming blow. What you wanted to do was relax. If you needed any kind of example to compare it to, to think about baseball. You want to grip the handle firmly yes, but not too tight, so that when you swung the bat you did not inadvertently lose your grip and send your baseball bat flying. Unless that was what you wanted to happen...

Kain lunged for me suddenly, he feinted first to the left and then darted right even as he slashed his claws out and across my right arm as I tried to follow and dodge the swift move. I hissed softly in pain as deep scratches were opened in my lower arm and I barely managed to bring my blade up in time to block his follow-up blow. For my efforts, I received a strong kick to the gut. I let out a grunt at the blow and threw myself backwards with the impact as much as I could. I anticipated, and was correct to assume, that his next strike would be an uppercut meant to hit me in the jaw. Yeah, that was definitely a move that I had memorized thanks to Auron. The Bastard liked going for a gut punch and then a backhand when I got too mouthy with him.

As it was, Kain's blow just clipped my jaw. I shook my head a little as I focused on him again and I raised my sword back up into a defensive position once more as I clenched my teeth. Kain nodded in approval and started to circle me again. I let out a shaky breath and bit back the urge to cough as my body was still recovering from the kick to my stomach. I lunged for him swiftly and brought my blade up from a low position to attempt a strike at his chest. His clawed fist slammed down into the blade at an angle that hit the flat of the blade and I let the sword fly from my hands as I slashed my claws toward his chest. He caught my wrist in his other hand. He twisted my wrist and used my own momentum to spin me about as he threw me in the same direction that my sword had flown.

"Clever," he said with another hum of noise. "Pick up the sword and come at me again."

I hissed faintly at him in response as I bared my fangs. I stood slowly, as that had really hurt my wrist. I reached out to pick up the sword in my right hand whilst I kept my head down and I let my bangs hide my eyes. I tried to make it look like I was focused solely on picking up my sword and no longer upon him. I was pissed off and, even if I got knocked out cold for my effort, I wanted to at least land _one_ solid strike on him at this point. Kain moved toward me to take advantage of my apparent inattentiveness and launched another kick toward my stomach. I saw the blow coming, I had been ready for it, and I rolled to the side as quickly as I could even as I snatched up my blade. I scrambled to my feet just in time to raise my sword and block another slashing blow. I almost lost my grip on the sword in the process.

Yewouch, but my hands hurt like _hell_ after that!

"Hmph," he grinned darkly at me. "So you _do_ know how to pay attention. Good."

"You..." I cut myself off and just growled at him.

Kain chuckled low at my words and struck out at me again in rapid succession; an upwards blow, a left-hook followed by a right and then lastly a downwards strike for my throat. I barely managed to block or deflect the first three strikes and lost my grip on my sword when I blocked the last strike. My hands had briefly gone numb from the strong jolts which had traveled down along the blade to where I held the hilt.

I snarled as the blade clattered to the side and slashed my claws at him as swiftly as I could. I managed a glancing blow on his left wrist that caused him to withdraw briefly. I used the time to twist around and I lunged to grab my sword. I spun as I fell and landed hard on my back as I grabbed up the sword. I slashed outward and the movement caused Kain to jump back a foot or two instead of continuing his pursuit of me. Though, he had started to chuckle softly again.

 _Gah! What the hell is so funny?_ I thought with a snarl. . _..OH wait, lemme guess!_ ME!

I knew that this 'fight' was likely nothing more than what one would consider a game of 'cat and mouse' or 'playing with one's food' as far as Kain was concerned. I did not much care to be a source of amusement to him.

"Tell me," Kain's voice was bland and he almost sounded bored as he started to circle me. "Do you think you would survive against a fully trained Sarafan Knight in combat, instead of the whelps that you have run across thus far?"

I got to my feet warily and frowned at the sudden question that had been posed to me. Was I actually supposed to answer that? It was taking all of my concentration just to stay on my feet! Kain lunged again and slashed his claws toward my chest. I shifted back and got my blade up in time to block the blow. His claws screeched across the metal blade and I almost lost the damn thing again in the process of stopping his blow. A slash was opened across my left shoulder by his follow up strike and I yipped at the sudden pain. I jumped back as I tried to gain some breathing space. He launched another strike as he followed after me and I slashed my sword into that strike as I tried to hit and disable his hand. He pulled his hand back swiftly with a feral grin. I blinked and remembered suddenly that he'd asked me a question. I decided to try to answer it as I worked to even out my breathing and calm my heart.

"Not," pant, "if they fight," pant, "like _this_."

He nodded at my words and then jumped toward me almost faster than I could track. He had been going easy on me! He grabbed my wrist and lifted me into the air before I could react. A simple twisting caused me to drop the sword. I let out a faint yelp of shock as my wrist was twisted and tried to kick free of his grasp. He swiftly grabbed and trapped my leg as well when I attempted to kick his side.

"Quiet," his voice held just a hint of his Aura in it and I went still instinctively in response. "Good. Remember Little One, you are not a human. That you are blocking, if barely, my strikes proves that readily enough. Stop thinking like a human whelp and _fight_ me!"

He let me go abruptly and I managed to twist my body enough to land in a half crouch. I snatched up my sword and slashed it at his legs in the next moment. He dodged my blow easily enough, which pissed me off further. I was doing my best here!

"What do you... mean by that?" I asked as I raised my sword up into a defensive position as I stood once more.

"You should have simply answered 'yes' to the question that I posed to you," he started to circle me again.

"'Yes'?! But I don't kno..." he interrupted me before I could finish my affronted sentence.

"You are faster and stronger than _any_ human!" he snapped out.

"Speed and strength mean next to _nothing_ if you don't have the proper skill to back it up!" I snapped out and then winced a second later.

Great, just great. Letting my temper get the best of me in the middle of a fight wasn't the best of ideas, I knew that, but he was being so damn frustrating about this whole process. His dark chuckle of amusement caused me to shiver, but it was his response that almost caused me to drop my sword in shock.

"Good girl my Little One," he said with a dark smirk and his eyes flashed white for a split second. "You have some _common sense_ as well as the ability to pay attention."

"H-hey!" I cried out in annoyance at his near condescending tone.

I then let out a startled shout as he started to attack me in earnest. That I lost each bout badly was an understatement. I know that I lost consciousness around twelve times that I can recall clearly. My wounds? I bloody well lost count on how many of those I had received over the three hour sparing match and how many had subsequently healed by the time we were done. I didn't complain about the pain outside of some lengthy cursing, as I was slowly getting better and I did start to last longer throughout each round. The last fight ended with a blow that knocked me thoroughly out cold though...

When I finally woke up, I had one of the worst headaches possible pounding away at my skull. I blinked my eyes open slowly and tried to make the, thankfully dim lit, room come into focus. I knew this kind of headache from previous experience. I had a concussion. Great. I also knew from experience that my vampiric healing would take care of the damage quickly enough, but for some reason I always ended up having the headache for several hours after the head wound was completely healed. Brain injuries could get annoying.

The room finally shifted into focus. It was dark save for a single lit candle on the far table. I found myself grateful for that. I doubt I could have stood a brightly lit room just then. I turned my head and looked around, it was similar to the room I'd originally woken up in but had medical supplies stored on a high shelf and was far cleaner than the previous room. I winced in pain when I tried to sit up. I laid back down once the room stopped spinning and rubbed at my forehead. My fingers brushed against a damp cloth as I did so and I frowned. I felt around the area and found that the cloth was a bandage, which meant the dampness was my own blood. Fun.

 _Note to self; don't fight Kain anymore if I can help it_ , I thought with a wince as I let my hand fall back to lay on the bed.

I stared up at the ceiling and let out a soft, annoyed huff of breath. From what I could remember of the last bout, Kain had let me almost hit him, just to show me how slow I actually was with my attack. At least I believed that was what he meant to do as the last thing I remember was him saying 'Too slow.'

I let out another soft hmph of noise and then started to hum softly to myself as I closed my eyes. Humming had always helped with my headaches and had also helped to alleviate my boredom during the long days. I smiled sadly as I could just barely remember how, when mom and dad had been together... when my father had been alive, my mother had often sung a song to me me to help sleep when I did not feel well. I started to hum a different tune, as I was no longer in the mood for a cheerful tune. I then softly began to sing the words to the sad melody that had come to mind.

"You lie silent there before me

Your tears they mean nothing to me

The wind howling at the window

The love you never gave I give to you

But really don't deserve it

But now there's nothing you can do

So, sleep in your only memory

Of me, my dearest mother

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes, goodbye.

It was always you that I despised

I don't feel enough for you to cry, oh no

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

So insignificant sleeping dormant deep inside of me

Are you hiding away, lost under the sewers?

Maybe flying high in the clouds?

Perhaps you're happy without me

So many seeds have been sown in the field

And who could sprawl up so blessedly, If I had died

I would have never felt sad at all

You will not hear me say "I'm sorry"

Where is the light? I Wonder if it's weeping somewhere...

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes, goodbye.

It was always you that I despised

I don't feel enough for you to cry, oh no

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. . ."

I let the melody fade from my mind as the last note faded in the air and I sighed sadly as I raised my hand to wipe away a tear. I jumped when I heard a soft footstep land nearby. I sat up abruptly, startled by the noise as I did not like to sing around others, and then winced as I immediately regretted the movement. I fell back to lean on my elbows with a low groan. My vision swam so much and the room felt like it had lurched sideways for a moment. So much so that I just could not make out who it was that had entered the room. The person spoke before my vision could clear and I relaxed as I recognized the gentle voice. It was Janos.

"Easy now Childe," he said soothingly. "I did not mean to startle you so."

"I-it's alright," my vision began to clear as I blinked rapidly. I could finally see that he had moved to stand beside the bed, a hand held out over my shoulder to catch me if I fell back any further. "What happened earlier?"

"Ah," Janos blinked at my question and then offered me a faint smile. "Kain brought you to Vorador and I. He said that your training for the day was finished and he then left you with us so that we could tend to your injuries."

"Oh. Okay... that's alright then," I laid back down and Janos helped me ease back so that I was comfortable.

"Is your head alright Childe?" he asked in concern. "You took quite a blow."

"Just a headache at the moment," I said with a wave of my hand, "and it's not as bad anymore and it will fade in full over the next few hours."

"That is good," he sat down on the edge of the bed and frowned as he looked at me with a perplexed expression. "Vorador and Kain told me about you, to an extent. They told me that you are a... Half-breed?"

"Half-blood," I corrected as I gave a faint laugh and nodded carefully as not to aggravate my headache. "But yeah."

"How is that possible?" he asked. He still looked confused.

"All I can do is hazard a guess. It _probably_ involves a newly dead, newly made vampire getting a human woman pregnant. Something about the male's seed still somehow being viable at that stage maybe," I said with a shrug. "I don't know all of the particulars, but it makes the most sense to me."

"Hmm," he tilted his head thoughtfully. "That does make a certain amount of sense. You may well be right."

"I might also be wrong. I wasn't given much of a chance to learn the particulars of my kind outside of my immediate situation. Did... did they tell you anything else?" I asked curiously, hesitantly.

Janos nodded and again his confusion showed clearly in his expression. "Yes. They said that you are not from this world, but another?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "I'm not sure how I got here though."

"It is a mystery," he glanced away then looked back to me with a soft, grateful smile. "I wish to thank you for saving my life Childe. I would not have had the strength to reach Sanctuary on my own after that fight. Nor, I believe, would I have been able to defeat my foe alone."

"I'm glad to have been of assistance," I said as shrugged. "And please, my name is Katrina."

"Katrina then," he smiled and I returned the smile hesitantly. He tilted his head a moment later. "If I may ask, why were you singing such a melancholy song?"

I gave a soft sigh and glance away from him. That was not what I expected him to ask about of all things and I shifted uncomfortably.

"I was just remembering a few things. I..." I paused and then let out another sigh. "Where I'm from, people can get married and then later on they can get what is called a 'divorce' which is used to annul the marriage. I overheard a conversation that the humans in the kitchens had and it seems like that isn't a functional concept here on Nosgoth so if you have any questions about it..."

Janos looked shocked and then thoughtful. "Yes, a question; Why would they do such a thing? Most humans see marriage as a holy union that cannot be broken."

"Because they got married for the wrong reasons," I said with a small wave of my hands. "Or the person they married turned out to be cruel hearted and mean. It was a way, originally I think, to give people that stuck in bad marriages, such as a wife who gets beat by her husband, a way out when the true nature of their significant other is revealed."

Janos frowned and then nodded slowly as he processed the explanation. "I can see the reasoning behind this 'divorce' process. Yet from the look upon your face Childe, _Katrina_ , this is not always the case on your home world?"

I gave another small nod.

"You guessed it," I said and then frowned thoughtfully. "My mother had told me that she had divorced Father because he was spending too much time at work and too little time at home with her and I. But at the same time I have come to think... that what she told me was just a lie. Why I don't know, but her words always felt off, the reasoning I mean. They had always seemed happy. At least from what I can remember. It... was barely a week after she had told me that the divorce papers went through we got word that he had died in an accident at roughly the same time. Knowing what I do now, my vampiric origins that is, a simple accident would not have killed a vampire. Newly made or not. I believe that she told me that lie about the divorce because she was not able to tell me about his true origins, thus she had to make up a lie to tell me and the neighbors. It's not like anyone would believe the _truth_. Vampires are believed to be nothing more than a myth on my world..."

"I am sorry," Janos said a few moments after I had finished speaking. He laid a comforting hand gently on my arm. "It is always hard for a child to lose a parent, especially if you do not have the knowledge of their true nature."

"Yeah. I... lost both of them actually. Mother started drinking after his death. She didn't seem care about anything. It was like she was wilting away. I had to grow up pretty fast because of it, had to take care of myself. I doubt she even misses me, I've been gone for so long," I shook my head a bit and rubbed at my eyes. "She might even be dead by now. She probably is."

"Why do you say that, my childe?" Janos asked softly, gently.

"A vampire named Auron... he kidnapped me, held me captive, did... things. He caused my vampire blood to awaken. I don't even know exactly how much time has passed," I looked away for a moment and shrugged listlessly as I shoved the memories back down. "Kain said that I feel anywhere between a hundred to two hundred years old. I lost a lot of time either way and even if it was just eighty-two years then... my mother is long dead."

"Awaken?" Janos asked thoughtfully after a few moments of silence. "Ah wait, I think I may understand. As a... Half-breed, you were human until he captured you?"

"Half-blood, there's supposed to be a difference," I shrugged when he raised a brow at me. "Damned if I know what that is at the moment, but yeah I was human until he caught me."

He nodded slowly. "Would you have remained human had he not?"

"He took great pride in rubbing that little fact in after he force fed me over a gallon or so of human blood," I growled softly. "So yeah, I guess so. I have no way of knowing for sure how much of what he told me was truth but most of it... was proven true over time."

"I am sorry you had to face such a foul being who would force this life upon you when you had the chance to remain human," Janos said mournfully.

I patted his taloned hand lightly. I smiled at him weakly and shook my head.

"It's alright, I... _really_ don't want to dwell on the past," I told him. "I just want... I want to find a way to be happy... ish, at least a little. There is a phrase in my realm; 'living well is the best revenge' and I plan to live well if I can. This place, isn't worse than where I was. Even the sparring with Kain. I've had worse. It's the reason why I won't complain during practice and the knocks I've taken. If I could survive what happened to me before I came here, I can survive a few wounds when learning how to fight properly. You know? I'm getting something useful out of it this time around at the least."

"I believe I understand," he said with a nod.

Janos gave me a small, gentle smile and stood. He gently removed the bandage from my head and checked the healed wound over. He nodded to himself as he set the bandages aside. He then lifted the blanket and brought it up to my chin. He pushed a bit of hair from my face before he stood straight again.

"You are very strong Childe, to have survived such things that make the wounds you've received today seem to be no more than scratches. I merely hope that you have not lost yourself because of it," with that he bowed his head and then turned and left the room. He closed the door lightly behind him. I blinked slowly and let out another soft sigh.

"I hope I haven't too," I whispered to the empty room before turned back over to try to go back to sleep.

* * *

Yay! read and review please! lemme know what you guys thought. Oh and the song? It's called Room of Angel, it's a song from one of the Silent Hill games. I'll try to update soon!


	17. Nightmares and Knowledge

Next up.

Edits 04/2016.

edits as of 04/13/2017 courtesy of my beta!

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Chapter Seventeen: Nightmares and Knowledge.

Cold.

I felt so bloody _cold_ for some reason.

 _Where am I?_ I thought groggily as I opened my eyes.

I looked around the area, blinking blearily even as I wrapped my arms around my body to try to combat the bone-deep chill that filled the air. It was freezing enough that my body was wracked by an uncontrollable, _violent_ shivering. I frowned as I looked around. Even with my superior eye-sight, there was nothing but seemingly unending darkness surrounding me on all sides. It was almost as if I was isolated within a small circle of light and everything else was just... black and empty and _cold_.

 _What the_ hell _is going on?_ I thought with a frown. _Where is everyone?_

Distant laughter started to echo throughout that icy darkness. It was the cruel and merciless sort of laugh. Dread filled me and I shuddered. I twisted around as the laughter grew closer still, seeming to originate from behind me now rather than all around me. I fell into a defensive stance with my hands raised with sharp claws extended in front of me like Kain had been teaching me. I hissed low in warning and a sub-harmonic rumble built within my chest at the same time. I didn't know what the hell was going on but...

"Who's there? Where are you?!" I asked with a snarl in my voice.

More cruel laughter filled the air. Once more it seemed to originate from behind me, as if the person had moved to remain at my back when I had turned. I spun around slashed my claws at... nothing but air. I let out a snarl of breath as my growling grew to audible levels.

"Dammit all. _Show yourself!_ " I shouted angrily.

I backed up slowly and had to bite back a whimper of fear. What the hell was with this place!? A breath of cold air passed across the back of my neck. I spun around swiftly and slashed out with my claws. My left wrist was suddenly caught in an iron grip. I hissed in shocked fear as I recognized the face of the man, the _vampire_ , that now held my wrist trapped within his unyielding grasp.

 _Auron_.

"Did you miss me, my sweet pet?" he hissed softly as he tugged me closer to him.

I struggled to break free of his grasp and then let out a choked scream as he twisted my wrist sharply. The motion broke my wrist in an instant and I had to bite my tongue in order to avoid making further noises of pain, sounds that I knew he would enjoy immensely. He readily let go as I pulled back and I managed to scramble away and got some distance between us as I cradled my damaged wrist to my chest. I let out a snarling hiss that expressed my rage, fear and pain. I shook my head over and over as I backed up a few more steps.

"You can't... you _cannot_ be here!" I growled at him. "I got _away_ from you! You are not even on this _world_! This is just a nightmare!"

He stalked towards me slowly and a cold grin curled his lips. I fell back into a defensive stance, even as I continued to hold my damaged limb close to my body. He stopped with a low sultry sounding chuckle as he raised a hand and looked over his claws. He finally looked up at me again as he let out a 'tut' noise.

"My sweet pet, did you _truly_ think that escaping from me would be so easy? Did you truly think that I did not have ways to _find_ what belongs to me, _wherever_ said possession goes? I _will_ have you back, my sweet little pet, my Draconian l'ange. I already know where you are," he said as the cold grin curled his lips again. His hand fell to rest just below his neck, something glinted under his fingertips. "And I _am_ here my pet. Now be a good girl and _come to heel."_

He was suddenly right in front of me. By the time I had registered how close he was, he had already lashed out with his claws. My left cheek was opened in a wide gash that left a hole that my tongue could have fit through before I could react. I could taste and feel the blood as it filled my mouth and ran down my cheek. He licked the blood slowly from his claws and I felt my eyes widen. I needed to get _away_ , to get _out_ of this nightmare. I let out a warning, fear-filled growl as I backed away from him. I spun around a second later and bolted. His laughter echoed all around me as I found myself suddenly running through the halls of his castle. Screams of pain and torture echoed in my ears as I ran. I knew, knew, that I was just dreaming, that this was not real, but all I could feel was the desperate, _wild_ need to get away.

I slammed my way through a door that blocked my way and the light of the room blinded me for a moment. When my eyes focused I saw Auron's bedroom before me and Auron himself was rushing at me. I let out a scream of rage and fear as I lashed out with my claws to strike at his face. I heard him curse viciously as his hands grabbed my wrists in an iron grip and he forced me to the ground.

"Dammit all Katrina! Wake the hell up!" he shouted in my ear

 _Wait? Why would he-?_ I thought as my mind scrambled to make sense of what was going on.

I felt a sudden flood of Aura Power pulse over me. It started below my right ear and spread through my entire body like a jolt of lightning. My eyes flew open wide and I gasped for air frantically for several moments before I could focus clearly on my surroundings. I relaxed minutely when I saw who it was that actually held me pinned down.

 _Kain_ was above me and it was _he_ who held me pinned, _not_ Auron. I was pinned to a soft bed and not cold stone floor. One of his hands held my wrists above my head and the other was pressed firmly against the right side of my neck where his Mark lay. I looked around the room in a daze as I tried to make complete sense of my current surroundings. The dream still tugged at the edge of my mind and left me feeling confused and lost, as if my very _essence_ had been weakened by the nightmare. It was a strange sensation and I did not care for the lingering feeling.

I noticed that Vorador was standing by the doorway. There was a look of minor annoyance on his face and five slow to heal scratches had rent open the right side of his cheek. Janos stood at his side, both holding a restraining hand to Vorador's shoulder and looking worriedly at me. I blinked again at the pair and then focused on Kain.

"W-what is going on?" I asked in confusion.

My voice sounded strange to my ears, _worn_ , as if I had grown ill all of a sudden... or had been screaming.

"We are not exactly sure Childe. We came to retrieve you for your lessons with Vorador and I as you were late. I grew concerned when you would not wake," Janos shook his head slowly. "I went to get Kain while Vorador watched over you..."

Vorador let out a soft growl as he moved a hand to his cheek where the scratches were finally healing over. I blinked in shock as I fully realized _just_ what it meant that Vorador had _five_ scratches across his cheek. I quickly glanced up at my pinned wrists and I shifted my hands as I did so to get a better look at them. There was fresh blood dripping from the claws of my right hand. I could feel myself blush first with embarrassment, then I rapidly paled as I realized that _I had attacked an Eldar!_

 _Fuck, shit and damnation!_ I thought worriedly as a distinct sense of panic began to build in the pit of my stomach. _What the hell did I_ do _?!_

"You started whimpering and crying out," Vorador said as if in answer to my panicked thought. His voice was bland but his eyes still shone with faint annoyance. Annoyance that was directed at me. I gulped. "Then you lashed out with your claws as if driving off an enemy. Kain and my Sire returned just as you started to lash out again."

"Oh... I..." I looked back to Kain with a blink and another blush. He hadn't moved an inch and the position that we were in was beginning to become a touch... embarrassing. "You... umm... you overwhelmed me with your Aura to wake me?"

"Yes," he responded to my question with a nod and a frown. "You would not stop struggling otherwise."

"I..." I shivered slightly as I shifted beneath him. "I... I am a-alright now..."

Kain let out a sound that sounded very much like a snort of disbelief. He shifted off of me a few moments later and then stood beside the bed. His eyes never left my form and he crossed his arms as he looked me over. He looked ready to pin me down again in an instant if there was a need for him to do so.

" _Explain_ what just happened Little One," he ordered in a clipped tone.

I could not help but flinch at his tone. I sat up carefully and gave an idle shrug of my shoulders as I did not know quite what to say. I rubbed at the bridge of my nose as I tried to think. Finally I just gave another helpless, embarrassed shrug.

"I... it was nothing but a... a bad dream," I said as I avoided looking at them.

"Childe... whatever happened was no ordinary ' _bad dream_ '," I glanced up at Janos with a small frown as he continued to speak. "Gashes appeared on your cheek as you slept... no one here touched you Childe."

My eyes widened and a sudden flash of fear tore through me at his words. I reached up quickly to touch my left cheek. I pulled my hand back and saw fresh blood on the my fingertips of my left hand. The hand that had been free of blood. This was not _Vorador's_ blood that coated my fingertips but _my own_. A small tremor started to make my hands shake. The tremor became a shuddering vibration that started to rock my entire body as I looked up and stared at the far wall. I fought to push the growing fear down, to _think_. A soft whimper of sound escaped my throat despite my attempts to keep the noise contained. I closed my eyes and too in a harsh breath as I tried to calm down. I heard Kain move and a moment later my chin was held firmly within his grasp as he forced me to look up at his face. I blinked at him with wide eyes.

"What _exactly_ happened in this dream Little One?" he asked firmly.

"Auron... _Auron_ appeared in the dream," I started to shake even more and I started to loose focus on the room as I tried and failed to fight the panic that filled me. "Attacked me... _the fuck_?!"

I almost shouted the last two words and Kain's hand closed tight on my shoulder. He gave me a harsh shake and the abrupt, teeth rattling motion forced me to focus on him again. I had to bite back another whimper. _Literally_. My fangs sank deep into my lower lip as I forcefully muffled the noise. His eyes were cold but there was something in them that also helped steady me and I took a couple of deep breaths through my nose.

Kain glanced over his shoulder at the other two male vampires and he let out a soft growl of noise that I couldn't quite place meaning to in my current state. Both of the other males gave a slow nod of understanding though and they left the room. The door closed softly behind them. Kain sat down on the bed after they had left, though he still eyed the door for a few lingering moments. He was likely waiting for the pair to get out of earshot before he spoke further. His thumb rubbed along the line of my jaw in a near soothing movement as he looked back to me. He sat in silence beside for a few more moments as I continued to tremble softly and struggled against the fear I felt. The shaking started to fade a bit as he continued to rub his thumb over my jawline.

"What else do you recall my Little One? Start from the beginning of this 'dream' and tell me all you can," Kain said. He had pitched his voice to be low, calming.

I took a slow, shuddering breath as I tried to contain yet another whimper of noise. I tried to calm the tremble that continued to wrack through my body and had at least a little success in containing the worst of the shuddering. I felt a flash of anger sear through me. Anger directed at myself and the fear that I felt. I grit my teeth and focused on what I could remember of the dream even as I clenched my hands into fists.

"It was dark and cold. I couldn't see anything at first and then a dim light seemed to fill the air just around me. Everything else remained encased in inky darkness. Then... I heard laughter in the air," I shuddered and tucked my legs in closer to my body. Kain shifted to allow the movement though he kept his grip on my chin. "When I spun around Auron was there. He grabbed my wrist... and he broke it in the dream."

I blinked as I realized that my left wrist ached. I glanced down at my left wrist and then my right. Kain let go of my chin to allow the movement as I examined my wrists. My right wrist was fine, but I saw that my left was bruised all the way around. The bruise was healing even as I examined it, but it had not actually been broken as it had been in my dream. It was barely even sore at this point. Even when I poked at it I felt no real pain, which was probably why I hadn't noticed the injury in the first place. That or the fear had distracted me completely from the pain. I looked up at Kain questioningly as I rubbed at my healing wrist.

"I did not cause that damage to your wrist my Little One," Kain said quietly.

I nodded slowly at his words and then continued to... essentially make a report.

"He said... that I could not escape him, that he could somehow find me, " I successfully bit down another whimper and simply shivered instead. "He... I remember he touched something on his chest that glinted, but I... did not get a good glimpse of what it was. He also said that he was already... already _here_. Somehow."

I managed to bite back a soft whine that wanted to escape my throat as I tried not to break down. I looked down at my nearly healed wrist and fought against the harsh memories that tugged at my mind. I had thought I was finally _free_ of Auron. Silent tears slid down my cheeks and my hands had started to tremble more violently than earlier. I closed them back into tight fists to try to contain the trembling. I looked away from Kain quickly, feeling suddenly weak and useless as anger once more seared through me. I was angry at myself for being so damned afraid. Angry at what had happened to me. Angry at the memories that just would not go away...

Kain let out a soft growl and grabbed my chin in his claws once more. His grip was... almost gentle as he made me turn my head back toward him. He ran his thumb over my cheek and wiped away a fresh tear. I felt my eyes widen as I heard the soft sizzling, burning sound. I looked up at him in surprised as I remembered what that sound meant. My tears were made up mostly of water, just like a human's tears, and thus... they ate at his skin like any acid would eat at a human's skin. He did not flinch at the pain that had to have resulted from his action.

His held my gaze for several heart-beats before he spoke in a soft, mesmerizing tone.

"You are _mine_ Little One," he rumbled. "I will _not_ let this Auron have what is _mine_. Do you understand me?"

I blinked and then nodded slowly. I realized that he was attempting to reassure me as much as he could given his battle-hardened nature as a dedicated warrior. I let out a small, partially bitten back keen of noise as I nodded my head a little faster. I reached up to wipe away my tears as he moved his hand away. I had long ago learned how to cry silently in order to avoid drawing attention to myself and I glanced down and to the side as the tears fell without my making further sound.

He let out another soft thrum of noise and I looked back up at him with a startled blink at the odd note buried in the sound. He face was still and his eyes were narrowed upon me, almost as if he were trying to work something out. He let out another noise that sounded almost like a sigh before I suddenly found myself yanked in close to his chest. I let out a yip of noise and then froze in absolute shock against him. He was... stiff. He remained completely still and it was as if I were being held within the arms of a marble statue and yet he was... he was...

He was holding me! _Comforting_ me!

It... this was bizarre, _more_ than bizarre. I would _never_ have expected this from him. I let out a choked laugh and then slowly tucked myself in against him. I was still crying silently and I continued to shiver uncontrollably from time to time. After a while the tears slowed and then stopped completely as I was able to finally push the memories back down. I sniffled softly and scrubbed at my face briefly as I slowly pulled away from him. Kain let go of me easily enough, though his hands did briefly brush against, and linger on, my hips. I looked up at his face and he looked back with a raised eyebrow.

"Better?" he asked, his face a mask of calm indifference.

"Yes," I said with a blush as I looked down. "Kain?"

"What?" he asked in a stiff tone.

"I...um. Thank you," I said softly.

Kain hmphed softly and then stood. He moved to the door and opened it. He paused in the doorway spoke over his shoulder without turning around.

"We will look into ways to prevent such an attack in the future," he said, his tone still stiff. "In the meantime, you still need to go to Vorador and learn how to write in our script. I will not have you shirking your assigned tasks because of this."

I let out a small sound that was close to a laugh and I nodded at his order. I appreciated that he did not intend to coddle me. I... wanted, _needed_ to keep my mind busy.

"I will need a few more minutes to clean up," I said as I pushed myself to where I was sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'll go right to the library when I am done."

Kain nodded in approval and left the room.

*-/*-*

I had gone to find Vorador as soon as I'd finished washing the tears from my face and the blood from my hands. Janos had been with him in a large library that was filled with nothing books, papers... parchments I should say, quills and ink pots. I apologized for having wounded him as soon as I entered the room and caught their attention. Vorador's reply was a simple snort of amusement, whilst Janos told me that he was glad that I was well and on my feet again. It helped that they let the event drop from there as if nothing had happened. I really hadn't wanted to rehash anything. Then...

Then the _fun_ started.

"Try it again Childe," Vorador said as he crumpled up yet another piece of parchment that I'd been writing on

He tossed the balled up parchment it into the nearby fireplace that cracked merrily, mockingly. I watched the bit of parchment burn with a deep sense of absolute annoyance.

"What the hell am I supposed to use as a 'c' for fucks sake?!" I growled out under my breath.

We'd been at the lesson for well over three hours and the entire process had long since gotten... frustrating. Both for myself and for Vorador. It had not helped that the first thing he had done after I had apologized was to hand me an older book to see if I recognized any of the writing within. It was in English which was equal parts amusing and relieving when I realized that one of the younger languages of Earth was an ancient language of Nosgoth. The annoying part was that it was a book of... _smut_. The bastard had given me a book of smut.

I'd snapped the book closed as I felt the blush burn my cheeks. I glared at the ceiling even as I tossed the book back to him. He'd found the entire thing amusing whilst Janos had been mildly confused by my reaction to the book. _Neither_ of us explained to the Ancient my sudden, and continued, upset with the green-skinned Eldar.

That upset transferred over to the lessons. It did not help that he was not exactly explaining things in a way that made sense. Janos had to step in more than a few times to help as all the different symbols were starting to give me a headache. There were only twenty four symbols, so there was a bit of confusion as to which symbols were used in place of others. Like 'j' and 'y', they used the same symbol. 'NG' had it's own symbol.

'Th' and 'Ei' had their own symbols as well. It was as if what you were 'sounding out' was also how it was spelled according to the way the symbols worked. 'Nothing' involved the symbols for 'n', 'o', 'th', 'i' and 'ng' from what I was understanding. I gave a frustrated growl and was about to snap yet another quill in two when the door of the library was opened abruptly. Kain entered the room at a swift pace. He looked over the three of us and easily noticed the not-so-subtle glares that I was shooting Vorador's way.

"Little One, we're going hunting. Follow me," he said in a clipped tone. "Now."

Just as quickly as Kain had entered the room, he was gone. This left me looking at the door, to my writing teachers and then back to the door once more. Janos was doing his best to stifle a laugh and Vorador looked annoyed as he glared at the doorway.

"You had best catch up with him," Vorador growled.

He began to mutter darkly under his breath about young and foolish vampires. I jumped to my feet, glad to be done with my lesson for the day and ran out to follow after Kain. He was just leaving the building when I managed to catch up to him. Since he looked mostly human, and I did look human, we were able to move through the streets of the slums fairly quickly and without incident. Kain suddenly stopped and grabbed my arm as he pulled us into a side alley.

"What?" I asked, more than a little bit startled.

"I'm taking you out of the city for this hunt," he said as he looked down to meet my gaze. "Wrap your Gift around us both."

"So we can sneak out without being seen? Sure," I flashed him a small smile that showed no fang and half closed my eyes as I focused on my Gift to wrap it around the both of us. "Just don't let go. I do not believe that I can maintain it for you if you are not touching me."

Kain let out a 'humph' of noise and then pulled me after him after we had faded from sight. I had to jog to keep up with his long-legged pace. Soon enough we were out of the city and in the canyons beyond. He continued to pull me along behind him until we were well out of sight of the main gates. He finally stopped and let go of my arm, becoming visible in the process. I dropped my Gift barely a second after I felt his hand leave my arm.

"So... what are we hunting?" I asked him in a tentative tone.

"Bandits that have been attacking travelers entering the city," he said with a smirk. That didn't sound like a bad target. "That should be simple enough prey for one of your inexperience."

"Hey!" I crossed my arms and glowered at him for a moment.

I let out a sigh at his raised brow and a knowing look. I let my arms fall back to my side. He was right to issue that knowing, judging look. I didn't really know how to hunt, not really. I could sneak about easily enough with my Gift but every confrontation so far had indeed been me relying on dumb luck in order to survive. A chance to actually hunt might... be interesting.

"What do I do then?" I asked.

"Hmph. Stay to the shadows," he said as he pointed into the darkened portion of the canyons. "Move silently and strike swiftly. It is best for one as young as you to take out your prey one at a time. So be sure strike when each member is alone."

I nodded quickly and then looked at him with a frown.

"Where are they anyway?" I asked with a tilt of my head as I tried to listen for the sounds of my intended prey. "And why do I have the feeling that you are just going to be watching me again?"

Kain growled out a laugh. "You must learn to find them yourself and you are correct that I will be watching. Primarily so that you are not slain. Beyond that? You will be on your own for this hunt my Little One. I have _already_ done you the favor of dealing with the spider infestation. I will not aid you further. Do you understand me?"

"Yes!" I responded quickly.

I coughed quickly to hide my nervousness, as well as the relief that I would not have to deal with any giant spiders. I also took a little bit of comfort in the fact that he'd be there to make sure I did not get myself killed. Kain chuckled softly, a dark sound of humor, before he suddenly leapt upwards. He climbed onto a ledge on the canyon wall and he disappeared from my sight.

Great, _this'll_ be fun.

* * *

Hooray! Hope you all enjoy!


	18. A successful hunt and a surprise visit

I do hope that you enjoy.

Edits as of 04/16.

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Chapter Eighteen: A Successful Hunt and a Surprise Visit.

I let out a sigh after Kain had left the area and reached out with my Aura Pulse ability to get a sense of where he was. It worked rather like a spherical radar system and a moment later I found him above me, just on the lip of the canyon. I avoided looking his way, he was easily strong enough to have sensed the testing Pulse. I growled low to myself, equally uncomfortable and relieved that he was there.

I wrapped my Gift around my form to conceal myself and then ducked into the shadows along the right wall of the canyon to conceal my shadow. Oddly, the knowledge that I was being watched forced me to slow down and consider my actions more than I might have otherwise. I shook my head and smiled to myself when I realized that I... wanted to _impress_ him by doing well in this hunt.

I moved forward carefully as I tried to listen and scented the air for the bandits Kain had spoken of. It was... surprisingly easy to find them in all actuality. Despite their efforts to be quiet, I could easily hear them as they argued in the distance. Their voices echoed off of the canyon walls despite how quiet they were attempting to be. I ducked down as I neared where the voices originated from and peaked around a large boulder.

Three bandits stood over the corpse of a poor traveler. The man's blood pooled in a fresh puddle on the ground. His throat had been recently slit open. I frowned and had to suppress the thought that had I moved faster, I might have been able to save him. The fact that I had not heard a scream meant that this group of bandits were either skilled or lucky to have taken the traveler down silently. I could not _assume_ that they had gotten lucky, so I would deal with them as carefully and swiftly as I could manage.

One of the men, taller than the others, knelt down and began to dig through the pockets of the body. He pulled free a small pouch a few moments later and emptied the bag into his hand with. Coins clattered and jingled as they landed in his open hand. He let out a cold laugh as he sorted through the coins.

"Look't this boys!" he said as he stood up and flipped one of the coins into the air before catching it again. "Ten _gold_ this one had!"

"Tha's a good haul," the bulkier of the three said appreciatively as he held out his hand.

I watched as the taller man dropped three coins into the bulkier man's hand and then two into the hands of the last male who was a gangly looking individual. The third man let out a growl, I assumed at the small amount of he got for his 'take', and he shoved the coins into his pocket before he stood and moved off toward where I was hidden. I shifted further into the shadows of the boulder I was crouched next too, even though I didn't really need to given my Gift.

"Gotta piss," he said to the others as he walked past me. "Don't go wanderin' off like last time ya assholes."

The other two laughed darkly at the gangly man's words.

"What, ya didn't like bein' left alone in the dark?" the taller man jeered.

"Need your ma' to hold yer hand?" the bulky man laughed as he pocketed the gold he had been handed.

Both of the other men burst into cruel laughter and the gangly man snarled in response. I shifted in place a moment as I eyed the other two. I shook my head and then trailed after the gangly male as he separated from the group. I made sure to keep to the shadows and tried to listen out for the other two males to make sure they didn't follow after the man or that if they did I would have warning enough to duck away.

"Bloody wankers," the man growled out as came to a halt and looked around warily to make sure he was alone.

He nodded to himself and then started to undo his the leather ties that held his trousers closed. I lunged forward as my instincts screamed to attack _now_. I grabbed him from behind and slashed his throat wide open with the claws of one hand even as I slammed my other hand over his mouth to keep him silent. He did nothing but gurgle softly as I eased him to the ground as my claws had cut deep enough to damage his larynx.

I wanted to feed then and there as the scent of fresh blood filled the air. I had to fight down the urge to sink my fangs into his throat as doing such a thing would leave me open to attack if the other two followed after him. Instead of feeding, I eased him into a sitting position as he rapidly passed out from blood loss. I leaned his head forward to hide the obvious wound. It was easy enough for me to see it given my enhanced sight but it would take a human a few moments to notice. Moments that I could use to my advantage.

My nose scrunched up as the stench of piss, shit and death suddenly filled immediate vicinity and I held my breath to avoid taking in any more of the foul scents of the fresh corpse. The average human could hold their breath for thirty seconds to a minute but due to my vampiric nature, if I was _prepared_ for it instead of being grabbed in my fucking _sleep_ , I could hold my breath for up to almost ten minutes without any issue if I needed too. There were benefits to having had my vampiric blood Awakened, though the method of finding out about this particular part of my nature had not been... _fun_. Being sealed into a glass room and having had that room rapidly fill with water had _not_ been an enjoyable experience. I was still surprised that I did not have any real issues with pools, lakes or water in general.

For _this_ though, I just needed to hold my breath for a few moments, long enough to get away from the death scent that permeated the air. I let out a soft huff through my nose to clear away the scent as much as I could before I stood and moved back toward the other two. I took a slow breath as I reached cleaner air and tucked myself back in against another boulder. I tilted my head and listened in on their conversation.

"The fuck is takin' 'im so long?" I heard the taller of the pair ask.

"Ah, fuck 'im," the bulkier one said. "He ain't back in a minute then we jus' leave without 'im."

"And _loose_ our _flusher_?" I raised a brow at the unfamiliar term even as the taller one smacked the bulkier man upside the head. "Think _ahead_ ya ass. We're goin' to need him for future targets."

"A'ight, _a'ight_ ," came the pained response. "Let's go get his dumb ass then."

Both men started to move toward and then swiftly past my position. They moved in the direction the first man went without pause. I drew my sword carefully from its' sheath at my back and waited for them to approach their fallen comrade. I shifted into a standing crouch, ready to move in an instant.

"Seriously? Fuckin' hell man if you had to take a shit you shoulda said so," the bulkier man said as he put a hand to his nose and came to a halt several feet from the corpse. "Fuckin' rank!"

"Hol' on. Somethin' ain't right," the taller man said as he drew his sword and slowly started to approach the body.

I lunged forward in order to stab my sword through the bulkier man's back and through to his heart. The man let out a gurgle as he fell to his knees. I leapt back swiftly so that my shadow was melded once more with the deeper shadows of the canyon walls. The last man spun around at the death gurgle of his ally. He crouched low as he moved back a few steps so that the canyon wall was at his back. Smart of him. I was glad I decided to take down the other two first. I shifted slowly as I tried to ease closer to him and then froze as the man looked at the ground in my direction.

 _Footprints_.

He was looking for fresh footprints.

I bared my fangs, annoyed at myself at the realization and went still. I glanced down and noticed that, thankfully, my footprints were not immediately obvious what with all the foot traffic that this part of the canyon saw of a daily basis. Hasty movement however would draw attention to my position. The man's eyes shifted as he looked around the area carefully. His eyes never left my general location for long. I reached down to carefully pick up a stone while his eyes were briefly averted and then froze again. When he looked away from my location once more I tossed the stone toward the other side of the canyon in a way that caused it to skitter against the ground as if I had kicked the stone on accident.

He turned his attention in that direction and I lunged forward to grab the wrist of the hand that held his sword. I used that grip to slam him against the wall in order to stun him. I had to focus to keep my Gift from coiling around his form. I still needed to see the bastard in case he pulled another weapon. He hit the wall with a loud grunt and I had to pull back quickly as a dagger flashed out, aimed for my stomach. I lashed out swiftly with a solid kick to his groin and he went down with a high pitched whine of agony as my knee crushed his groin. In order to keep him from pulling another weapon on me, I snapped his wrists which elicited another pained cry from the man. I then stabbed my claws into the back of his neck to paralyze him by severing the spinal cord. I started to move to feed from him and then stopped. I looked around and tried to get a sense of where Kain was with a softer push of my Aura.

It still felt like he was above me somewhere on the lip of the canyon. From what I could sense of his location, he was near a perfect spot to pounce on me from above if I started to feed on the man from the current angle I was at. Cat and mouse tactic, but one I was used to. Auron had occasionally left a weapon nearby that could help me, or someone I could feed from when I was starved, when I was occasionally left unchained in a room. He would then would attack me when I lunged for said weapon or food source. That particular lesson was learned a _long_ time ago. I moved behind the man and grabbed a handful of his hair. I swiftly put my back to the canyon wall and used the man as a meat shield as I sank fangs into his throat to feed.

The man let out a choked gurgle as my fangs sank into the soft flesh of his throat. Paralyzed as he was, my bite would not affect his body with any pleasurable effects. He was barely conscious as it was due to the injuries I had caused him. I let out a pleased huff through my nose as I drank deep. His blood was... _strong_. For a bandit, the human was surprisingly healthy and I could taste that in that warm, coppery fluid. I was not sure when I'd closed my eyes, but they flew back open in an instant when I heard the soft impact of Kain's boots as he landed on the canyon floor.

"Well done my Little One," he purred out as he approached slowly. "Now drop your Gift."

My fangs sank deeper into the mans throat and he made an abortive struggle against my bite with his head. I felt Kain's Aura flare slightly in warning and his eyes narrowed when I did not immediately respond to his order by dropping my Gift. I slowly released the power of my Gift in response to that narrowed gaze. Every part of me was tense and wary as I became visible once more. I had to fight long ingrained instinct that was strong even now with the knowledge that he probably wouldn't attack me right now without a _real_ good reason.

His eyes locked onto my half-hidden form and a dark, hungry, look flickered through his gaze as those blue-gold eyes flashed white briefly. He took a few slow steps toward me and I tucked myself further behind the bandit's larger form on instinct. I couldn't help the small warning growl that escaped me at Kain's approach.

Kain's eyes narrowed on me and his lips curled as he bared his fangs at me in brief warning. I winced as I realized that my growl might well be taken as an outright challenge. I stopped feeding from the bandit, though I kept my fangs in his throat, still tense and wary even with the blood that started to trail down in a line along my chin. I lowered my gaze from Kain's eyes to his mouth. I did not take my eyes off of him _completely_ but I tried to convey a sense of apology for my growl as I remained still.

After a few tense moments of silence Kain let out a contemplative sound and then moved over to grab the neck of the man I'd stabbed in the heart. He lifted the body up and sank his fangs into the man's neck. He fed deep though he kept his gaze locked on mine for several moments before he closed his eyes. I swallowed the blood that had pooled in my mouth during the interim and watched him feed for a few more moments before I turned my focus back to my own meal.

I finished feeding before Kain, having already drained the bandit quite a bit before he had startled me. I slowly pulled my fangs free from the dead bandits throat and eased the drained body to the ground. I quietly shifted a few steps away from the corpse and then crouched off to the side as I watched Kain polish off his own meal. He let the corpse fall to the ground with a loud thud. He licked his lips clean and then turned his full attention back on me.

My breath hitched in my throat at the odd look in his eyes. I straightened slowly as he approached me. He reached up and threaded his fingers through the hair at the back of my neck. He ignored the nervous twitch I made at his movement and his grip tightened to a near-painful hold when I tried to pull back. He leaned forward to lick away the blood that had trailed along my chin even as I let out a small hiss at his tight grip. He chuckled low and dark as he pulled back.

"Willful and _stubborn_ ," he growled as he pushed me backwards with a hand on my shoulder until I was pressed up against the wall of the canyon, "but you did well overall my Little One."

"Blood hell, but your moods are mercurial," I muttered softly.

I squirmed and tried to wiggle free of his firm grasp. He let out a dark laugh at my words and pushed his body against my own to hold me in place. I fell still and licked my lips as I blinked up at him.

"Indeed. You are not the first to mention such a thing," he said with a smirk.

He ran a claw over the skin underneath my right ear and I twitched with the sudden pulse of pleasure as his claw brushed against his Mark. I let out a shuddering sound at the touch and shivered as he repeated the movement. His next question was out of the blue and made me blink at him in surprised confusion.

"What _did_ Vorador do to vex you so? You were oddly upset with him when I came to fetch you," he asked.

I could feel the heat of the blush as it spread over my cheeks as I registered the question. I tried to swat his hand away from my neck and he caught my hand in his easily. I squirmed and tried to pull free of him again. He let out a low warning growl and pushed against me in a way that made me gasp and go still once more. He raised a brow as he looked down at me, his expression made it clear that he expected an answer to his question. I shrugged and knew that my blush had deepened.

"I... well," I let out a grumbling sigh as I glanced upwards. "We... um... we figured out which written language here in Nosgoth compares to the one I'm used to..."

"Hmm? And?" he asked in an amused tone.

Kain leaned forward suddenly to nip along the edge of my ear. I shivered at the scrape of his fang over flesh and started to pant softly for breath as he nuzzled and nipped at my neck. He turned his attention back to my ear and his tongue swept along the shell of it. I let out a soft moan at the wet caress.

"That would not seem an upsetting event to me," he purred into my ear.

"..." I muttered something unintelligible and earned a sharp, warning nip. I winced at the small flash of pain and let out a soft keen of noise.

" _What_ was that?" he asked in dark amusement.

"Smut..." I said a little louder as I looked to the side. "He handed me a book and asked if I was able to read it... it was a book of _smut_."

Kain blinked at my words and then burst into dark laughter a moment later. He pulled away and let go of my hair though his hand lingered briefly on my neck in a sensual touch. As he moved a few feet away, I eased from the wall. I eyed him warily with a raised brow.

"That _does_ sound like something that hedonistic bastard would do," Kain tilted his head and smirked at me suddenly, a dark look in his eyes. "Run."

"Wait? What?!" I asked. My eyes widened in confusion at the strange order.

His Aura flared dangerously and his eyes flashed solid white with power so that it seemed as if he had no iris nor pupil.

"I said ' _run_ ' Little one," he purred in a wicked tone.

I did the sensible thing and _bolted_ as I wrapped my Gift around me in an attempt to conceal myself.

-*/*-*-*/*-

Kain had tracked my movements back through the canyons easily enough and caught me just as I'd reached the point where the canyons opened up enough for me to fly. I'd extended my wings and skidded to crouch in preparation to leap into the air and take flight but my skidding tracks easily gave my location away. He'd caught me mid-leap into the air and I let out a surprised yelp.

My head had cracked against the ground at the impact and my Gift faltered enough for him to latch cleanly onto my throat with his fangs as I flickered back into view. I'd struggled briefly both against him and the pleasure of that bite as he pulled us off of the main path and into a shadowed path that led nowhere. He'd had to use his Aura and the Mark to still my embarrassed struggles as he'd first tugged off my breaches and than his own. Afterwards, satiated multiple times over, I'd made a brief objection about him erm, showing his attentions with us being out in the open the way we'd been. He'd just laughed at my resultant half-hearted and drained glare.

Things continued along the same vein for several weeks; sparring lessons followed by writing lessons and then rounded off with hunting lessons. Kain seemed to be good at knowing just when to swing by to pick me up for the hunting lessons as he normally showed up when my frustrations with Vorador's anitics had reached a peak on any given night. That or Janos had been tasked with alerting Kain just when that point was reached. I started to find myself feeling more 'at home' within Sanctuary because of it all.

Kain and Vorador had made little progress in finding out more information on the Sarafan Lordling. Neither male seemed intent to send me on another scouting mission to the Keep any time soon to try to obtain more information, not if he had a way to sense where I was. I did get sent out on other missions in order to thin the Sarafan ranks or hinder the supply lines meant for those loyal to the Sarafan.

I'd learned over time that the main events of Blood Omen 2, with the Hylden Sarafan Lord as the main enemy, had actually happened over the course of an entire year once Kain had awoken from his forced slumber. That knowledge explained the near lackadaisical attitudes of the vampires as they moved carefully and with purpose to counter the young lordling's minions by taking over surrounding areas and cities. It was a war of attrition and the vampires were slowly gaining ground.

I had gone to Janos at one point over the following weeks and had shown him my wings. The Ancient Vampire had been both shocked and wistful at the reveal. He readily agreed to teach me the finer points of flying and also how to properly take care of my feathers after he'd looked over my wing structure. That had involved a lot of nervous twitching on my part considering the fact that I did _not_ like having my wings touched. My twitching had grown worse when Kain had wandered in to listen in on Janos' lecture.

Kain had taken that lesson as a chance to have free reign at forcing me to get used to his touch upon my wings. Janos had smiled at my unease and had continued to go over proper grooming habits for my wings if I intended on leaving them out. It was during that very lecture that I found out I had just the _smallest_ patches of white and silver feathers left at the very base of each wing, small reminders of what color my wings should have been. The spots were extremely sensitive to... 'preening'... as well, much to Kain's amusement and my own embarrassment. I had actually ended up _purring_ when he'd started to gently run his claws through those small patches of white feathers.

I had also decided to let my hair grow out since I finally had the chance to. I'd only had my hair shoulder length before my capture as it was easier to take care of when I'd had so little time to myself due to both my job and the college classes I had signed up for. My hair had always grown at a rapid pace but Auron had 'liked' the shoulder length look on me and had put me through regular 'grooming sessions' through the long years like some kind of living doll. I'd managed to get the scissors from him once to hurt him during one of those sessions.

Just _once_.

I went to the other female vampires in the Cabal, almost all of them Vorador's Brides, and spoke to them regarding ideas for deterrents in order to prevent people from grabbing my hair once it had gotten longer. They had given me several strips of leather with dozens of narrow and sharp spikes embedded in them. They had then taught me how to braid the strips into my hair. Anyone who grabbed at the braid would end up with bloody hands as a result.

Kain had actually been mildly impressed with my forethought when he'd grabbed my braid during our sparring session one night. Mind you, it didn't stop him from _tossing_ me across the sparring ring, but his hand had been _suitably_ bloodied by the sharp spikes as a result.

Vorador continued to teach me Nosgothian script, with Janos to act as a constant referee. I would often be given a stack of books and told to translate pages at random when Kain entered the room to argue a particular point in strategy with the green-skinned Eldar. One night during one such spat, I'd grabbed a book and started to translate it only to have my brain stutter to a stop as I translated the words 'polished cuirass', a sentence involving the words 'turgid length' and something about 'heaving mountains of rose-pink flesh'.

 _For fuck's sake!_ I thought to myself as I closed the book and let my forehead bang hard against the wooden table with a loud 'thud'.

"Childe? Are you alright?" Janos had asked in a surprised tone.

I'd jerked up and, instead of answering the winged Eldar, I'd turned and without thinking of the potential consequences chucked the offensive book in question at Vorador's head with as much force as I could manage. He'd caught the book before it could impact against his skull, without even looking away from Kain. Kain raised a brow at me at the sudden interruption of their argument.

"Something the _matter_ Childe?" Vorador asked. "Your words project such _distress_ through the Whisper."

His voice had been full of lingering annoyance with Kain as well as what I was certain to be pure amusement at my reaction. I had gone beet-red as I realized that I had _indeed_ been projecting random thoughts over the Whisper ability when distressed. I had simply face-palmed and growled softly in embarrassed annoyance.

"Is death by _mortification_ a thing?" I had groaned out to the amusement of the three males around me.

That led to even more lessons, these involving how to avoid projecting my thoughts without meaning to and then how to Whisper to a specific person. It was an ability I had never been able to cultivate until then.

I was grateful that Kain would take the time to either train me in fighting or take me hunting. The hunts would normally end with the order to 'run' as I in turn was hunted by a superior predator. I got better over time at avoiding him when he hunted me like that and had almost managed to get back to the Blue Lady a time or two before being caught. All in all he seemed to approve of my growing skills as time passed.

The dreams in which Auron would attack me and somehow injure me in the process, did not repeat immediately. I had been in Nosgoth for three full months before the dream had repeated and by then the others had not yet figured out a way to block said attacks. Because I had no defense, I had woken from the dream with further claw marks marring my flesh. I had been alone at the time and had decided to try and find a different room to rest. I did not wish to accidentally claw Kain up as I had Vorador, nor did I wish to disturb him with it. I had been certain that I could deal with the situation by myself.

Kain had taken umbrage to my presumption and, after having found me easily by my scent, he'd drained me to the point that I was weak as a human, flung me over his shoulder and _swatted me on the ass._ He had then proceeded to carry me back to his room in order 'correct my erroneous assumption'.

Needless to say, Kain was a horny bastard...

Other than that, my budding friendship with Nikolai bloomed. He also started to take a more active role in helping the Cabal fight the Sarafan. Over time I learned more about his past, his family and even the woman he would have married; Cora. I reminded him of her, both in the fact that we had similar looks and similar attitudes. She had been his best friend growing up. The marriage planned between them had been intended both as a political match between their families and as a shield of protection for them both. Neither of them had preferred the company of the opposite sex and would have been able to protect each other from unwanted advances with the act of marriage.

Unwanted advances such as the female vampire that had taken a stubborn liking to him.

I had suggested that he simply _tell her_ about his sexual preferences, but as a noble it had been firmly ingrained into his head that some things 'were not spoken of' outside of close friends and immediate, trusted family. I respected his choice to remain silent on the matter but that silence led to several confrontations between myself and the vampiress, Alma, as I continued to protect him. The only _good_ point to the entire mess had been that said confrontations had never gotten violent.

Nikolai was clever in his tactics as a human member of the Cabal. By the time I'd been in Nosgoth for seven months, we had worked together and had managed to organize a kind of underground railroad for the families, noble or otherwise, that found themselves targeted by the Sarafan just as his own had been. We made it our goal to get those families to the neighboring cities that were not under Sarafan rule.

Kain had decided to trail after us during a rescue and had frowned as he watched over our efforts. Nikolai had been helping a wounded mother down the ladder as two youngsters, non-identical twins around ten years old by the look of them, fretted at the bottom of the ladder.

"Why do you help these cattle?" Kain had asked me quietly.

"I..." I'd paused at the question and then shrugged one shoulder. "One; they would have died needlessly. Two; alive they can get word out that the Sarafan are not truly a group devoted to a 'holy' cause but instead are just power grabbing bastards. Three; the more people we help, the more people that might well follow us willingly instead of having to be beaten into submission."

Kain snorted at my responses, "Four; you are simply that soft-hearted."

I shot a brief glare at him but was distracted from saying anything else as the twins came to a halt at my side while Nikolai helped their mother hobble past us.

"Are... are you _really_ vampires?" the boy asked me with wide eyes.

I raised a brow at him and his sister jabbed her elbow into his side which caused him to wince. I indicated Kain and myself with a small gesture of my hand.

"We are, yes," I indicated Nikolai with another gesture of my hand. "He is a human like yourselves."

"Thank you for helping us m'lady," the young girl said, _after_ she had stepped on her brother's toe to stop him from blurting out another question.

I had felt a spark of mischief fill me and then indicated Kain with a nod of my head.

"Thank Lord Kain, not me," I said with a small smirk. "I follow him."

Kain glowered at me at that and had barely acknowledge the children as they pipped out their thanks to the silver-haired vampire. Nikolai hid a smile and continued on ahead as he led the small family through Sanctuary and out one of the secondary underground exits which would lead them to either Provance or Freeport, cities which were free of outright Sarafan control. Kain narrowed his eyes on me once the group was out of sight.

"You do this in my name?" he growled out, sounding more curious than upset.

"Why not?" I raised a brow at him and waved my hand in the direction the others had gone. "Those children lost their father to the Sarafan. They damn near lost their mother as well. They may well grow in either political strength or physical strength and become willing allies later on, eager to fight under the banner of 'Lord Kain'. Willing followers are easier to deal with than those that might rebel at any given moment."

Kain snorted and shook his head. "Humans will never 'love' their betters. They are cattle and must know a healthy dose of fear to keep them in line. I need only their obedience."

"How Machiavellian of you," I said as I shook my head, faintly amused by his reaction to my words.

"Hmm?" he made a querying noise as he looked at me.

"A term in my world originating with a man named Machiavelli," I shrugged. "To be Machiavellian is to... ah, let me see if I remember it right. To... to have a 'duplicitous interpersonal style, a cynical disregard for morality and a focus on self-interest and personal gain.'"

He raised a brow at the description and waived a hand for me to continue. I chuckled at the fact that he did not deny the description.

"He's also famous for a particular quote, 'It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both,'" I shrugged as I turned and started toward the main part of Sanctuary. Kain moved to walk at my side. "Most take that to mean that as a leader you should be one or the other, feared or loved, but I always thought that it was more that you _can_ be both. People _can_ love you, but _still_ fear the thought of crossing you. Merciful to those who prove loyal, swift punishment to those who betray you."

Kain made a noncommittal noise and we continued to walk in silence for several minutes. As we re-entered the main rooms of Sanctuary he looked down at me with another frown. This frown was equal parts contemplative and annoyed.

"Janos has taken it upon himself to look after you as a Sire might," he growled out in an annoyed tone. "He had brought it to my attention that you are doing nothing but running missions or attending to your various lessons."

"And?" I looked up at him with my own frown. "I prefer to keep myself busy. You know that."

"Indeed," he let out a 'hmph' sound. "We each deal with our past in our own ways. Vorador has put it best by saying that his Sire is being a 'mother hen' about you."

I groaned and rolled my eyes at the thought even as I felt warmed by Janos' concern for me. Kain let out a chuckle and reached to scratch his claws lightly down my bare back. As his hands reached my hips he gave the back of my pants a tug. I swatted at his hand when I heard the slightest rip of cloth. He smirked at me even as I shot a glare his way. I lowered my gaze a moment later when his eyes flashed white and I let out a sigh and shook my head even as a smile curled my lips upwards at his unrepentant actions.

My current outfit consisted of a long sleeved, open backed shirt and a pair of pants done in the style of cargo-pants from my world, made by special request, along with a pair of steel-toed, knee-high boots. It was what I felt most comfortable with and I had quite firmly told Kain that I would _very much appreciate_ _it_ if he would avoid tearing this particular outfit into ribbons.

He'd made no promises.

"So why the sudden concern anyway? Now that I am getting better with Nosgothian script, I've been able to actually enjoy a few of the books. At least as long as I don't come across those damned books that Vorador keeps slipping into the pile," I rubbed the bridge of my nose as Kain chuckled at my discomfort. " _Not_ funny. Anyway, it's not like I'm doing things that I find no enjoyment in."

I turned my head to the side when I sensed Vorador's and Janos' Aura's approaching our location. Vorador had smirked at me even as Janos' gaze narrowed on me. His eyes were filled with concerned worry.

"You find fault with my taste in literary arts?" Vorador drawled out before his Sire could say anything.

I let out a huff of annoyance and opted to simply ignore the mocking question. Vorador was by far stronger than I was and I knew that throwing what amounted to a hissy fit would lead to _nothing_ good for me. He'd hand me my ass on a silver platter before I could so much as _blink_. Instead, I focused on Janos.

"I am _fine_ ," I said firmly to the winged Eldar.

"You take no time for yourself," he insisted with a kindly frown.

"I hang out with Nikolai. I practice fighting skills to let off steam and I do enjoy learning how to hunt," I started as I ticked off points on my fingers. "I like to read and I always have. You've been teaching me to fly properly and that is also something that I find enjoyable."

"Kain often keeps you busy on the nights that he has no pressing tasks to complete," Vorador butted in suddenly with a point of his own and a knowing smirk. "Loudly."

"Fucking _hell_ Vorador! Do you have to be such a _hentai_!?" I yelped out as I blushed.

All three vampires looked at me with raised brows and I face-palmed.

"'Pervert,'" I clarified for them with a groan. "Hentai means ' _pervert_ '."

Janos let out a soft sigh and shot Vorador a disapproving look.

"Enough, Childe," he said firmly. "Leave be."

"As you will Sire," Vorador said with a nod of his head and a shrug, though the smirk did not leave his lips. "Mind you that you are the one who decided to take her under your wing, literally. Is it not the purview of the 'Eldar brother' to annoy the 'younger sibling'?"

"Seriously?" I asked with a blink. " _That's_ why you are being such an annoying bastard? You see me as a 'little sister' and keep doing shit to _annoy_ me because of it?"

"Would you prefer I look at you like a, hmm, 'second cousin'?" Vorador asked with a leer as he blatantly looked me over.

"Oh, dear lord, _no_ ," I said as I paled and shook my head. I waved my hands even as Kain issued a low, warning growl at Vorador. Janos face-palmed as I started past the lot of them. "Done, just _done_."

Vorador's laughter followed me down the hall and I flipped him off as I stalked away. Janos' voice, scolding yet mild in tone, started to echo in the halls.

I did not want to contemplate the thought of Vorador adopting the roll of 'annoying older brother' or any other 'relative' roll in my life. It did not help that I knew that Kain and Vorador might eventually have a major falling out, even counting the fact that Kain hadn't actually killed Umah in this timeline. She had died before Kain could reach her after she'd stolen the Nexus Stone from him. What had been 'near fatal' in the game had been truly fatal in this timeline. That had been a bizarre realization. Yet that knowledge didn't change the fact that the two vampires were very much 'alpha dogs' and a violent confrontation between them was very much a likely eventuality. Then again, Janos wasn't trapped in the Hylden realm anymore and... and...

I pulled my hair out of its' braid as I walked and tucked the spiked strips of leather into my pocket. I stopped walking as I neared Kain's room as I started to seriously think about all the changes my presence in this realm had caused to the timeline. It did not help that I could only remember a few key points in the history, nothing terribly specific as it had been too damned long. I let out a sigh and rubbed at the bridge of my nose. I twitched when claws suddenly scratched over the back of my neck. I let out a shivering gasp as fangs then scratched over the skin just under my right ear.

"Why so serious?" Kain asked as his lips brush the skin of my throat.

"Just... wondering how much things have changed just because I'm here," I said honestly as I tilted my head to exposed more of my throat to him.

"Hmph," Kain nipped at my ear and then turned me around to face him. "What experiences I have had with time travel thus far has shown me that time is both malleable and immutable. Even if you somehow exist outside of time, the ripples caused by your presence will have already been felt. It does no good to concern yourself with the changes that have already been made."

He lightly grabbed my chin and tilted my head up so he could press a firm kiss to my lips. I relaxed into the kiss with a small, purring growl. I flicked my tongue against his lips and he nipped my tongue and drew blood. He drew back and licked his fangs clean of the ruby droplets. Instead of his eyes being filled with desire, his blue-gold gaze was serious.

"I will be gone for a fortnight," he said as his thumb rubbed over my lips. "We have found signs of a potential artifact that might be used to protect you from those 'dreams'. You are not to undertake any missions whilst I am gone."

I frowned up at him, "I am glad you may have found something to help but I do not need to be coddled. I can take care of myself now, you've stated as such yourself."

"No missions, Katrina," Kain ordered firmly as he dropped his hand. "Keep busy how you please otherwise."

I let out a huff at that and looked at the ground. I closed my eyes and then let out a soft sigh. I shifted my head enough to make the slightest submissive gesture as I tucked my hair behind my ear and made my throat visible to him. Kain let out a pleased growl as his claws brushed the now exposed flesh of my neck.

"I will see you later my Little One," he said and without further preamble he stalked off, Reaver attached to his back.

I spent the next week reading, sparring or flying to pass the time. After one particularity horrible incident in which I stumbled across Vorador and one of his Brides, (in the kitchen! _The Kitchen_ of all places!), I had let Janos know I was going flying and fled from Sanctuary, all the while feeling particularly _mortified_ by the experience.

I made a beeline for the Pillars and managed a proper back-wing like Janos had taught me in order to land on the center of the platform. I felt proud of myself for the solid landing and took a slow, calming breath of the clean air. I moved forward, intent on examining each Pillar individually, and my foot kicked a piece of glass and sent it skittering across the stone platform a few feet. I glanced down and moved to pick it up. The markings on the glass looked familiar-ish and as I glanced around and saw more shards I realized the pieces made up the basin that the Sarafan Lordling had been using. I face-palmed and began to gather up the shards.

"Why didn't I think of this sooner?" I grumbled to myself.

I frowned after I picked up the visible shards and I realized that there was a large chunk of the basin missing from the pieces I had collected. As I looked around I noticed that a larger chunk of Pillar next to the Pillar of Balance had a gap between it and the main platform and moved to check if the missing piece had been kicked into said gap. It took a bit of heaving, but I was able to flip the stone chunk and, lo and behold, there was the missing portion of the glass basin.

I picked it up with a satisfied sound and started to move back to gather up the other pieces again when I realized that the chunk of Pillar that I had moved was now perfectly aligned at the base of the Balance Pillar. It looked decidedly, if very roughly, like a _throne_. I barked out a laugh at the realization that I'd just set up Kain's throne for him without even meaning to and moved to bend and pick up the other bits of glass in order to put them into a magically expanded pouch, a gift from Janos, at my waist.

That was when I felt Kain's Aura pulse around me with a heavy thrum of pure power. I wavered in place for a moment, suddenly dizzy. I tried to reach out with my Aura sense in order to pinpoint where he was. I found that I could neither place his location nor see him anywhere nearby. Yet the whole of the area suddenly felt as if it were _inundated_ with his Power.

I set the larger chunk of glass down, not wanting to damage it more than it already was by dropping it and then slowly straightened again. I looked around the area slowly in confusion. My wings twitched and I had to fight the sudden urge to just bloody well _bolt_ as my fight/flight instincts started to scream that 'flight' was starting to look like a _really_ good idea.

"Kain?" I called out warily as I took a half step backwards. Something wasn't quite right. "You said you were going to be gone a fortnight...?"

"That I did, Little One," Kain's voice sounded from behind me and a hand, a TRI-TALONED hand, gently but firmly wrapped around the back of my neck. "And so I will be."

 _Fuckity-fuck-fuck-fuck!_

-*/*-*-*/*-

Please read and review!


	19. To Learn much and to Forget some

Next chappie!

The time line will be mussed with a bit as there are plot reasons. :-P

There is a Lemon in this chapter. It is not crucial and I am marking it with asterisks '**' and a big warning and then again when it is over. If you wish to skip please do so.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: To Learn Much and to Forget Some.

I let out a sound of surprise at the sudden, firm grip around the back of my neck and my wings snapped close to my body hard and fast enough that the main joint of each wing cracked audibly against my shoulders. My pulse started to thud wildly in my throat as Kain's Aura, _Eldar Kain's_ _Aura_ no less, pulsed over me in a wave that caused me to let out a grunt due to the immense pressure. The dizzying sensation from early repeated and I had to quickly shift my legs to a wider stance in order to remain on my feet. I found myself gasping for breath as if I'd been shoved abruptly into freezing cold water without any warning. His taloned thumb pressed firmly against the Mark under my ear and he forced me to tilt my head, which bared the right side of my throat to him. I let out a startled hiss at the pleasure filled jolt that tore through me at the touch. I blinked rapidly as I struggled to stay on my feet. The combined assault of Power and Pleasure threatened to overwhelm me and send me to my knees.

"So stubborn and willful even in this my Dear Katrina," Eldar Kain purred into my ear as he let out a soft chuckle.

He moved enough so that I could easily see him on my left. His right hand stayed firmly around the back of my neck as I took in his changed form.

Eldar Kain's features had hardened over the years that I knew he had seen. He looked more rugged and indurated compared to his younger self. His skin was tinged with hints of green and gold. It was a change that was similar to Vorador's own changed skin, but Eldar Kain's change was muted and _far_ more subtle than the other Eldar's dark, emerald colored skin. The double horned 'crown' accentuated the rugged and noble lines of his face. What stood out as the most familiar feature for me was his eyes and yet... even _those_ were different. They were still the same pale blue flecked with gold throughout the iris, but now the pupils seemed to be almost feline like.

He wore metal vambraces on each wrist that had been stained black and were strapped into place over a blood-red cloth that ran midway up his biceps. His chest was bare save for the red shoulder cape that bore his Mark and a sheath strap... _sans sword_? Odd. My eyes drifted downward and I saw that leather pants and metal greaves the same color as the vambraces completed the look.

I realized after a moment that Eldar Kain was looking me over _just_ as intently as I had been examining him. He reached out with his left hand and ran the backs of his talons almost lovingly along the edge of my left wing. I twitched, _flinched_ at the gentle touch. I did not _quite_ make an attempt to pull away from his grip, but I still found myself nervous of those deadly and sharp talons. He sent another testing pulse of his Aura over me and I staggered briefly before I could catch myself. I clenched my eyes shut even as I sucked in a harsh breath. I struggled to remain standing under the onslaught that threatened to overwhelm my senses and knock me out cold.

"What game are you playing at _now_ , Kain?" another male voice said as the clicking sound of taloned feet against stone approached us at a sedate pace. "You said that you needed to speak with someone. If this is the one you needed to talk to, the one from your oldest and least spoken of stories, then _all_ you are doing is rendering her _insensate_."

I blinked my eyes open as the dim familiarity of that voice rang through my ears. My breath hitched in my throat and I blinked with surprise at the male vampire that now stood not even ten feet away from myself and Eldar Kain. The male had pale skin tinged the lightest shade of blue. He had black hair with bangs cut to fall just under the line of his ears and those bangs were tucked carelessly behind said ears. I knew that if I looked, the rest of his hair would be pulled back in a loose ponytail. His eyes were so pale a blue as to be almost white with just the faintest amount of gold flecks spread throughout the iris. He wore pants and greaves similar to Eldar Kain's but the armor ran from wrist to shoulder on each arm. The look was completed by pauldron on his right shoulder that had a red cape hanging from it.

What truly shocked me was that he looked so _normal_... even with the wings that were spread and twitched every so often behind him.

 _The fuck?_ I thought with surprise.

I let out a faint yip of pained noise as Eldar Kain leaned forward and nipped my right ear. Hard enough that were it not for my healing factor, I'd have ended up with an inopportune reason to obtain earrings later that eve...

"You are projecting your thoughts again my Little One," he purred out as he licked away the blood that he had drawn with that nip. I noted dimly that his tongue had a rougher texture to it as it flicked over the shell of my ear. " _Focus_ now."

"She does not have control of the Whisper ability?" Raziel asked in a tone of confused incredulity.

"She had no need to use that skill whilst on her world," Eldar Kain rumbled out in light tone.

As he spoke, his grip tightened and relaxed with a near massaging pressure that made me shiver. I had to fight back a whimper of pleasure as each squeeze caused his thumb talon to pass over his Mark and sent a jolt through me as a result.

"We'd learned of her lack of skill with the Whisper early on," Eldar Kain continued. "I will _admit_ that I used said lack of skill to test her, which resulted in a rather _amusing_ outcome."

"Oh?" Raziel asked with a hint of curious amusement in his tone as he tilted his head.

"Indeed," dark humor filled Eldar Kain's voice. "She had been concerned with missing memories and had not verbally brought that concern to me immediately as she should have. I had confronted her about the situation, _without_ sharing the fact that she had been projecting her thoughts. What was it again that you Whispered in your confused and startled state when I confronted you and ordered you to speak my Little One?"

I realized then _exactly_ what he was talking about. I paled and then blushed in turn so fast that I was hit with another wave of dizziness. I had to close my eyes and shake my head as I fought not to pass out. He leaned in close to lick the shell of my ear again with that rough tongue. His growled out his next words softly in a dark and amused rumble of noise that made me shiver and my wings twitched as I let out a soft gasp.

"' _Woof woof?_ ' was it?" he rumbled.

Raziel let out a disbelieving noise of amusement at his Sire's words.

"And she _lived_?!" Raziel barked out, his voice laced with clear amusement.

A faint growl rumbled in my chest before I could contain it. I found myself upset with their amusement at my mishap and I tried to pull free of Eldar Kain's inexorable grasp. I found myself unable to pull away from that firm hold and I fell still again as his taloned thumb ran over his Mark once more. I panted for breath and managed to barely force out a single word in order to try to project both my confusion at the entire situation, as well as to try to get them to change the embarrassing direction the conversation had been going. Even then, Eldar Kain's powerful Aura threatened to send me to my knees despite my widened stance and my struggles against that tidal wave of power.

" _When_...?" I managed to gasp out.

"Very good my own," Eldar Kain chuckled, somehow he knew exactly what I had meant by that questioning word. He smirked down at me briefly before his expression turned serious. "You will never recall much in the way of Nosgoth's original timeline, yet you always spoke of faith in the edge of a coin and a convoluted path to purify the corruption within me. All done in order to lead me to being able to see my 'true enemy'. An enemy that I now know... though I must say my Little One, your descriptions did not _truly_ convey how _loathsome_ and _repugnant_ an enemy 'it' is."

I blinked a few times as his words registered to my addled mind and I nodded my head as much as I could despite his grip on the back of my neck. That meant that Eldar Kain had completed all of the events of Defiance. I knew _nothing_ of events past that save the fact that he now had the potential to save Nosgoth from the danger that was the parasitical creature that had long claimed to be a 'God'. I looked back at Raziel where he stood not ten paces away, somehow whole and undamaged, and managed another strained word as I looked between the two males.

"How...? _Nngh_..." I asked in a strained tone.

Raziel raised a brow as he looked first to Eldar Kain and then back to me. He had noticed the strained but intent look on my face as I spoke. He crossed his arms as his wings twitched with his surprise, though his face remained stoic. It was actually interesting how _much_ you could read in a person's mood when they had wings. I could read Janos in much the same way and could be read in turn.

"You can actually _think clearly_ with his Aura bearing down on you like that?" Raziel asked me in an incredulous voice as he turned his attention back to me. "Most your age would be _unconscious_ by now."

It was hard to talk, let alone _think_ , so I was left with only one recourse to respond to that statement. An action that was compounded by my earlier embarrassment; I flipped him off. Eldar Kain burst into dark laughter at the gesture and Raziel looked briefly annoyed as his wings flared out in a warning display. I felt my own wings twitch briefly away from my shoulders before they snapped close again as I nearly lost my balance. I let out a choked, _upset_ sounding growl as I simply glared at Raziel instead. Eldar Kain's laughter tapered out into a darksome chuckle and he answered my question as he resumed that massaging pressure on my neck. I started to relax as my anger melted away under the strength of his Aura, his touch. My eyes fluttered briefly as I began to pant for breath.

"Raziel _willingly_ submitted to the Reaver's pull once he had purified himself and thus... he retained his sense of self instead of going mad once he was bound to the sword," Eldar Kain explained with a pleased rumble. "We have found a pleasing benefit to his actions; when he is well fed he is able to _literally_ change from sword to vampire. Only when he is drained of energy or badly wounded will he revert to an inanimate state in order to recover."

"A benefit indeed, as I am no longer trapped in that _hideous_ wraith form," Raziel said dryly with a grimace of distaste. "Had the Elder God's machinations ended with success, I would _never_ have willingly submitted to my fate and thus would never have been restored myself."

"Para... _site_ ," I hissed out suddenly with a burst of anger that was rapidly subdued by the Aura that pressed down upon me.

Eldar Kain's grasp on my neck, as well as his Aura, eased back a touch and I found it easier to breathe and think for a moment. He looked at me curiously as he continued to idly touch my wings with his left hand and he smoothed his talons through my feathers with exquisite care to straighten them out and un-ruffle them.

"I... Pardon?" Raziel asked with a confused blink.

" _Parasite_ ," I repeated with a faint gasp as Eldar Kain's talons ran over a particularly sensitive part of my wing. "S-squid. Fuckin' piece of _shit_. Cock-sucking _leech_. _Freeloader_. Take your pick Raziel, but _stop_ calling the wannabee-tentacle-porn-monster a fucking ' _God_ '."

Raziel made a noise that was equal parts incredulous and part amused as he shook his head in shock at my foully worded little rant. Yay, a long winded vampire struck speechless, _always_ a satisfactory experience that. He waved his hand dismissively a moment later as he got his voice back.

" _Regardless_ of what you would call the creature," he started and his voice turned briefly bitter. "Kain's gamble in breaking my wings and throwing me into the Abyss paid off. We have found that fabled 'edge of the coin' and now have a fighting chance against The Elder... _Parasite_."

I latched onto a _single_ word in that entire speech as Eldar Kain started to trail the back of his talons down along the bend of my wing toward my back. He simultaneously pushed at me with his Aura once more and I gasped softly.

"'B-breaking'?" I managed to say as I stumbled. My wings stretched out in an attempt at counter balance and my vision wavered into a flash of spots. "Only ' _breaking_ '?"

"Indeed," Eldar Kain purred into my ear as he shifted his grasp on me to help hold me steady. "You requested that, _if_ the time-line would allow for it, to change at least _one thing_ regarding Raziel's fate. And that was with respect to his wings."

The wave of relief that I felt at that information, along with the continued pulses of probing and pushing power from Eldar Kain's Aura, was enough to send me to one knee with a grunt of noise. I did not miss the sudden anger that flashed across Raziel's face as he bared his fangs, nor did I look away from his now judgmental glare.

"You _ASKED_ for him to _BREAK_ my wings?!" he all but shouted as he took a step forward toward me.

Eldar Kain issued a low, warning growl that stopped Raziel in his tracks. I echoed the growl, only mine had an almost desperate sounding note to it. I knew _already_ why I would ask such a thing of Kain and I _needed_ Raziel to understand...

"Better broken with a chance to heal than to have one's wings _torn asunder_!" I cried out.

"As if _you_ can speak of such!" Raziel said with a downward slash of his taloned hand.

He looked like he wanted to attack me and only Eldar Kain's Aura, suddenly focused entirely on _him_ instead of on _me_ , prevented him from moving forward. He snarled instead as his taloned hands clenched into fists.

"You _have_ your wings!" he shouted angrily at me. "Whole and _untouched_!"

I all but tried to lunge from my half-kneeling state for Raziel's throat at that, regardless of the age and power difference between us. My rage at his assumption overrode my common sense and even _knowing_ that he could easily take me down as young as I was did not deter my sudden _rage_. Eldar Kain's grip tightened on the back of my neck as my wings shot out and his left arm coiled tight around my waist as he kept me from attacking his 'son'.

"You _imbecile_!" I yelled at Raziel.

I struggled and squirmed violently in Eldar Kain's grasp. My wings beat furiously and buffeted backwards as I tried to squirm free yet he had tucked himself too neatly against my back for my movements to do anything other than expend my energy needlessly in my anger.

"A thousand times a thousand times my wings were _RIPPED_ from me!" I snarled out as I continued to struggle. "In _pieces_! _All at once_! Fractured! _Fragmented_! Cracked and _crushed_! Severed! _RIVEN FROM ME_! Until I ended up here on Nosgoth, I was trapped, _tortured_. Kept _weakened_! My own vampiric nature giving me the _GIFT_ ," here my voice became bitter and hate filled, "of being able to heal my wings when _naught but the barest of bone structure remained_! Again and again and _AGAIN_!"

Raziel's face had gone from rage filled to _horrified_ as I all but roared my rage at him. He took a few steps backwards as his own wings suddenly tucked in firmly and protectively against his back in response to my rather _descriptive_ words. I could feel as my mind started to slip against the memories that I only kept at bay through near constant busy work. I went limp in Eldar Kain's arms as I grabbed at my head and growled out a snarling noise that turned into a bitten off keen of sound. I forced myself into complete silence moments later as I struggled to focus. I would not have a flashback. _I WOULD NOT._ My past _would not_ control me like this!

I reached out with my hands and latched onto my wings as I struggled to breath against the memories. Eldar Kain's firm grip around my waist and on my neck helped to remind me that I was free of Auron. My _own_ tight grip upon feather covered limbs reminded me that my wings were currently whole and unharmed.

Time slipped away from me for a few moments as I fought the tide of memories back, struggled to maintain my focus on the now.

As I came back to full awareness I could feel that I was still being held in Eldar Kain's firm grasp as he stood behind me. My own feet dangled in the air as he was _easily_ taller than I was in his younger form, let alone the height he had gained in his Eldar form. I think he had actually gained an inch or so of height with his change from human feet to taloned feet. His left arm was still wrapped around my waist and he had moved his right arm around the front of me so his taloned hand rested gently against the front of my neck. Taloned fingers traced an idle and soothing pattern against my throat. His voice was a low and dangerous rumble against my back and in my ear.

"...that we _will_ have words later, my Raziel," he was saying. "I may not have spoken of her _often_ , but I _know_ that I told you and your brothers enough of her history that you should have recalled that she escaped _a living hell_ and had to return to Gaia to slay her former tormentor."

"I... did not realize the true extent of your words until now," Raziel responded in a contrite and subdued tone. "I also doubt you would have spoken of her _at all_ had it not been for the human cattle's stories of the Merciful Mother."

I twitched in Eldar Kain's grasp at Raziel's words and he turned his head into my neck to scrape fangs lightly against my throat with a soothing growl of noise. I shivered at the touch as I bared my throat to him further still and I blinked away the last of the blurred darkness that had affected me so. I focused on Raziel and frowned faintly. Eldar Kain slowly lowered me down so that my feet could touch the ground, though my grip upon my wings had not yet loosened. I leaned back against him and slowly released the tight grip on my wings. I still did not have the full strength to stand on my own and I wobbled in place. His hands lowered to hold my waist as he braced me.

"'Merciful Mother'?" I queried weakly, my attention yet focused on the dark haired vampire in front of us.

"'Pray that our Mother of Mercy, lost to Gaia, will hear your plea. For our Father will have none if you prove to be false in word or deed'," Raziel said, almost as if he were quoting some sort of scripture.

Raziel moved forward slowly and, after he had looked at his Sire warily for a long moment, he knelt in front of us both. He tilted his head to expose his own throat as he looked to the ground. Eldar Kain let out a soft rumble of near sub-harmonic noise at my back and I shivered as the sound thrummed through me.

"Only the truly _foolish_ or the truly _innocent_ would dare to invoke your name and risk Kain's resultant rage," he said in a careful tone. "I ask pardon for my transgression, My Lady."

I blinked blankly down at the older vampire in front of me in confusion and then turned my head enough to meet Eldar Kain's gaze with my own.

"You... _glorified_ me?" I asked, too weary to be anything other than quizzical at the realization that I had been... would be... _worshiped_ of all things.

"The _humans_ who will come to follow under my banner freely glorified you," Eldar Kain corrected almost gently as he ignored Raziel's currently kneeling and un-moving form. "Your little 'underground railroad' will do much to help build a lasting empire even after your eventual departure."

"'Lost to Gaia'..." I repeated thoughtfully as I felt a small flash of dread. "I... am unable to remain _here_?"

"My younger self will have you at his side for four centuries," Eldar Kain said as he started to rub his left hand over my hip soothingly.

I shifted my legs and tried to stand on my own again and his own grip shifted, ready to catch me again in an instant if need be.

"You will indeed have to return to your Gaia," he continued. "The Chronoplast revealed that, _regardless_ of either of our efforts, if you remained here during the height of the empire, you would _die_. Either to Sarafan hands, vampiric assassins, battles gone wrong... or even to one blinded by thoughts of vengeance."

I think we _all_ knew that he meant Raziel with the last item on that particular list.

"Only by stepping _out_ of Nosgoth's time-stream and returning to _Gaia's_ would you be safe in the interim," he rumbled as he nuzzled and nipped at my neck. "The plan was for the older version of you to reappear only after the 'edge of the coin' had been found, for only _then_ did the paths that led to your death disappear completely."

I blinked at his words and let out a hum of breath.

"So I am to return alone to kill Auron?" I asked.

Eldar Kain shook his head at my question.

"I will be with you for _that_ ," he said in a firm tone. "and _you_ will be the one to slay your former tormentor, but you will remain on Gaia for a time once he is dead."

I let out a soft and bitter laugh.

"That is a cold comfort Kain but..." I let out a soft sigh, "it is a comfort none-the-less. My home world holds no true fond memories for me anymore. That I _must_ return... leaves an acrid taste upon my tongue."

He let out a soothing hum of noise that thrummed against my back and I let out a hum of noise myself as I leaned back against him briefly. I looked back down at Raziel's yet un-moving form and tilted my head thoughtfully. I suddenly thought of something and shivered in Eldar Kain's arms as I looked Raziel over. I did not like where my thoughts were going as I really did not like the idea of my head being messed with... and yet...

"How much...?" I asked.

I reached out hesitantly to brush my claws through Raziel's shorter bangs. Raziel remained still under my touch and I continued to pet at those surprisingly soft strands of hair.

"Hmmm?" Eldar Kain purred against my throat.

"How much of _this_ am I going to remember?" I asked in a soft voice.

Eldar Kain was silent for a long moment before he let out a soft laugh.

"My dear, _clever_ , Katrina," he said as he began to nuzzle at my neck a little more intently. "Why am I not surprised that you figured that out? You will remember that we met, but you will not remember _Raziel's_ presence. You will remember that you will have to leave in roughly four hundred years time, for it will not do to leave an enemy at your back even if he _is_ dimensions away. You will remember too that you will trust me with your greatest weakness."

He tilted my head and forced me to meet his gaze. I went still as I met and held his gaze warily. His hand then moved from my neck to trail down the front of my body and then across my side to my back and up along my spine. His taloned hand stopped midway between my shoulder-blades. I tensed with the realization that the tips of his claws were now resting _right_ against the 'pressure point' that would force my wings from my body when I had them 'tucked away'. A 'pressure point' that was connected to my central nervous system and would always send pain wracking through the _entirety_ of my body when hit just right and my wings were forced from me as a result. I knew my eyes had widened with fear at the realization, yet he did nothing but rub soothingly at the spot for a moment before he moved both taloned hands to rest upon my hips once more.

"You will _also_ remember that the necklace the Sarafan Lordling wears has a mate and that Auron has that mate," he said firmly after a tense moment of silence.

It took me a moment to realize what he meant by that last statement.

"Auron is lending him power and using the necklace to reach me through whatever magic the Lordling _actually_ has," I said in realization.

"Yes," came the simple response.

"Fuck, shit and damnation," I growled out and then let out a sigh. "But why come here? _Now_ , I mean? Especially if another version of me is to arrive some... _when_ else? Shouldn't you be there? _Then_...? Fuck it. You know what I mean..."

"Events will happen... that you should not have been able to escape by yourself. Do not ask specifics of me, I will not be able to tell you anything definitive at this time," Eldar Kain said firmly, though his lips quirked with amusement at my previous, stumbling statement. "I do not believe in coincidence any longer, my Little One. I am here in this time because I believe I _must_ be."

"Ah..." I blinked at that and looked back down at Raziel when he hesitantly turned his head into my continued, gentle touch. "Ah... um... how would I...?"

As a human, I would just have accepted Raziel's apology and been done with it, but as a vampire I was uncertain of if I should do the same or if there was something else that I needed to do that I was currently unaware of. My training and studying thus far had not yet delved _that_ deep into vampiric culture. It was also strange in a sense as Raziel was so much _older_ than I was. That he should play the supplicant to me made my instincts twitch with the wrongness of an Eldar at my feet in such a manner, especially as I did not really feel that his anger with me had been unwarranted. He just... hadn't had all of the information regarding what had happened to me. Eldar Kain nuzzled at my neck and lightly scratched his fangs over the skin of my throat. A moment later his mind brushed against mine with a Whispered thought.

~You would simply forgive him his foolishness despite the state it put you in?~ he asked.

~I... yes, I would. He did not fully understand,~ I responded through Whisper.

~Ah my kind-hearted Katrina... I would have made him _bleed_ even though he is my eldest and most favored Childe,~ Eldar Kain's voice was wistful. ~If you wish to forgive him... offer him your wrist and let him partake of your blood.~

~So... he can sustain himself on souls _or_ blood?~ I asked.

~As he is now, yes,~ came the bemused response.

I nodded and moved my hand from the top of Raziel's head to his cheek. My wrist was bared to him in the process. Raziel raised his gaze from the ground to meet my own before he slowly turned his head to nuzzle his nose against my wrist right at the pulse point. He kept his gaze on mine as he bared his fangs and lightly brushed them against the skin of my wrist. I made no move to pull away or strike him, in fact I even shivered at the light press of those sharp points. His pupils widened and then narrowed at my reaction and he raised a taloned hand to grasp my forearm. He then sank his fangs almost gently into my wrist to feed.

****LEMON!LEMON!LEMON!***

I choked down a cry as pleasure began to course through me due to that careful feeding. I leaned back against Eldar Kain as my legs started to fail me once more and I swallowed down a moan as he held me. He breathed in deep, nose pressed against the hollow of my throat and he took in my scent as it changed. His hands tightened almost painfully at my waist for a moment. One arm then coiled back around my stomach as the other raised to caress my breast. I squirmed and cried out at the firm, caressing touch. He held me still while Raziel continued to feed so very slowly at my wrist.

"I... _Kain_!" I yelped out and then gasped.

I arched in his grasp and then whimpered as the hand not at my breast suddenly dropped to undo the button of my pants and then dipped under the cloth. He began to rub the side of one talon against my clit. He was oh so _careful_ of the sharp, cutting edge of said talon as he rubbed at the sensitive nub.

"I have been without you for an untold number of centuries," he growled low in my ear and I shuddered at his heated, hungry tone. "I find that I do not care to wait any longer with you _here_ , warm and waiting, in my arms."

"But... Ra- _Nngh_!"

My attempts to objection were silenced as Eldar Kain's fangs sank into my throat. With both of them feeding from me, the sense of pleasure heightened and then crested abruptly. I bucked in his grasp as I arched and screamed my resultant pleasure to the skies. His fangs slid from my neck a minute later and he licked at the wound as it healed over and I panted for breath. At the same time he removed his hand from my pants. He pulled Raziel from my wrist with a low growl a moment later.

Raziel released my wrist obediently and passed his tongue over the wounds to lick away the last droplets of blood from my wrist. Eldar Kain held out his arm to Raziel and the dark-haired vampire/reaver moved to swiftly undo the bindings on the vambrace. He set it aside and then pealed away the red cloth that had been beneath it. Eldar Kain sank his fangs back into my throat and, as I cried out again in pleasure, he put that now-bared wrist to my open mouth. Raziel stood and ran a hand along Eldar Kain's bared arm as he spoke to me.

"You will have to bite harder than you are used to, methinks," Raziel said with a low purr and he pushed Eldar Kain's wrist harder against my mouth.

I moaned at a sudden pulse of power from Eldar Kain and even Raziel had to lean heavily against me in response to the flood of energy that washed over us both. I did as was suggested and bit down roughly into Eldar Kain's forearm. It was indeed harder for my fangs to pierce his flesh, as if I were biting into thick armored _leather_ and not skin. Blood flooded over my tongue as my fangs finally pierced through to the vein and I swallowed reflexively.

I jerked as if shocked and I let out a muffled moan as my eyes fell shut. All hint of bitterness was gone from his blood, a possible side effect of his being cured of the corruption that had been affecting him. The _rest_ of it? It was as if I had bitten into a _electrical line_ and my mind immediately _blanked_. I could only focus on the need to draw more and more of that sweet and powerful blood as a sudden, almost _desperate_ hunger for _more_ filled me.

A firm and relentless pressure forced my mouth open perhaps a few minutes later. I let out a faint keen of loss as the source of blood was pulled out of my reach. A faint chuckle echoed nearby and I shook my head to try to clear it. I realized that I was on my knees with my shirt pulled up to expose my stomach and one of my breasts. Eldar Kain had leaned against my back and my wings were pinned firmly between our bodies. One of his hands rubbed against my exposed breast and the talons of the other hand trailed an idle path up and down over my stomach and sides. I shivered both due to the pleasurably light touch upon my skin and the knowledge that those talons were sharper than any blade.

"I see now why you never did take any females to your bed," Raziel was saying. "My Lady is _quite_ responsive, isn't she?"

Eldar Kain hummed in agreement against my back. He turned to nibble lightly at the wing joint of my left wing. I shivered and gasped softly in reaction to the near pain. I let out a moan and arched my back when his hand squeezed my breast tight. Raziel reached forward to brush the back of his talon against the breast that Eldar Kain was massaging skillfully. I twitched back as much as I could to try to avoid that touch and bared my fangs with a warning hiss. Raziel pulled his hand back and looked at his Sire questioningly.

"Go for now," Eldar Kain ordered softly, his lips a soft and soothing caress against my skin.

Raziel bowed his head at the command and stood. He was out of sight within moments. I started to squirm in Eldar Kain's grasp as embarrassment began to flood through me. He lifted me up, holding my squirming form easily as he stood and walked us backwards a few paces. He shifted my form and yanked my pants down and off of me easily whilst he moved, despite my boots being in the way, and he tossed the pants to the side with a satisfied purr of noise. There was a brief sensation of falling that caused my wings to flare instinctively against him before I landed on his lap. My legs were forceably spread by his own and I braced my hands on his legs to steady myself. I realized with a start that he had sat down on the chunk of Pillar that would be his throne.

His left hand again dipped to rub at my exposed folds, still careful to use the sides of his talons on the sensitive flesh as he began to bite up and down my neck and shoulder. Each bite lasted barely a second, just long enough to send pleasurable bursts _lancing_ through me before he pulled his fangs away. After several bites he would pause and lick at the wounds as they healed. He did that first to one side of my neck and then the other and back again until I was all but a writhing and mewling mess in his arms from the combined effect of those sudden, sharp bursts of pleasure and his taloned finger as it rubbed slow, measured circles over my clit. He pushed my upper body forward abruptly so that my wings were no longer pinned and they flared outward as a result. His right hand gripped tight at the back of my neck even as his left hand moved away from my folds to grip my inner left thigh firmly with his taloned hand.

"Dear Katrina, my Little One," he rumbled softly in a low tone that made me shiver. "Do you trust me?"

It took a few moments for his words to register to my pleasure addled brain. I turned as much as I could to look over my shoulder at him.

"I... yes?" I said as I licked my lips, unsure of why he had asked such a question of me.

"You must be _certain_ , Dear Katrina," he purred as he leaned forward to kiss my shoulder. He repeated himself slowly. " _Do you trust me_?"

"I... ," I started with a slow gulp.

I felt nervous at the thought of where this might be going and my wings twitched slightly in response to that nervous energy. Still, I tilted my head just enough to make it plain that I was attempting to bare my throat to him despite the firm hold on my neck.

"Yes. Lord as you are in your youth," I answered carefully. "And Emperor as you are as an Eldar; I _do_ trust you Kain."

"Good," he purred darkly as he licked the shell of my ear, "try not to move, My Katrina."

He kissed his way down my shoulder, along my spine and then nuzzled the base of my left wing where the main joint connected to my back. I could not help the slight twitch my wing made but I struggled to hold still as he had requested despite my unease. He swiftly sank his fangs into the lightly feathered flesh right at that joint where the largest blood vessels lay. I could not help but scream at the sudden sensation of pleasure and pain that assaulted my senses. I dug my claws deep into his leather clad legs just behind the knee. A press of his talon at the Mark on my neck and the pleasure rapidly began to outweigh the pain as I tried not to move.

 _I Could Not Move,_ I had to remind myself with frantic breaths.

I _wanted_ to writhe but I _knew_ that his fangs would be torn free by such movements and I would be left with naught but _agony_ as a result. It was a struggle to remain still in his grasp and all I could really do was dig my claws deeper into his legs while I all but howled my cresting pleasure at the skies.

His fangs pulled free and I panted hoarsely for air as he grabbed my hips and shifted my now limp form forward on his lap. Barely a moment later and I found myself being lifted up. I had barely begun to squirm in his grasp when he started to push his hardened length into me. I threw my head back and let out a startled cry at the sheer _girth_ of him. Even this part of his flesh had been changed, _armored_ , with the vampiric evolutions he had gone through over the years. Not only was he far _thicker_ than what I had become used to, that hard rod of flesh felt oddly... _ribbed_... in a way that stretched and _caught_ against my inner walls despite how slick I was from previous orgasms.

I squirmed and let out a high whine of breath as he pushed deeper still. My wings beat at the air in an abortive and uneven rhythm as I writhed against him, trying equally to push against him _and_ pull away. It felt _strange_ , as if he were somehow filling me _too_ much... _too_ deep. Wrong and so _right_ at the same time. His grip tightened on my hips and he let out a satisfied growl as he shoved that hard rod into me to the hilt. I arched back with a wail of pained pleasure at the rough impalement. I could feel as my body struggled to equally make room for that thick, hard shaft and my inner walls _convulsed_ tight around him. He leaned forward to trail another set of bites along my neck, an action that made me twitch and jerk as I cried out with a voice rough from near-constant screaming.

"That's it," he growled into my ear in a voice dark with pleasure. " _Move_ for me."

" _Nnnnngh_... K-Kain!" I cried out and I couldn't help but obey.

With my claws still buried deep into his legs, I started to pull myself up until only half his length was yet buried within me, only to have his taloned hands _yank_ me back down as he gave a fierce thrust. That ribbed length stroked and caught along my inner walls in a way that made my breath hitch in my throat as it rubbed over that sweet spot within me. I let out a low groan of pleasure and pulled myself up again. His hands moved higher up my waist as I lifted myself off of him. He waited until naught but the very _tip_ of his shaft was left piercing my entrance before he forced me back down hard upon that impaling length. I threw my head back and let out a wail of pained pleasure. I bucked upon him at the harsh sensation, my body unaccustomed to being so stretched, filled with so much and _so fast_. A shudder ran through me as I slowly calmed and I pulled up once more after I had caught my breath. He let out a pleased growl of approval at my continued movements.

Again and _again_ he pulled me back down as I rose up. The rhythm he set as a result was a hard and fast paced pounding that had me moaning loudly as each thrust pierced me and forced me open. I pulled my claws from behind his knees and shifted my hands higher up his legs. I rubbed my thumbs in a hard circle against his inner thighs as I squeezed, something that I had only just recently found out that he liked when taking me from this position.

He let out a snarl of pleasure at my actions and pulled me back against his chest abruptly. My wings were suddenly pinned in a way that left them spread out and hanging over the 'arms' of the rough, unshaped throne. His left arm wrapped tight around my waist as he guided my movements to meet his demanding thrusts and his right hand tangled in my hair as he turned my head so that he could kiss me hard. I moaned low as my eyes fluttered shut and opened my mouth to that fierce kiss, my tongue flicking out so that it brushed against his own.

His fangs nipped and nicked at my lower lip and my tongue. I let out a muffled sound as my tongue recoiled after a particularly deep cut was left by his fangs. His own tongue delved into my mouth as he chased my damaged tongue and guided it back out so that he could suckle upon the wounded and bleeding organ as it healed. I whimpered and started to push back against that rough kiss. I writhed and gyrated against him as he continued to pound that hard rod of flesh up into my soaked core, his hands tight around me. I managed to nick his tongue with my own fangs and our combined vitae filled our mouths as the kiss deepened further still.

His Aura pulsed over me again and this time I struggled to try to push my own Aura against his in response. It was naught but a stream of power pushing against an ocean tide and my eyes flew wide as that press of power overwhelmed my own easily. I thought I saw a flash of something but before I could examine the flash further, he let out a snarling growl of dark pleasure and pulled away from the kiss in order to sink his fangs back into my throat. I let out hoarse cry of pleasure as his fangs sank deep and then _again_ screamed my release as he shifted me and started to thrust harder and faster than before into my stretched core in a way that made that ribbed length rub against that sweet spot with every movement.

He didn't stop there though.

Taloned claws that were _long_ familiar with my body started to dance over my skin, began to delve in against the small patches of white and silver feathers at the base of my wings, knowingly found sensitive places to pinch and scratch and _squeeze tight._ Painfully pleasurable actions that I had not known I could enjoy, but for Eldar Kain... he had already learned _long ago_ how to play my body like a fine-tuned instrument. He _knew_ when to tug at my hair at just the right moment to make me clench and squirm tight around him. _Knew_ when to scrape fangs against flesh to make me shiver and whimper with keening breaths. _Knew_ just the right angle to thrust at in order to make me _wail_ in pleasure.

One moment I was writhing near violently in his lap as he wrenched me down onto that hard flesh and pushed me toward yet another orgasm. In the next, the world seemed to shift alarmingly and I abruptly found myself on my hands and knees with him still buried deep within me. My wings fanned wide and I yelped as he grabbed my right arm and then pinned it near-painfully at the base of my back. I was thrown off balance as a result of his action and had to brace myself on my left forearm with a wince. His talons began to tease at the feathers near the base of my wings which caused them to mantle higher and he rapidly forced me again over that peak of pleasure with another wailing, near-pained howl.

I was mid-howl when he abruptly pulled out of me and I found myself suddenly forced onto my back. My voice cut off with a shuttered gasp and my eyes flew wide as my back and wings hit the stone platform. He moved to brace one of my legs over his shoulder as he thrust back into me and he began to pound into me relentlessly whilst he started to rub the knuckle of one talon against my clit. I clenched my eyes shut with a grimace at the pressure on my wings even as I arched under that knowledgeable touch. My voice and movements had grown weaker under the continuous onslaught on my body. I wasn't entirely certain how much longer I was going to be able to remain _conscious_ if he kept up such a volatile pace.

Perhaps he had sensed my growing lassitude or perhaps he had been pushing me to just such a state. Either way, he suddenly let out a growling laugh and my eyes flew wide as I looked at him with a strained gasp. His lips curled into a knowing smirk as lifted my other leg up and over his other shoulder. He leaned forward to rest his taloned hands on the stone platform on either side of my head. My eyes clenched tight as I threw my head back and yowled at the sudden sharpness of the new angle. He let out a low, thundering snarl of pleasure as he drove that hard length into my pinned form.

My body both tightened around that thick impalement and struggled against the increased pressure on my pinned wings. I was trapped and unable, _unwilling_ , to escape the relentless and frenzied tide of ecstasy as he took me, _claimed_ _me_. My hands shot up to grab desperately at his wrists as I bucked as much as I could beneath him. The claws of one hand sank into the flesh of his bared arm and the claws of my other hand dug ringing grooves into his vambrace. His forehead pushed against my own and his growling pants for breath became sharper as he started to thrust harder and harder into my body as he edged closer to his own release.

"Look at me Katrina," he snarled out suddenly in a voice gone deep with pleasure. " _Look at me_!"

My eyes flew open in response to that order and I met his blue-gold gaze just as his eyes started to bleed hunter's white. I gasped harshly as his thrusts suddenly became bruising, almost _breaking_ in strength. His talons dug into the stone beneath us with a loud _crack_ of sound as he roared his release. I let out a cry of strained pleasure as his cold-fire seed filled me and arched against him as much as I was able to given how thoroughly I was pinned. His fangs abruptly sank back into my throat and his swift feeding sent me shrieking over the edge one more time.

****END LEMON! END LEMON!****

Eldar Kain slid his fangs free of my throat a few moments later and he pulled back after he licked away the last traces of blood. He shifted my shaky legs gently from his shoulders and then lifted me up. He rolled us so that he was on his back with me laying limp across his chest, my wings and other limbs akimbo and listless. I panted for air and shivered as I tried to recover from that aggressive coupling. One of his taloned hands rubbed feather light over my wings and soothed the sore areas that had been pinned. The other rested just against my throat, pushed tenderly against the skin where my pulse raced. He chuckled darkly as he moved his hand so he could nuzzle directly against that rapidly beating pulse point.

"As _perfect_ as I remember," he purred in a satisfied tone. "Vampiric resilience with such _wonderfully_ human sensitivity."

He trailed a talon butterfly-wing light down my spine. I shuddered and whimpered under that soft touch.

"Don't think," I panted out weakly. "I could... take any more."

"Oh, but you _can_ ," he said with a dark laugh that was filled with promise. I shivered as my eyes widened, wondering if he meant to do more then what he already had. " _Now_ is not the time however. You have been gone from Sanctuary for hours now my Little One. Janos is sure to start searching for you soon, mother hen that he is."

"Oh," I blinked a bit as I relaxed against him and then yawned weakly. I muttered tiredly against his chest. "...exhausted."

"I am sure you are. You are not used to such activities as yet," he said with a soothing rumble. "But up with you. Get dressed."

"'Get dressed'?" I repeated with a weak laugh. "Bloody _hell_ Kain, I don't even think I can _walk_!"

Another dark laugh escaped him as he sat up and gently shifted me off of his chest so that I lay on the cool stone next to him. He stood and waved a hand at me. I felt a tingle pass over my body that was not quite pleasant. I grumbled faintly at the sensation as I looked up at him blearily.

"What was _that_?" I asked.

"A cleaning spell," he responded.

He straightened his clothing as he tucked himself away and slipped both the red cloth and black vambrace back into place on his arm. He waved his hand and my pants flew into his grasp. He set them next to me as he knelt down beside me and then rubbed the back of his talon gently over my right check. I turned into the touch with a faint murmur of noise.

"It will do no good for you to be found by Janos smelling of sex, especially as my younger self will be gone for yet another weeks time," he said bluntly and I blushed at the thought. That would be like being walked in on by your parents. It didn't help that I was starting to look at Janos as a 'father figure'. "Besides which, it is best that you only speak of me to my younger self and to no other."

"That makes sense," I murmured as I pushed myself up into a sitting position.

I reached for my pants and took a brief moment to struggle back into them. I was still shaky, so it took a little more effort then normal. I licked my lips and then moved to tuck myself against Eldar Kain's kneeling form briefly and I nuzzled at his chin. He let out a contented purr as he returned the nuzzling gesture. I suddenly felt nervous again, but then I knew what was coming. He nipped my ear lightly in a gentle reprimand.

"Stop fretting," he said softly. "I nor my younger self will cause you harm in my doing this. My younger self will sense that the barriers on your mind are made by my own power."

"I... just don't like the thought of my head being messed with," I muttered against his neck.

"Who does?" he responded with a chuckle. "Do you trust me?"

I tucked myself as close as I could against him and bared my throat to him once more in the same movement.

"Yes," I said with a faint murmur. "My Emperor."

"Little Empress," he responded with a dark chuckle.

I pulled my head back with a surprised blink at the unexpected title he'd given me. His talon touched my forehead a moment later and my mind went blank. The last thing I heard was his voice as he purred in my ear.

"Sleep now my Katrina."

-*-/-*-

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	20. Defensive measures

Edits done as of 04/2016

Hope everyone is enjoying the story!

* * *

Chapter Twenty: Defensive Measures.

I woke up with a start and looked around tiredly. I realized that I had been draped at some point over the stone 'throne' that lay in front of the Pillar of Balance. I yawned and then stretched lazily like a cat just waking from a nice long nap. I felt a deep-seated tremor course through me at the pleasant aches that ran throughout my body. I could not quite remember _exactly_ what had happened, but with how entirely sated I felt, I was _fairly_ certain of what had occurred after Eldar Kain and I had finished speaking.

 _Horny bastard,_ I thought to myself in amusement as my wings gave a lazy half-beat at the air.

I curled back up with my wings still partly stretched out over the arms of the 'throne'. I then closed my eyes and tried to sort out my thoughts. I could remember only bits and pieces of our conversation, just as Eldar Kain had said that I would. The gaps in my memory regarding our talk were a bit jarring, especially considering that the conversation had _just_ happened, but that it was Kain that had the placed blocks on my memory eased the level of discomfort that I felt.

I frowned as I recalled that odd glint that I had been seeing around Auron's neck in the 'dreams'. The glint had to be the 'mate' to the necklace that the Sarafan Lordling wore. I really hoped that the artifact that my present time Kain was endeavoring to retrieve would work to halt the dreams or at least protect me somehow from those nightmarish attacks. I was getting quite tired of never knowing when he might strike again and even more tired of waking up wracked by pain.

The most important thing at this point though, was figuring out if there was a safe way to remove the necklace from the Lordling's possession. Both because of the link that allowed him to gain power from Auron and because that very same necklace would be the best bet for me to traverse back to my home realm when it came time for me to go. I did not want to do anything without performing a series of extensive tests on it first though. It would do no good to land right back in Auron's lap and it was possible for that to be a literal risk, regardless of if Kain was with me or not. Still, Eldar Kain had told me that I would be able to remain on Nosgoth for four hundred years. That was plenty of time to do such research. Plenty of time to grow in strength and skill.

Wing beats filled the air and moments later I heard the click of taloned feet as they hit stone. I lazily opened one eye and looked up to watch Janos as he walked over to where I lay. He was mindful of the pile of glass that I had collected and avoided disturbing the glass shards. I yawned again, naturally mindful not to bare my fangs in the process, and sat up as he paused next to me. His expression was both worried and bemused as he looked me over to ensure that I was unharmed.

"You had me concerned when you did not come back to Sanctuary after a few hours Childe," he said after a few moments. His tone was soft, yet held a near-scolding note to it that made me flinch.

"I... ah, sorry about that Janos," I said as I stood.

I wobbled in place briefly. I could use the excuse of 'just waking up' if need, but that was definitely _not_ the reason why my legs still felt shaky and were unable to hold my weight properly. I tucked my wings close again after I had regained my balance and I shrugged my shoulders helplessly.

"I did not want to go back right away and..." I blanked and scrambled for some kind of an excuse. "The... weather... was nice enough tonight for a small nap?"

That sounded like a weak excuse even to _my_ ears and I had to fight back a wince as my wings twitched with my obvious nervousness at the poorly constructed lie. My social skills were rather _stunted_ at this point. Most took my resultant silence during conversations to be a degree of shyness, but it was more that I was observing the conversations around me and... _relearning_ social niceties. It did not help that the social skills that I recalled from my youth would _not_ help me in this world with its' near-Shakespearean ways and the vampires almost pack-like structure. I knew when not to say anything to avoid being _too_ blunt concerning my opinion, but outright _lying_ was... not something that I could do _well_ even after having been on Nosgoth for near to eight months now. Kain had even made an idle comment one day that he found my inability to lie... or at least lie well... _refreshing_ of all things. Vorador thought it was ' _cute_ '.

As it was, Janos did _not_ look well pleased with me.

"Out in the _open_? Not wise Childe. If you were any younger, I'd be tempted to bend you over my knee for the blatant danger you've put yourself in this eve," Janos said with an upset shake of his head.

I blushed and looked away from him. I felt a gentle touch of amused laughter brush against my mind a moment later and I knew from that mental touch that Eldar Kain was still close by... and listening in on my conversation with the blue-skinned Eldar. At least Janos had _bought_ the rather inept lie. It helped that he had just found me just waking up from a state of slumber.

~ _Asshat_ ,~ I Whispered at Eldar Kain as I pinpointed his Aura.

The laughter grew louder in my mind and then the sense of Eldar Kain cut off abruptly. I had the distinct impression that he had left the area via teleportation magics. One of these days I would kick his ass. Not in the sense that I would fight him and _win_ , no. I just owed him a single, solid _kick_ to the rear end at some point.

"Why did you leave Sanctuary so abruptly at any rate Childe?" Janos asked and the blush that had been fading from my cheeks flared back into being with a vengeance.

" _Yeeaaah_ ," I started slowly with a shake of my head. "Any chance you could tell Vorador to... keep it to his rooms...?"

"Excuse me?" Janos asked with a blink and his wings flared with his obvious confusion.

" _Kitchens_ ," I said with gritted teeth as I moved past Janos.

I began to slip the shards that I had found into my bag. It took Janos a few seconds to put things together, but the understanding ' _Ah_ ' of noise when he did so made me relieved that I would not have to clarify any further what I had meant by my words. I picked up and then held out the largest chunk of the glass basin pieces to him.

"This is part of the basin the Sarafan Lordling was using when he opened the portal," I said. "I honestly cannot believe I did not come out here sooner to see if anything important had been left behind. Do you recognize the markings at all?"

He took the piece from me and examined it closely. He nodded his head after a few minutes spent looking it over.

"These are Hylden markings," he said to me. "If you have all the pieces then I can put this back together and translate the markings from there to see if they bare any importance."

"Oh, good," I said as I took the piece back from him and tucked it into my bag. I indicated the other shards even as I started to pack them away. "I'm fairly certain that I found all of the pieces."

"Then let us head back," he frowned at me. "And this time if you must go out again Childe, do not take a nap where you can be easily found by those who hunt us."

I winced again and nodded my head at his words. "Yes sir."

He smiled at my soft tone and nodded his head as he accepted my apology. He could easily hear the contriteness and embarrassment that laced my tone at having been found in such an exposed state. Eldar Kain _had_ been there to watch over me and keep me safe from harm, but Janos did not known that. Nor would I say anything about the time-travelling Eldar to anyone but his younger self.

"Shall we fly?" Janos asked me in a gentler tone.

"I..." I shifted my wings and realized that they felt a bit sore. I shook my head at his question. "Can we walk for a while?"

"Of course my dear," he gave my shoulder a light pat and we started down the overgrown path that led back toward Meridian and Sanctuary.

As we walked in amiable silence, I rubbed lightly at the Mark upon my neck and wondered at how exactly it worked. As Janos was an Ancient vampire, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to ask him about the whole process. I wasn't about to ask _Vorador_ of all people. Not about something that seemed like it might be a private subject.

"Janos?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes Katrina?" he responded as he looked my way.

"How... do the Marks work? For humans and for vampires?" I paused and shook my head with a small sigh of frustration aimed mostly at myself. "I mean, well, if it works on both that is?"

"It does," he said with a kindly smile. "For Humans it is referred to as a 'Master's Mark' and clearly Marks the human in question as belonging to a particular vampire. For Vampires it is a 'Mate's Mark' and works in a similar manner."

"But what is the _difference_ between the two and how does it _work_ exactly?" I asked in a curious tone. "I... don't know these things like the others might and would like to learn."

"I understand and would be glad to teach you Childe," Janos said with another gentle smile and his voice changed to a gentle, lecturing tone. "A Master's Mark links the human to their vampire Master mentally. This allows the human to be a more effective servant, as they will be able to sense their Master's needs more easily. A vampire can have numerous humans Marked to their will and those humans may not even be fully aware of each other. The detriment lies in that if the vampire is killed, the human will waste away slowly if not _immediately_ upon their Master's death. Only a _strong_ cause can keep the human alive past their Master's unfortunate end."

I twitched at his words, as it handily described how my mother had deteriorated and stopped _caring_ about things after Father's death. Perhaps she had been Marked by Father? It made a painful amount of sense. Janos continued his explanation, unaware of my upset.

"For Vampire's, the Mate's Mark also allows for an stronger sense of each other's needs. It makes communication through Whisper ability shared by our kind easier, allowing for greater range of communication. You could most likely communicate with Kain even now, as far away as he is," he said. "There _are_ limits of course, but the extended range between a Mate Marked pair has saved lives and time in the past."

I filed that bit of information away for later and decided not to try to contact Kain for the time being considering the Eldar Kain was about _somewhere_. It would be a bit confusing to end up having an unintended 'three-way call' between myself and _both_ versions of Kain. Though... it actually that might be amusing... perhaps, or _confusing_ if I was the only one to hear them and they couldn't hear each other. An idle thought.

"There is also the benefit that the loss of one's Mate does _not_ necessitate the death of the one who survives. A Mate's Mark does not have to exist on both parties either, but the bond _is_ far stronger if the vampires in question have Marked one another," Janos looked at me with a raised brow as he continued. "As far as any age difference between vampires, an older vampire may well Mark a younger one if their instincts call for it. Normally though, that only happens if the younger vampire has gone through some sort of trial that makes them seem an ideal Mate to their elder. An event or tragedy that shapes the younger vampire, but does not break them. The elder will feel the need to protect them and help them grow stronger still after having survived such an event. Oft times the younger vampire may also feel the intent of their Eldar, even when they are not fully _aware_ of said intent. They may even find themselves submitting easier to that call if it is made by someone they feel they can actually trust. If there is no _potential_ for trust then the younger vampire will be able to resist that subconscious call to submit."

I blinked in surprise at that last part and realized that that last bit of information explained why Kain had so readily pounced me barely a week after my arrival. It also explained why I had _capitulated_ just as readily to his advances. Vampiric instinct acting within us both. Kain had offered me his protection and I had subconsciously accepted his offer.

"Mind you my dear, that multiple Marks can be present on a single person, as well as the fact that one vampire can potentially have multiple Marked Mates, but _only_ if all previous parties are aware and _approve_ of the Marking," he finished.

"Alright, that makes sense," I said with a nod of my head. "But how is this process triggered?"

"Both types of Mark must be activated in the same manner; a spell that can only be cast during _willing_ sexual activity in where the one to be marked submits fully to the person, or person's, casting the spell," he said plainly.

I stumbled with a surprised sound and I blushed at the bluntness of his tone. He flashed me a bemused look as I regained my balance. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he was fairly opened minded and sometimes could be blunt to the point of embarrassment as his monk-like and genial attitude belied the truth of his age. I came to a halt however as his words fully sank in.

"Well... _fuck_! It all makes sense now!" I yelped out as anger filled me.

"Pardon?" Janos asked me as he shot me a concerned look.

"Auron, the fuckin' bastard who kidnapped me," I growled out as I clenched my hands. "He wanted me to _willingly_ give in to his attentions in order to make the torture stop. He always pushed for me to _submit_ to him. He had to have wanted to _Mark_ me before he killed me!"

For the first time since I'd met him, Janos _growled_ in _rage_.

A sense of his Aura, as strong and old as Eldar Kain's, filled the air around us. I had _never_ sensed the blue-skinned Eldar in a state of anger before. Even when he was upset with Vorador or Kain, it was a _mild_ anger. I froze in place as my head whipped about and I stared at him in surprised shock. He had stopped walking and had his hands clenched tight at his sides. He had his wings half spread open in a threatening posture and his golden eyes had bled to that solid, hunter's white.

I trembled where I stood as he seemed to fight to control his rage. Eldar Kain hadn't been upset with me when he'd prodded at me with his Aura back at the Pillars. In fact, I would almost have called the prodding _gentle_ had it not been so strong as to _all but knock me off my feet._ This though, _this_ was an Aura that exuded pure hostility and a ringing call for _vengeance_. Janos' Aura pulsed again with that powerful rage and I found myself stumbling beneath that second wave of energy. I all but fell to my knees out of pure instinct with a small whine of breath. I bared my throat to him, even though I knew that the anger was not meant for, nor directed at, myself.

Janos heard the frightened noise that I made and sharply turned his head to look at me. His eyes flashed from gold to white and back as he took in a slow, deep breath in through his nose and let it out. As he took another slow breath, his Aura started to pull back, the dangerous power reigned in with a colossal level of control and willpower. I gasped for breath as that rage-filled power withdrew and I slumped against the ground unsteadily. The next thing I knew, Janos had drawn me into his arms and had started to pet at my hair with a gentle, soothing touch.

"Hush now Childe," he said softly as I began to tremble in his arms. "Hush now. I did not mean to frighten you so. I knew from what you told myself and the others that you had been through hell and back, but I had not realized quite how _extensive_ a hell that was. That _any_ of our kind would take the Marking spell and use it in such a fashion is _beyond_ wrath inducing. The Marking spell, _either version_ , is supposed to be an ultimate gift of _trust_ and _faith_ on behalf of the one who is submitting. _Never_ a source of pain. _Never_."

His voice was just as vehement as it was mournful and I found myself leaning into his comforting grasp as he continued to run his talons soothingly through my hair. Because of how thoroughly shaken I was from the onslaught of his energy, I couldn't fight the tears that started to wrench their way from me. I panted for breath as I shook with those silent tears and Janos continued to hold me and offer me comfort. I tried to pull away when I heard the sudden sizzle of flesh burning and his gentle grip tightened to hold me in place.

" _Hush_ my Childe and stay," his voice was a soothing thrum. "It is no crime to cry and I can bare this little pain for you. Easy now."

I eased further into his arms at his words and simply let him hold me. For a brief instant my mind flashed back not on a painful memory, but a childhood memory of being held safe within my Father's arms after I had fallen from the tree outside our house. I had 'escaped' from our home to go on a 'grand adventure' by climbing said tree. I remembered that he had extended his 'angels' wings, something that I had _long_ forgotten after his death, and he had held me wrapped in arms and winged limbs after he had tended to my bruised knees and scraped elbows.

That memory, triggered by being held within comforting arms and _wings_ more then anything else, had me crying harder against Janos' chest. To have a Father again, even now. To have someone feel that kind of _protective rage_ on my behalf. To have that soothing touch of a _trusted_ parent once more. I wanted that again and I had not honestly realized _how much_ I had missed it.

As my tears slowed, I realized that Janos was humming a soft and soothing melody in my ear. A sub-harmonic rumble also echoed in his chest and eased my frayed nerves further still. I shivered and twitched a bit as I uncurled from the ball that I'd formed in his arms. I let out a faint sigh as I listened to him hum that strange melody. After a time he fell silent once more and ran his hand up and down my back in a light, fatherly caress.

"Are you alright now, my Childe?" he asked softly.

"I... will be okay," I said as I quickly scrubbed the tears from my cheeks.

"Then let us head back my dear," Janos offered me a small smile as he stood and then helped me to my feet. "At this point I am quite sure that Vorador is starting to worry about the both of us."

I snorted out a disbelieving huff of air at the thought of Vorador worrying about me more then Janos. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around Janos in a small hug. He returned it and wrapped his wings around my smaller frame as he did so. He pulled away a moment later and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Come along now Childe," he said as he started back down the path once more. I moved to trail after him.

"Janos...?" I asked hesitantly after a few minutes of silent travel. My instincts thrummed within me to ask a question of the Eldar.

"Hmm?"

"Can... would I be able to... um... " I nipped my own tongue after those stumbling attempts to speak. I finally managed to ask what I'd meant to. "May I call you Sire? Maybe? You've... been so kind about things since I arrived and your own recovery."

"I would be _honored_ to have you refer to me as such my dear," he responded with a kindly smile. He held out a taloned hand to me.

I reached out to take his hand and smiled shyly as I walked next to him.

"Thank you... Sire," I said softly as my vampiric instincts hummed in contentment.

-*-/-*-

Once back home at Sanctuary we were confronted by a worried Vorador. The green-skinned Eldar had indeed been worried about the _both_ of us, which was a bit of a surprise to me. I had not realized that the Eldar could be concerned with my well-being to such an extent. I ignored his questions about where I had gone and stood on tip-toes to kiss Janos' cheek. I then darted off for mine and Kain's room with a call of 'Goodnight Sire' to Janos as I left. Vorador's upset questions broke off completely as he stared after me with a surprised look upon his face.

For the most part I did my best to avoid everyone for the remaining week that Kain was gone. Oh, I still went to my reading lessons with Janos and Vorador and still had sparring practice with a few of the other female vampires in the Cabal but really... I had just wanted to be _left alone_ for a time. Part of it was that I missed Kain being around. I missed his lessons on tactics, our sparring sessions and I wanted to share what I recalled from the visit with his Eldar self.

The other part of it was pure melancholy as the weight of past memories tried to overwhelm me. It had been the scent of cinnamon that had set me off for some reason. The vampire cook had gotten fresh supplies and spices in that week and had begun to bake a number of delicious treats, up to and including his rather popular cinnamon rolls. I _adored_ those sweet treats but for some reason the sharply sweet scent had mixed with something _else_ that he had received and the mixture of scents had left the treat tasting like _ash_ upon my tongue as flashes of torture and torment filled my mind.

I'd fled the kitchen common room without finishing my roll and could not help but feel a bit guilty at being unable to finish the rare treat.

I only really managed to fight off the feeling of melancholy and the memories both when Nikolai found me sharpening my sword. He had asked me if I would let him draw my image. By then there was only supposed to be a day or so left until Kain was to return so I was already in a _slightly_ better mood then I had been. I raised a brow at him and quoted a reference that I was sure he would never get.

"What, you're wanting to draw me like one of your French girls?"

"My _what_ now?" Nikolai had asked me, askance and suddenly off balance by my question. I laughed and waved my hand at him.

"Nothing, just a silly little reference from my world," I stood and set aside the sword I had been sharpening. "Where at?"

"Here is fine, like you were when I came in? Please Kat?" he asked as he held up a pad of parchment and a piece of charcoal.

I blinked at him with a raised brow and then shrugged as I picked the blade back up and started to sharpen it once more, this time at a slower pace. He moved a little ways away to sit on a bench across from me and started to work. I chuckled and Nikolai let out a sudden 'ah ha!' sound.

"Please keep smiling like that! It will work wonderfully!" he said to me.

"Are you sure it wont just come off as creepy? What with the fangs and all?" I asked with a laugh.

"No no! It's perfect! Just that wistful little smile that lights up your face," he said as he went back to work on his drawing.

I shook my head with another soft laugh and could not fight the small smile that curled my lips. I worked on tending to the blade in my hands as he drew my form. Janos and Vorador wandered into the room hours later and Janos let out a relieved sigh when his eyes landed on me. I looked up at him and started to ask him a question when Nikolai let out a groan.

"No, no! Don't move yet! I'm almost done!" he cried out.

I laughed as I moved my head back so that I was focused on the blade in my hands once more. I looked over at him without moving my head this time.

"I am seriously going to chuck this whetting stone at your head," I threatened in a joking tone.

" _OooOooh_ ," Nikolai said as he flicked charcoal stained fingers at me. I rolled my eyes and looked back at my blade. "All scared now, I am. Look at me shivering."

He gave an exaggerated shake of his body when I glanced up again and I had to laugh again at his childish antics.

"Asshat," I said to him in a fond tone.

"Ah, but you love me, my friend. You do and you _cannot_ deny it," he wagged a finger at me and then flicked the piece of charcoal in his hand elaborately across the parchment in his hand. "All done!"

"Bloody well about time," I said.

I set aside the sword and did indeed chuck the whetstone very lightly in his direction. He dodged the stone easily with a laugh and I stood up to walk over to his side.

"Come now, there is no rushing art you know," he said to me with a grin. "And a vampire is the perfect subject to draw. You lot can hold still for hours when you want to."

I thwaped him lightly upside the head even as I leaned over his shoulder to look at the drawing. I blushed as I looked over the well done piece. The drawing was an intricate thing for a charcoal drawing He had drawn me sitting just as I had been and he had caught the motion of the whetstone sliding along the sword's edge near perfectly. The braid of my hair seemed to shine brightly under the captured torchlight and if I looked close I could tell that he had even caught the small details of the spikes braided and hidden within my hair. My wings, held out loosely to my sides, were heavily detailed, each feather an intricate thing. The smile upon my lips revealed just a hint of my fangs and the look in my eyes... damn near made it look like I was some kind of glowing warrior angel.

"That is a very nicely done drawing!" Janos' voice came from behind me and to the right.

I jumped as I had not heard Janos' approach.

"You are skilled," Vorador said to the left of me.

I jumped again with a meep of noise and moved out from behind Nikolai rather then be pinned in from behind by the two Eldar's that were suddenly at my back. Janos offered me a gentle and bright smile even as Vorador nodded his head his head to me in a silent greeting.

"It is good to see you in good humor again my Childe," Janos said.

"I... just needed some time to work through a few things," I said with a shy shrug. "I bounce back pretty quick, always have."

"Hmph," Vorador made a soft noise as he suddenly started past me. He reached up before I could stop him and mussed my hair with his talons as had become recent habit.

"OI!" I shouted in annoyance. "Quit doing that you asshat!"

He turned to look over his shoulder at me and smirked.

" _No_ ," he said as he left the room.

I growled and threw up my hands in annoyance as he left. My wings twitched rapidly as my back and revealed plainly my agitation. Janos and Nikolai both burst into laughter at my reaction. I rounded on Janos and pointed a finger at him.

"Blaming you," I said to him.

"And what did _I_ do?" Janos asked as he laughed.

I was about to light into him playfully when I felt Kain's Aura close by. I let out a soft sound of relief and moved out of the room and down the halls toward that potent energy. Janos trailed after me while Nikolai wandered off somewhere else. Vorador had apparently already sensed Kain's approach and had gone to meet him as I could sense that the green-skinned Eldar was next to Kain.

I rounded the corner and paused briefly at the sight before me. Kain looked to be a bit worse for wear after his trip. His armor was dirty and coated with with spider guts and human blood, but otherwise he seemed to be hearty and whole after his trip.

"You are back _earlier_ then expected," Vorador said to Kain.

"You mean to say that I was successful in my quest faster then you had hoped me to be," Kain said with a small sneer as he held out an item for Janos to take. "Here, it seems to lack power and you are the best one here to figure out what needs be done in order to charge it."

"Ah, yes," Janos said as he shifted the object around in delicately in his hands. "I know just what to do with this."

I leaned a little closer in order to get a better look at the item Kain had found. It was a metal bracelet made of small rings linked together in a what I recognized as a Celtic labyrinth weave. The metal rings locked together with a toggle clasp and it was the clasp itself that caught my eye more then anything. It looked to be made of jade and there were fine carvings throughout the circular portion of the clasp. The bracelet seemed to glow with an ethereal light as Janos held it in his hands. The carvings themselves both drew my attention towards the bracelet and forced my eyes away from it. It was a dizzying experience.

"That's an odd effect," I murmured to myself as I looked away from the bracelet.

"Indeed," Kain growled out as he turned to look at me with a small frown.

He reached out and lightly brushed a claw over the edge of my wing. I started to open my mouth to ask him if we could go somewhere to talk in private, when a frantic sounding shout rang out through the halls.

"KAT! A LITTLE HELP?! _PLEASE_?!" came Nikolai's yelping voice.

I looked in the direction of the shout and reached out with my Aura pulse. Alma was right at where Nikolai's room was located. I let out a low growl of frustration and darted swiftly towards his room. I could feel the others following after me, curious as to what would happen this time around. It was not the first time that I'd had to stop Alma and the three males behind me always trailed along to watch the confrontation if they could.

"Damn it all Alma! How many times do I have to... WHAT THE _HELL_ ARE YOU _DOING_?!" I yelped out as I entered the room and came to an abrupt halt.

Nikolai looked like he had been in the middle of changing his clothes when Alma had pounced him this time around. He was pinned up against the far wall of his room and had only the neck and one sleeve of a tunic on. His breeches had been tugged open and Alma had a firm and blatantly obvious grip on his bits. She let out an annoyed sigh at the sound of my voice and turned to look at me with a put upon expression.

"My dear, if you are not going to claim him properly then _stop_ interrupting me when _I_ go to do so," she said in a prim voice.

I stalked close to her and let out a snarl as my wings flared out in a threat-gesture. I grabbed the back of her neck firmly in one hand and squeezed tight.

"Let him go," I growled into her face. "He's not fucking interested in being in your bed!"

She did something with her hand that made Nikolai whimper in pain and I tightened my grip on the back of her neck at the sound. I could hear Janos ask Vorador softly if they should interfere but did not dare turn my head to look at the males. Both Kain and Vorador 'hushed' the older vampire.

 _Asshats_ , I thought with a mental growl.

"You are always busy playing with Kain," she purred out as she leaned into my grip, her nose close enough to almost touch my own. "If you're not going to play with your human toy then let the rest of us have some fun."

"He is _not_ a toy," I growled out. "What he is though, is under my _protection_. Now release him."

"No," she hissed softly as she bared her fangs in threat. "I tire of this game. You either claim him _properly_ for your bed or I will have him for _myself_."

I opened my mouth to snap at her but Nikolai's sudden and high-pitched shout caught everyone's attention.

"Dammit all woman! I am not interested in being in _either_ of your beds. Katrina knows this!" he yelped out. He waved a hand at the three male vampires that stood by the doorway. "I would rather be in one of _their_ beds, for god's sake! I DO NOT LIKE _WOMEN_!"

I jerked my head back at his shout and then smiled at him. A simple quirk of my lips that did not bare fang.

"Nikolai," I said softly, the pride obvious in my voice.

Alma turned her head to look at him with a raised brow and then let out a soft, slow groan of frustration. She pinned me with a glare and I raised a brow at her.

"You could have _said_ something!" she growled out.

"It was not my place to say anything," I snarled back at her. "He _trusted_ me with that information and I was not about to betray that trust until he was ready to speak of it. You know as well as I that some habits get ingrained too deep and take time to come to terms with as far as speaking of it openly. Even when one is amongst open-minded individuals. Now let him go."

"Oh, very well," she said as she released him.

Nikolai was quick to fix his breeches and then his shirt as he moved to stand safely behind me. Only once he was at my back did I let go of Alma's neck. She rolled her shoulders and let out a soft sigh. She glared at Nikolai, though it was a mild glare that held no real heat to it.

"Next time, put aside those _foolish_ human sensibilities and say something _sooner_ ," she said as she fixed her hair. "You might have saved the lot of us from going through this horrible misunderstanding."

"Maybe next time you will learn that 'no' means ' _no_ '," I said to her with a growl.

"Perhaps. Hmmm," a wicked light entered her eyes and she started past the three male vampires with a bow of her head.

I blinked in surprise and then turned and shared a look with Nikolai once she had left the room.

"That look did not bode well," I said slowly. "I swear I recognized it, too."

Nikolai nodded his agreement as he frowned at the door. We both groaned in realization a moment later and spoke at the same time.

"She's going to play _matchmaker_ ," we said together.

I rubbed at the bridge of my nose even as Nikolai let out a sigh and hit the heel of his hand against his forehead. He let out another sigh as he dropped his hand to give my shoulder a light pat.

"Thank you for the rescue... _again_ ," he said as he reached down to tug at the hem of his shirt. e started for the door a moment later. "I am... going to go try to reclaim some of my dignity. _Elsewhere_. My Lords."

The last was said with a bow to the three male vampires and, as I watched Nikolai leave the room, I noticed that Janos was... he was...

"Bloody buggering _hell_. Do I need to have a talk with _you_ too?" I said in not-quite-frustration as I slapped my hands against my hips and flared my wings outwards just a touch.

Janos turned to look at me with an innocent expression upon his face and I waved a finger at him.

"You don't fool me for an instant, Sire," I said firmly even as I fought back a smile. "You were quite clearly checking out his _ass_."

Janos put a hand to his chest and fluttered his wings. His face stayed innocent, though his eyes sparked with sudden mischief.

" _Me_? Why would I do such a thing?" he asked in a bland tone of voice.

Vorador snorted at the older vampires antics and Kain rolled his eyes as even as he smirked at the Eldar.

"Your tastes have never run towards the _female_ persuasion, Sire," Vorador said dryly. "I would stop while you are ahead. Though, I must admit I _was_ hoping for a little more intense confrontation between the pair of you."

The green-skinned Eldar let out a wistful sigh. I face-palmed and let out a pained groan at his words. Of course the son-of-a-bitch would have been hoping for a 'cat-fight' or something similar to have happened between myself and Alma over Nikolai.

"I swear, I am surrounded by _perverts_ ," I said in a dry tone.

I shook my head as I laughed and let my hand drop to my side. I looked at Kain and nodded my head toward the door as I firmly ignored the two older vampires and their antics.

"Can we talk in private?" I asked.

"Yes," Kain said. He swiftly shouldered past the other two males.

I moved to catch up to him and fell in step beside him as he led me down towards where the blood pools were located. Kain said not a word as he entered one of the empty bathing rooms designed specifically for vampires and their water sensitive flesh. He set the Soul Reaver on a raised dais that lay next to the edge of the pool. He then started to tug off the grimy armor with a grimace of distaste. I moved to assist him and he let out a soft sigh as he lowered his hands and allowed me to remove the armor for him. I unbuckled the leather belts that held the armor in place. I frowned as I took note of a few belts that had been damaged and would need replacing before he wore this set of armor again, never mind the cleaning it would need to get rid of the spider ichor that coated the plated armor.

Once I had the chest plate, vambraces and greaves removed and set aside, Kain was swift to tug his tunic off and then slipped swiftly out of his leather pants. It was rare to see him so _eager_ to bathe. I had learned early on though, that he enjoyed being clean nearly as much as he enjoyed a good, bloody battle. There were times like this when he reminded me of nothing more then a heavily affronted _cat_ that had been out in the rain and needed attention even as it rebelled _against_ said need for comfort. I had to fight back a smile at the thought as he eased into the magically warmed blood and oil mixture. He let out a pleased groan at the pleasant heat and he closed his eyes as a near-to content expression flitted briefly across his face.

"You want me to clean your hair?" I asked him as I lost the fight and smiled at the picture he made. If only Nosgoth had cameras...

He let out a faint grunt but otherwise did and said nothing as he reclined in the warm fluid. I took that as a 'yes' and moved to grab the specialized oils that vampires used to clean their hair. I coated my hands liberally with the oils and then knelt behind him as I began to comb my clawed fingers through those silver strands. I carefully began to work out the tangles in his hair as gently as I could even as I rubbed the oils in and cleaned away the filth of the road. He let out a pleased sound when I finally got the last of the tangles and filth out of his hair and was able to start massaging the cleansing oils directly into his scalp. After several silent minutes, he grabbed my right wrist in his hand and gave it a small tug.

" _In_ ," he ordered with a soft purr.

I let out a soft chuckle at the order and swiftly stripped down. I paused for a moment as I bit my lower lip and then drew my wings back into my body before I hopped into the warm fluid. He frowned as I slipped into the pool and I shook my head as I gathered my courage.

"Part... of what I wanted to talk to you about," I said to him.

"Hmm," he gently grabbed my hand and pulled me in close in order to nip at my neck. "If you need to say something then _say_ _it_ my Little One."

I nodded my head in response and then started to tell him about what had happened almost a week ago, or more precisely what I remembered of what had happened. The Eldar version of himself almost knocking me on my ass with his Aura. How I would, and did, remember only pieces of the conversation. What he had told me about having to go back to Earth, back to Gaia, both to take care of Auron and to somehow remain safe while Kain worked to complete a large chunk of his quest.

He stopped me at that point and pushed at me with his Aura. I shuddered under the pressure but it was less potent then his Eldar energy. He relaxed and withdrew his Aura after several long moments and then had me continue my report. I then advised him that, from what I could recall, he would find the Cronoplast and then use it to see potential future paths that might be taken to restore and save Nosgoth as we as the fact that I only knew that there would be complication upon complication while trying to achieve that goal.

"Hmph," Kain grumbled as he turned me around. He grabbed the oils that I had left by the edge of the pool in order to clean my own hair for me. I fairly purred under that firm yet gentle touch. "Wheels within wheels. You know what this enemy looks like?"

"Sorta, kinda?" I said with a shrug of one shoulder. "It kind of looks like a giant, multi-limbed squid with eyes all over each of its' tentacles. But that's only the bits that you can see in various places. I have no idea what the 'main body' of the parasite might look like. Bastard eats the souls of the dead which is why Nosgoth is... kind of fucked as long as it exists..."

Kain's hands paused in my hair and I went still beneath his touch, wary of his reaction. He growled low and then continued his ministrations. I relaxed slowly and let my eyes fall shut.

"Nosgoth is _mine_ ," he said after a few moments. His tone was possessive. "I'll not allow some _parasite_ to feast on her flesh if I can stop it."

"I know," I said as I opened my eyes and glanced at him over my shoulder. I offered him a faint smile. "You're a stubborn SOB. Just... keep in mind that while a coin has two sides, there is also an edge for it to land on."

"An impossible third option?" he asked me with a raised brow.

"'Nothing is impossible, just highly improbable'," I quoted to him. "I _know_ you can do it."

"Very well, what else was discussed?" he asked.

I told him what he had/would share with me about the necklace that the Sarafan Lordling used and how Auron had the other half of the pair. He'd growled softly at that though his fingers remained a firm and gentle pressure as they massaged my own scalp.

"We will have to get that necklace from him swiftly if the bracelet I found fails to work," he said. "That will do for your report. Now... _what_ has you hiding your wings from me? I have been working to break you of that habit and will _not_ tolerate a backslide."

I glanced over my shoulder at him and saw that his eyes had gone dark in warning. I swallowed heavily and could help but tremble under his hands at the sheer enormity of what I was to share. I had managed to protect that particular pressure point from being hit during sparring practices where I had my wings tucked away. No one yet knew that weak point and... I was afraid to share it with him. The fact that his Eldar self knew of it gave me _some_ measure of calm to hold to but... I was still scared. He frowned at my reaction and I offered him a weak smile. I looked down as I raised my hands from the blood pool. I watched the rivulets of red fluid drip from my claws and took a slow breath.

"Place..." I swallowed heavily and took another, deeper breath and shook my head. "Wait, no... I'm doing this wrong."

I turned and pulled away from his touch in order to lean against the edge of the pool. I leaned halfway out as I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible for what was to come. I looked at him and saw that his frown had deepened as he noticed the unease in my gaze and it was also likely that he had caught my fear-scent underneath the scent of blood and oils.

"What has you so frightened?" he asked as he rested his hand on the base of my back.

"A... _weakness_ ," I said softly as I fought not to twitch at his touch. "It is supposed to be a Draconian-blooded vampires greatest weakness and why they almost always keep their wings out. This is the _one_ thing Auron told me about that I... never doubted."

His eyes narrowed darkly at Auron's name and his lips curled to bare fang. I tilted my head a bit to expose my neck to him in appeasement but kept talking lest I loose my nerve and try to bolt.

"Move your hand up along my spine slowly," I said in a shaky voice. "S-stop when I say to."

He tilted his head as he looked at me and then nodded after a moments silence. He followed my prompting voice until I told him to stop with his clawed fingers right above the 'pressure point'. It was a spot that was difficult to reach myself but I knew that the area was slightly 'raised' on either side of my spine. They weren't _visible_ bumps per say, it was not something that one would see but more what someone might _feel_ when they probed the area. I licked my lips nervously and could not control the growing tremble that began to rock through my body. I took a slow breath and continued to speak.

"Right there, where your fingers are... t-that's a pressure point. If you hit it or jab at it when a Draconian's wings are within their body it will force their wings out against their will," I took another deep breath that shuddered through me as I exhaled. "It... will also _paralyze_ the Draconian in question for up to f-fifteen minutes as the pressure point is connected to the central nervous system. The pain of the process will overwhelm the body and leave the individual... _helpless_."

I looked up and met Kain's now near-blank expression. His fingers were very carefully feeling around the spot as he noticed those slight 'bumps' under the skin. I swallowed again and then let out a sigh as I looked away from his blue-gold eyes.

"This pressure point is why I was never able to keep my wings _safe_ ," I said in a soft voice. "He would always force them from me, regardless of if they had healed in full or not. He used the knowledge that he had regarding this pressure point to cause me naught but agony."

"And you think it wise to tell me?" Kain asked in a soft and dark voice that made me shiver even though there was no malice hidden in his tone.

"I trust you and I follow you of my own free will," I whispered in a soft and small voice.

I licked my lips and dug my claws into the stone before I forced myself to relax as much as I possibly could. Tensing always made the pain worse. I needed to relax.

"You'll have to push hard..." I said with a slightly stronger tone.

" _Katrina_ ," he growled slowly.

" _Do it_ ," I hissed softly as I trembled beneath his hand. I fought to push down the need to force him away and flee the room. I _barely_ succeeded. "I _need_ you to see what this does to me, the _extent_ of what I am trusting you with."

He was silent for several long moments. His claws trailed a slow circle over that spot. He finally spoke.

"Very well," and he pushed down _hard_.

I let out a choked cry of pain as my entire body jerked violently as if I had been _shot_. My wings burst from my body only to land in a useless heap on the stone to either side of me. As it always did, it felt like _fire_ had been poured directly into my veins. All I could do was bite into my bottom lip to keep from crying out any louder then I had to. I felt Kain shift me around and I hissed at him weakly as he forced my mouth open and my fangs out of my lower lip. I couldn't help the faint keen that escaped as he pulled me back into the warm pool to rest upon his lap. The fluid was almost soothing to my body as it twitched with uncontrollable spasms.

"Do _not_ hurt yourself," he ordered with a growl as he licked at the wound I'd made with my teeth.

"Habit," I responded with a weak laugh. "K-keeps me from screaming too loud. He l-liked forcing me scream."

He snorted softly in response to my words as his fingers rubbed over my cheek.

"Stubborn and willful," he said. He tilted his head as he looked down at me. "But that _is_ what kept you alive, isn't it?"

"Never give up, never surrender," I murmured weakly as my body continued to twitch.

"Hnn."

He frowned after a moment and moved to push his thumb against his Mark under my ear. I let out a choked yip of noise as the pleasure that usually accompanied that touch just barely flickered through me. My body jerked at the jolt and I couldn't fight the soft, near begging keen for cessation that escaped me. He moved his thumb away from his Mark almost immediately after I made that noise. The jolt of pleasure _did_ help me, at least a _little_ , but my nerves were already far too raw from the pain for me to properly register the pleasure that he had tried to offer me. He let out another hum of noise and then dipped me a little lower into the blood pool, until the fluid was up to my neck. He kept a firm grip on the back of my neck and held my head propped up above the fluid even as he shifted me in order to rub firmly at my wings and shoulders. All told, under his ministrations it took a little under ten minutes for my body to stop trembling and, once I could move without causing myself more pain, I shifted to curl up against his chest.

"Thank you," I murmured softly against his neck as I took in his scent.

"You are _far_ too used to pain when it comes to your wings," he growled in annoyance. "I would rather you associate my touch with _pleasure_ at my hand, than _pain_ at his. I would have that habit of flinching fear _broken_."

I felt something shift within my mind and I abruptly remembered Eldar Kain biting into the base of my wing whilst also pressing a talon against his Mark. The mix of pleasure and pain that had rapidly transformed into pure bliss.

"Huh," I said with a blink as I sat up. I pressed a hand against my forehead. "Eldar you time-locked the memories or something."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a curious tilt of his head.

I told him what I had just suddenly remembered. His gaze flashed white briefly even as a dark and satisfied expression filled his gaze. I meeped loudly as he spun me around in order to pin me back against the edge of the pool and I shuddered with a high whine as he licked at the very base of my wings. His tongue tickled over skin and feather and sent jolts of sensation along my spine.

"You horny bastard!" I yelped out as his fangs scraped against the base of my left wing.

"Indeed," he responded with a dark laugh before he bit down.

Suffice to say, actual _rest_ was abandoned that night.

* * *

End chappie! please review!

As a side note; it may sometimes seem as if Katrina's moods may shift suddenly. Please keep in mind that she went through over 100+ years torture(exact amount of time will be revealed later). She actually has a severe level of PTSD and only her hardy vampiric nature is really keeping that at bay. She'll have breakdowns of course but tends to think that those breakdowns are signs of weakness. The 'Father' role that Janos is stepping into is designed to help her deal with her past instead of just ignoring it as it isn't healthy for even a vampires psyche to keep that kind of shit buried 24/7 and I hope to portray that properly as the story progresses.


	21. Battles won

Edits as of 06/17 with the help of my wonderful beta!

New chap! Some torture ref ahead for the first part if you have trigger issues or squick issues.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-one: Battles won...

I felt the familiar chill of the 'nightmare' as it creeped up on my mind. I was swiftly pulled from my normal dreams with a viciousness that dizzied me and left me prone on the 'ground'. I opened my eyes to see that familiar blackness and fog surrounding me. I shuddered under the weight of the cold air and pulled my wings close to my body. I stood and shifted into a defensive stance with my claws at the ready. I felt the sharp touch of claws as they scratched over my wings and I lashed backwards with my leg as I dropped low to the ground. Auron's cold laughter and cruel Aura filled the air around me. He suddenly appeared in front of me out of the foggy haze. I stood slowly, ready to attack him at a moments notice.

"Vous êtes devenus plus forts, my pet," Auron said with a smirk. "But never will you be strong enough to stand against me. You are mine and always will be. I will break you."

"Fuck you Auron," I growled as I bared my fangs at him in clear threat.

I struggled to hide the fear that had sparked in my chest. It helped that the sense of his Aura was less then Eldar Kain's. Auron's Aura no longer seemed quite so overwhelming to me now that I had a greater baseline to go off of. That knowledge more than anything gave me a boost of confidence that I could hurt the son-of-a-bitch in this place just as he hurt me.

"You will _never_ have me!" I snarled out.

He laughed cruelly and darted toward me. I raised a hand to block the blow meant to slash across my face and attempted to counter with a feinted punch to his groin that shifted swiftly into an uppercut to his jaw. The blow landed and sent him staggering back several steps. He licked the blood from his lips and his eyes flashed solid white for a long moment. I fell back into a defensive crouch and bared my fangs once more in a clear threat-gesture.

"Fort effet. Never say never, my pet," he growled softly and he looked me over slowly. A disgusting look of lust curled his lips and he let out a low purr. "I will enjoy forcing you to your _knees_."

The shadows thickened around us and the cold in the air grew stronger to the point where I could see the fog of my breath with each exhale of air. I took a startled step back when he suddenly disappeared from my sight. I barely had enough time to register the sensation of a hand upon my wing, when I suddenly heard the sharp cracking sound of bone breaking followed rapidly by a flash of agony that seared along my spine. I choked down my cry of pain even as I spun free from his grasp. Pain flared throughout my now broken right wing and I hissed at him in rage-filled warning as I tried to keep a good distance between us.

"I will have you _begging_ me for more," he purred as he stalked toward me. "More _pain_ , more _pleasure_. Anything and _everything_ that I can give you, my pet. You will _beg_ for it all."

" _Never_ ," I hissed at him. I lunged forward and snapped off a series of left/right slashes with my claws.

He dodged most of the blows that I sent his way but fell for yet another feint toward his groin. I managed to lay his cheek open a moment later when he moved to catch my wrist. His eyes again flashed solid white with power and he back-handed me hard enough to send me sprawling to my stomach. I tried to scramble to my feet but rapidly found myself firmly pinned to the ground with his knee in digging into the base of my back and his hands upon my wings. Another sharp sounding snap filled the air as he broke my other wing and I had to fight down yet another scream. I struggled to breathe past the pain that shot through me and my claws scrambled grooves into the ground. He leaned in close as he dug his claws into my back right above my shoulder blades.

"I will have your every orifice again and _again_ and you will plead for more," he whispered into my ear. "You will beg for the _honor_ of servicing me by the time I am through with you. You are _mine_ , my pet."

"Not... _your... pet_!" I snarled out through pain filled gasps.

I tried to roll away and his claws tore punishingly down my back as I moved. He tore the flesh of my back to ribbons from the base of my neck to the very base of my spine. He slashed at the membranes of my wings and I could feel it as his claws scraped against bone. I wondered dimly how this attack was going to affect my physical state and then pushed the thought away in order to focus on struggling free from his grasp. I managed to turn onto my side enough that I was able to land a solid backwards blow with my elbow to his groin while he was distracted with ripping my back apart. He roared as a result and threw me to the side as he cradled his injured groin. I hit my back roughly and gasped in pain even as I tried to roll back to my feet or at least get into a defensive crouch.

Auron stood from his hunched position and a spike-tipped whip appeared in his hand out of thin air. He smiled darkly, a vicious showing of fans and he snapped the whip out in a swift arch to strike at me. I yelped as the blow landed and tore open my cheek. I scrambled back a few feet and hissed at him.

"You know what you need to do in order to make this all stop, my pet," he said in a faux concerned tone. "Give yourself to me and this torment can end."

" _You will not have me_!" I roared at him from my crouched position.

He lashed out with the whip again and I raised my arms up defensively in front of me in an attempt to at least lessen the blow. A flash of light tore harshly through the 'room' and we both hissed with surprise as that sudden brightness. When I lowered my arms and could see again, I noticed that there was a barrier of some sort around me and a glow centered around my left wrist. The barrier had symbols upon it that twisted and turned, both drawing the eyes and forcing them away. I blinked at the barrier in confusion and a spark of hope flooded through me.

Auron let out a rage filled roar that I could barely hear and snapped the whip in my direction again. I flinched back but the barrier stopped the blow with another bright flash of light and Auron himself was forced back several steps as a result. He held a hand to his head as he stumbled and then struck out blindly at the barrier with his whip. I could not hear his resultant roar of rage but I could see clearly as he stumbled back and fell. I watched with wide eyes as he tried to attack me once more.

The light flashed blindingly bright and I jerked awake with a startled cry. I could feel a heavy weight on my thighs and there were hands pinning down my arms as well as my wings. Pain lanced down the line of my back in waves and I panicked briefly beneath the weight that held me pinned. Kain's Aura pulsed against me and I instantly relaxed under the familiar weight of his power. I panted heavily for breath even as I blinked and tried to clear my sight.

"Easy Childe," I heard Janos' voice to my left and felt his tri-taloned hands upon my wrists as he gave them a gentle squeeze. "Easy now. You are back with us now. You are safe."

I twisted my head around to look at him with another blink and then groaned softly as a flare of pain tore through me due to that movement. Janos moved his hands to make me hold my head still and he hissed softly in sympathy.

"Do not move my Childe," he ordered softly. "Your back and wings are quite the mess at the moment and need healing."

I blinked blearily at him and then noticed the bright glint of metal upon my wrist. I shuddered and trembled as shock started to assault the edges of my mind. I couldn't help the sudden, hysterical burst of laughter that escaped me.

"It worked... it _worked_!" I choked out in a strained voice that was near to giggly with my hysteria. "Barrier appeared around me... every time he struck at it he was pushed further away from me."

" _Good,_ " Kain growled from above me. "This means that he cannot hurt you as he has been any longer. Your back and wings have the appearance of someone who was poorly lashed."

"Oh... that's all?" I said blankly with another strained noise of pain as I tried to glace over my shoulder at Kain. He reached out and forced my head still. "He tore my back open to the bone in the 'dream state'."

Three sets of growls filled the air and I twitched as I heard Vorador's voice sound somewhere behind me and toward the right.

"You say that so damned _casually_ ," he growled out. "This bastard has done this before _in truth_ , hasn't he?"

"I... yes," I answered weakly.

I jerked as something cold was poured over a spot on my back. Janos hummed a soothing sound next to me as he began to spread that cold, thick fluid over my back with gentle passes of the back of his talons.

"Just a healing salve, my Childe," he said soothingly. "Relax now. Ah, Nikolai, wonderful, you found more of the salve. Hand it here. Are you willing to donate as well?"

"For Kat, anything," Nikolai said as he moved over and handed Janos a large jar.

"Stay a moment then, until we are ready. Fresh blood will do her good," Janos said to him and Nikolai dutifully moved to stand to the side.

Janos passed the new jar to Kain and he opened it to start spreading the salve across my back whilst Janos focused on my wings. I twitched and jerked painfully as they spread the salve over my wounded flesh. I could not stifle all of my cries of pain as each twitch tore at the wounds even as the healing salve began to boost my healing factor. Janos continued to speak soft and soothing words to me and Kain had to force my fangs out of my lower lip several times as I tried to stifle my pained cries out of habit. Vorador's voice echoed through the room again, a harsh and rage filled thrum of sound.

"It is one thing to enjoy pain and to give pain when both parties understand the _rules_ and have an agreed upon safe word," he snarled out, "to torture to gain information or to met out _justice_ or _vengeance_ in turn. To do this to one unwilling when there _is no cause_ is abhorrent."

"Safe... word?" I queried weakly as I glanced in his direction.

"She does not even know what I _mean_!" Vorador roared out and his Aura flared briefly as he threw up his hands. "Kain, you had best slay the worm that has caused this."

"Stop your blathering," Kain snarled out as he started to spread the salve over the base of my wings where the main joints lay. "Do not think her a weakling that needs be coddled and cannot handle her own foes. She will slay Auron herself."

Vorador growled back at Kain but refrained from speaking further. Kain's hands pulled away from my back and I watched him hand Janos the jar out of the corner of my eye. My entire back had started to go numb by then. I let out a soft and pained groan as the agony began to fade into a dull and bearable ache.

"Good, the salve is working," Janos said as he noticed my changed expression. He gave my hand a soothing pat. "Kain, shift her a bit. Nikolai, if you would?"

Kain shifted me slightly, not enough that I was on my side but definitely enough that Nikolai was able to move forward and give me unimpeded access to his wrist without my having to twist my head at an odd angle. I blinked at my human friend and frowned at him.

"You don' have to..." I started weakly.

Kain flared his Aura even as he leaned forward to nip my ear with a gentle, reprimanding bite. I gave a weak hiss at the nip and frowned at him.

"Silence yourself and feed my Little One," he growled softly.

Nikolai offered me a comforting smile as he pushed his right wrist toward my mouth in a mute offering. I let out a soft sound of apology, as I knew exactly how this was going to affect Nikolai's body. I then sank my sharp fangs gently into his willing wrist. He let out a grunt as I started to feed and his other hand lashed out blindly to lock onto Janos' wrist as the closest thing he could grab onto. Janos shifted himself around to wrap his arms around Nikolai, both I think to offer Nikolai something else to think about as pleasure wracked through his body and to prevent Nikolai from bucking free from the weakened grasp of my jaw.

I closed my eyes and curled up around Nikolai's arm as much as I could without aggravating my wounds. My hands reached out to clench his arm in a firm grip to prevent the willing food source from being pulled away from me as I fed. I let out a soft hum of hunger as his heart beat started to thrum through my mind.

The interesting thing about feeding from someone not already dying or paralyzed was that you could feel the heart beat of the donor bound within your mind as if your ears were right next to a heart monitor. One became far more aware of that heart beat as one's vampiric instincts called for the continued survival of the willing donor. A willing food source might deign to serve you again later on and thus deserved more care then a bandit on the road. I focused on that rapid heart beat as I fed, the beat a steady staccato rhythm against my tongue. Only when that beat began to tremble and give that first startled and forceful skip did I instinctively remove my fangs.

I let go of Nikolai's arm and blinked my eyes open to look at him. I felt a sudden flash of concern when he fell limp in Janos' grasp. I shifted to try to sit up and reach for him with a worried hiss. Kain was quick to push me back down onto my stomach in full and held me pinned down as I struggled weakly.

"Calm yourself and stay still lest you re-open your wounds Little One. They have only partly healed at this point," he ordered firmly. "The boy will be fine."

I twitched and indeed found it a little easier to move my wings. I couldn't help but squirm a bit under Kain's firm hands, but mostly stayed put as I watched Nikolai recover from my feeding. It took him almost a minute but eventually he gave a full bodied shudder and arched against Janos as he moaned weakly. He opened his eyes and blinked up at the ceiling.

"Ha, well," he said as he panted for air. "That was... _interesting_."

Vorador let out a soft snort of breath and he moved closer to inspect my back. Kain gave a soft, warning growl but allowed the older vampire to gently prod at the healing wounds. He inspected the damage to my back with an almost clinical air as the wounds slowly closed.

"All the time you have been here helping the Cabal and you have not fed another before now?" Vorador asked my human friend idly as he shifted one of my wings to check its' mobility.

"Normally help..." Nikolai paused as he swallowed and he let out a shuddering breath, "just by filling the blood vials. Never let anyone feed directly before."

"Congratulations on the loss of your maidenhood then," Vorador said dryly as his hand moved to my shoulder and he prodded the flesh there with a light press of his talons.

I swiped my claws weakly at Vorador because of that painfully prodding touch even as Nikolai let out a groan of annoyance and rubbed at his forehead due to the Eldar's words. Vorador caught my wrist easily enough and gave it a warning squeeze that made me hiss weakly at the tight grip. I tried to pull my arm back and he let me go only after he'd made it plain that I would not have been able to free my hand from his grip on my own with the weakened state that I was in. It was a subtle warning to not attack him again. He turned his head a moment later to address Kain as if nothing had happened.

"Her wounds should heal without any scarring by this point," he said. "I would suggest that she continue to rest for the day however as the underlying damage to the wing and shoulder muscles may take longer to heal."

He turned to leave the room even as Janos stood and gathered a near to boneless Nikolai under one arm. He leaned over the bed, easily able to support Nikolai without loosing his balance, and brushed my hair out of my face with his talon.

"The bracelet will have to be charged every few months," he said firmly. "It is also spelled as to not be removed without explicit permission and most individuals will find their eyes sliding off of the bracelet and will forget that it is there. Keep it on you at all times."

"Yes Sire," I responded with a small, tired and fang-hidden yawn.

Janos shifted Nikolai in his grasp so that he held the human in both arms as he turned and left the room. Kain started to rub his hands soothingly over my wings and he nuzzled his lips against my, now mostly healed, back bear the base of my wings. I twitched faintly under his touch, both pleasant and aching, but he only pulled me in against him so that my head rested on his chest as he laid down next to me rather than attempt more pleasurable pursuits that might well have caused me pain at that point. I tucked myself into his side with a small sound.

"Sleep now my Little One," he purred out. "This was a victory."

"Hnnn," I groaned tiredly, unwilling to voice coherent speech what with how exhausted I was. I curled up against his side.

I hesitated a moment but then extended my right wing out so that it was draped over the both of us. He let out a satisfied rumble and reached out his hand to stroke his claws lightly through the soft feathers of my wings. My eyes fell shut and I fell back down into a blissfully dreamless slumber.

-*-/-*-

Auron continued his attempts to attack me in my dreams over the following nights, but each and every time the cold, dark fog started to wrap around me he would find himself barred from approaching me thanks to the protective barrier produced by the bracelet that Kain had found. Auron would poke and prod at the barrier but each time he tried to force his way past it, he would be repulsed. It wasn't exactly a _restful_ sleep on those long nights but at least I no longer found myself waking up wounded due to whatever magic he or the Sarafan Lordling were using to affect me so.

The barrier came with its' benefits, but there was also a down side. With Auron hounding me for what felt like hours at a time during those dream visitations, once he'd finally 'leave' for the night I would find myself slipping into a true sleep that would be plagued with nightmarish memories of the past. As Kain had his own duties to tend to, he was not always there when I woke from one of those memory-based nightmares and I would find myself stalking the halls of Sanctuary during the early parts of the day. I did not need as much sleep as a human, but I still found myself plagued with a nightmare induced insomnia that was interfering with my normal, healthy sleep patterns.

On one of the mornings that Kain was there to sleep away the daylight hours, I woke from one such nightmare with a start. I tried to carefully squirm free of Kain's firm grip around my waist, hoping to avoid waking him up as I moved to get out of the bed. I'd barely gotten out of the bed itself before I suddenly found myself caught by the back of my shirt and tugged swiftly under the blankets. He nipped reprimandingly at my ear and let out a low grumble.

" _Yeowch_!" I hissed in pain and squirmed in his grasp.

I tried to push away by using my arms and wings but that merely resulted in my right wing locking up with a major cramp and I found myself curling around the twitching limb with a yelp. Now _normally_ I would have drawn my wings in to help them heal long ago but Janos had wanted me to leave them out to see if the magically damage limbs would heal at my normal rate of healing or not if the damage was no longer as critical.

I had been annoyed with the request but had allowed it as I realized that he had a point in that we needed to figure out how fast my wings could heal when not tucked away. Now though, I was regretting it because of the damned cramps that occurred whenever I moved them the wrong way. Kain let out an amused growl as he turned me onto my side and he began to rub at my cramping wing even as he nipped at my ear, though this time it was a lighter, teasing nip.

"Where do you think you are going, my Little One?" he asked. "You still need your rest."

"I just need to _move_ ," I grumbled at him as I grimaced in pain.

"And what has you in such a state that you cannot sleep?" he asked and his voice gained a more serious lilt to it.

I shrugged and relaxed as the cramping eased and stopped completely due to his skilled ministrations.

"Just memories," I murmured softly.

"What memories? Speak," he ordered softly as he started to trail his claws gently through the feathers of my wings in preening strokes.

"As if you want to hear me complaining about the past," I responded with a shake of my head. "It's nothing."

He rolled us both so that he was on top of me and had me pinned down on my stomach. His hand threaded through my hair and he tugged my head back at a near-painful angle as he pressed his fangs warningly to my throat. I stopped trying to pull free and let out a soft, submissive keen as I went still beneath him. He held me at that angle for a long moment before he pulled his fangs away, though he still kept my head tilted back as he hissed softly into my ear.

"Do not assume what I _do_ or _do not_ wish to hear, my Little One," his voice held a dark warning note to it and I shivered. "Running from your past will not strengthen you in the long run, it will only weaken you. Now. _Speak_."

"Alright," I said and then let out a sudden and pained laugh. "If Janos hadn't explained the Marks I'd still find myself confused as to why I keep submitting to you so damned easily. I never once gave in and submitted to even the smallest demands that Auron made. That's... what I've been dreaming of. Those damned _demands_ of his and the resultant pain when I denied him."

Kain's grasp on my hair eased and he moved his hand to rest against the side of my neck. His claws gently scraped over the line of my throat. He let out a soft and soothing rumble of noise as his Aura brushed lightly over me in a gentle caress.

"And what were some of those small demands?" he asked.

"Things like letting him bathe me and then clothe me as he wished and then I could get a decent meal as a result," I frowned and a soft growl rumbled in my chest. "I refused to let him touch me if I could help it."

"Wise. If you capitulated even in the smallest of things he would have taken advantage of it to make you do more," Kain said as he ran the back of one claw along the shell of my ear. "Was it only small things?"

"No... there's a _reason_ I don't like the thought of torturing other people beyond even what I was put through myself," I said with a shudder. "Sometimes he wanted me to help him 'punish' one of his other 'pets' for their bad behavior. I'd have gotten 'my own room' instead of the dungeon room that I was normally kept in if I had helped him. He even took me into the room that would be 'mine' and..."

I twitched at the memory and reached up to rub at the bridge of my nose. Kain grabbed my wrist as he moved off of me and to the right. He pulled me up so that I was able to lean in against his chest. I nuzzled against his chest and took in a slow breath through my nose in order to take in his dark, musky yet sweet scent.

"And what my Little One?" he prompted firmly.

"I... was forced to watch rather _detailed_ lessons in how to torture someone and keep them alive throughout the entire process," my breathing had picked up a bit. "Most of the time it still ended with their deaths but... I wasn't going to torture anyone for him. All I could do was watch and deny him my assistance."

"My stubborn Little one," he ran the back of a claw over my check. "What else has been haunting your slumber?"

"Hnnn," I shifted further into his touch and let out a soft sigh. So much about my own nature was the same as the vampires of Nosgoth, so I went with an assumption with my next words. "Did you know that heart blood can be addicting for a vampire if they feed on too much of it?"

His claw went still against my cheek and he frowned down at me with a look of almost concern. I relaxed against him further still at that look and felt an odd warmth settle deep within me.

"I do know this," he said in a careful tone. "You have shown no predilection for heart's blood however."

I flashed him a near to feral grin as I spoke.

"Only because I kept spitting the heart blood he'd try to force feed me back into his face," I said.

Kain burst into soft and dark laughter at my words. He licked the shell of my ear in a slow swath before he stood up. He reached out for the Soul Reaver and slipped it and its' sheath onto his back. He turned and crooked his claws at me.

"Come, let us work off that excess energy of yours. It has been some time since we have spared," he said with a smirk. "I would see how much you have learned from Vorador's Bride's and you are well enough for this at the least."

I chuckled as I stood. I moved after him to join him for the impromptu sparring session with an eagerness that surprised me.

-*-/-*-

It took another week for my wings and back muscles to heal enough support me in flight again even with my vampiric healing. Whatever magic Auron and the Lordling had been using to attack me in the dream state had left lingering ligament damage throughout my back. Any attempt to use them before they had healed resulted in pained cramping along the wing muscles and membranes. Janos conceded that if something happened in the future it would be best to do as I had been doing; draw them back within my body to heal unimpeded.

Once they were healed enough we went out to the canyons as a group. Kain and Vorador watched, each with an expression bordering on wistful, as Janos and I flew circles above the canyons. I wasn't able to fly long however and found myself landing near the land-bound pair far sooner then I would have preferred. I let out a soft groan as I alighted onto a smallish and low to the ground boulder next to the pair and reached back to rub at my shoulder. Kain moved over to my side and gave me a small shove to turn me around as he reached to rub at the base of my now very sore wings. I hissed at him softly, not really a threatening sound, more of a sound of exasperation, but I submitted to his ministrations readily enough.

The boulder I was on was fairly wide and Janos landed next to me a moment later. Between him and Kain I found myself being forced to spread my wings as they looked over the tense and somewhat pinched membrane muscle. I flashed Vorador an almost desperate look as Janos showed Kain how to massage the affected areas that were all but unnoticeable underneath the feathers. The green-skinned Eldar merely smirked at me. I let out a squeak of pain as they started to work on a particularly knotted bit of muscle and tried to pull away from them. Vorador laughed outright when they both pinned me down.

"Stay _still_ my Childe," Janos said firmly. "You will continue to find it hard to fly unless these muscles are made to relax."

"I _told_ you that they would have healed better the other way," I growled at him.

A talon flicked lightly over my ear and I grumbled as my instincts made me still at the reprimanding gesture.

"You've made your upset with the situation clear, my Childe," he said as he massaged away the knot in the wing he was working on. "Do not belabor the point further."

I grumbled but fell silent. Vorador chuckled again and I flipped him off. He raised a brow and tilted his head at the gesture.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" he asked, both amused and curious.

"Humans don't have this gesture here?" I asked with some surprise. "Archery is fairly prevalent here so... well, that's another difference I suppose."

Kain's fingers kneaded loose a small knot and I let out a soft groan of relief as the tightness along that wing finally eased up.

"What does it mean dear Katrina?" Kain prompted when I had remained silent for too long.

"Ah? Oh.. sorry," I shook the growing lassitude off and raised my hand and repeated the gesture. "Multitude of things that all amount to pretty much the same thing, 'fuck off', 'fuck you', 'shove it up your ass', 'up yours' or 'go fuck yourself and the horse you road in on' are all ways it can be used."

The three of them let out amused sounds at that and Vorador rolled his eyes at the last one. I lifted up my index finger to make a 'V' and chuckled.

"This one can be fun in my world. Hold it out like this," I held out my hand toward Vorador with palm toward him, "and I'm pretty much saying 'Yay! Victory!' or 'Yay! Peace and love!' to you depending on if I just succeeded in doing something or if I am just walking past you, respectively. Like this," I flipped my hand around to that the back of my hand was facing him and left both fingers up, "means the same thing as just flipping you off with a middle finger would."

"And why was such a distinction 'fun'?" Vorador asked with a confused tilt of his head.

"Most people who pissed me off at my old school never really realized it when I was insulting them and smiling at them nicely at the same time," I said with a lazy smirk. "Especially some of the asshat teachers I had to deal with."

"You've mentioned schools and teachers before," Janos said as he let go of my right wing. I gave the wing an experimental beat and found that it moved easier. "You were noble-born?"

"No...?" I said slowly. "I mean compared to the living arrangements for humans in this world the answer _could_ well be 'yes', but mom and I fell into the 'well-off middle-class' bracket back in my realm. Mom didn't have to work what with us being the beneficiaries of dad's will, but we weren't as well off as the upper class. I still had to work to pay my own way through college, but college is an _upper tier_ level of schooling. It's the law for everyone to go to school once they reach a certain age in order to learn how to read and write, social studies, history, maths, basics of science..." I noticed their surprised looks and had to smile. "Ignorance breeds fear and hate. My world has done much to focus on knowledge and part of that is making sure that everyone has the ability to go to school and get an education. Yet even then... we have our own problems."

"I truly doubt this 'schooling' of yours amounts to anything for humans," Vorador said with a sneer. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Is the planet round or flat?" I asked him in a dry tone.

"Round," he growled out in a 'well duh' tone of voice.

"Do we circle the sun or does the sun circle us?" I asked with a raised brow. Kain and Janos remained silent on either side of me and watched the two of us.

"We circle the sun," another 'duh'-toned answer from him.

"Hmm, on to something more complicated," I grinned at him. "Lava is..?"

"Lava is magma that reaches the surface of our planet," Vorador answered as his eyes narrowed on me. "My turn; what causes magma to reach the surface?"

"Oh, that's easy," I waved my hand at him. "The tectonic plates of the planet are constantly shifting and bumping against each other. When the pressure builds a 'break' can form and cause an eruption of molten earth. Voila, you have a budding volcano or an existing volcano goes off. What causes an earthquake?"

"The same shifting of said tectonic plates," Vorador answered as he grinned darkly.

This had to have been information painfully gathered through magical study and _at least_ a dozen human lifetimes worth of learning. I could see the clear amazement in his eyes that one as young as I knew at least the basics of such things. Kain reached out and rubbed the back of one of my wings as he looked back and forth between us, though he remained silent as we spoke. Janos suddenly pipped up with his own query.

"Name the states of matter," he said, ordered really.

"Solid, liquid, gas," I paused for a moment and then grinned when he started to look almost disappointed, "and plasma."

" _Ah_ ," he said as his brows flew up. He smiled at me with a proud expression that had me all but preening.

"Mind you, kids only learn about the first three and it's only later as an a near to adult that you learn about plasma unless you do self-studies," I said to him with a grin as I reached out with my wing to give him the Eldar a small push.

"And the rest?" Vorador asked.

"Basics learned by the time a kid is ten. There's even a fun experiment when learning about how pressure affects things when you mix baking soda and vinegar together," I said as I turned back to Vorador. "Humans on Gaia have made a lot of advancements and honestly, if I am stuck going back there, then I am going to bring some of the good advancements, _especially_ any medically-based advancements, back with me. Knowledge that can _help_ shouldn't be horded and can only assist those here."

"And weapons?" Kain asked dryly as his claws moved to scratch at the back of my neck. I shivered under the touch and looked at him with a serious expression.

"Some cats need to be left in the bag," I said to him. He tilted his head at me.

"Perhaps," he said.

-*-*/-**-*-

***french used, rough translation

vous êtes devenus plus forts = you have grown stronger/you became stronger

fort effet = stronger indeed

if someone is a learned french speaker/writer and I mussed that up please review with fix :)


	22. and Battles Lost

Edits as of 06/17 with the help of my wonderful beta

Another one up!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-two: ...and Battles Lost.

Once my wings were fully healed, I found that much of my time was spent running more reconnaissance missions for Kain. I was pleased with the assignments as it meant a majority of my time was spent in the air and that he was making use of my stealth based Gift to great effect.

Provance and Freeport had secretly, and completely, aligned themselves to Kain's banner thanks to our efforts with the underground railroad and we were making progress building rapport with two of the neighboring cities, Ziegsturhl and Nachtholm. Meridian however was proving to be a hard nut to crack solely on the merit that the Sarafan Keep had that damned barrier which prevented vampiric passage in most cases. It harmed even the Eldar among us and weakened them, thus neither Vorador nor Janos could lead an assault on their own despite their respective skills at fighting.

Still, the city itself was primed for action. Most of the humans that were not loyal to the Sarafan, and thus safely behind that damned barrier, were quite ready to throw off the Sarafan yolk. What few humans that had made the mistake of moving to Meridian in order to try to find better jobs, better lives, found themselves quickly regretting the move when their goods were confiscated immediately upon arrival to the city proper. The Lordling ruled the city with an iron fist and public executions of 'supposed vampire spies/slaves' rapidly started to become a common occurrence during the daylight hours.

The Lordling crossed a line when he executed a family all the way down to their _five year old child_ early one morning.

Nikolai and I felt the sting of failure the strongest when we heard the news. Here we were, the leaders of our little underground railroad and we had not gotten even a _hint_ of what the Lordling had been plotting. We had been unable to stage even the beginnings of a rescue mission to halt the unexpected execution. The humans amongst the Cabal had been equal parts shell-shocked and enraged at the public murder of the obviously innocent family. When I questioned Kain later that same day about his lack of surprise at the situation, he'd simply shrugged.

"I knew one who did much the same. A boy that history now calls 'Boy William the Just'. In the timeline I originally hailed from he was simply known as 'the Nemesis'," he tilted his head as he looked at me over the maps that he had been perusing before my interruption. "I grew up in a time where William's lust for power led him to do much as the Lordling is doing now. Why do you think I took the chance to slay William as a weakling boy? I would not be surprised if we were to suddenly hear news that the Lordling has started to behead, disembowel and impale peasants and warriors alike in their very own towns and villages. His actions _disgust_ me yes, but they do not _surprise_ me."

I'd paled at his words as I remembered that bit of history and rubbed at my face even as my wings drooped to brush against the ground.

"I see what you mean," I said to him. "But I hate that it is always the children that suffer the worst of the horrors that a world has to offer. I feel like I should be able to do _more_."

Kain had reached out to rub the backs of his claws up and down the wing closest to him in what was, for him, a small gesture of affection meant to sooth. He might curl around me like I was some sort of favored pillow when we slept, but it was rare indeed that he showed outright affection beyond the small, idle and near proprietary touches where others, those that were not Vorador or Janos at least, might see him. He had a habit of pouncing me in places where we might have someone stumble upon us and yet he seemed a private man when it came to any signs of anything that might be considered _tenderness_. A fact made plain when one of the other scouts made to enter the room and Kain's fingers yet lay upon my wing in an obviously affectionate caress.

"Leave and report to me later," he snarled at the scout as his fingers stilled against my wing.

"Y-y-yes sir!" the scout stuttered out in startled surprise and he bolted from the room without further prompting.

Kain stayed still for a few moments as he listened to the scout run off and then resumed the gentle, soothing touch for another couple of moments. I felt a small, warm burst of affection fill me at his capricious nature. I understood that some things would be private though and would not press him on this. He had an image to maintain after all and I did not need constant attention nor affection from him. He eyed me quietly for several long moments before he nodded his head.

"Continue as you have been my Little One," he said as he dropped his hand and turned back to the maps. "I will deal with the rest of it."

I had left him to his plotting and went off to get Nikolai and the others out of their funk. We had work to do and could not afford to dilly-dally about bemoaning the unforeseen tragedy. While we had already been working on getting families out of the capital city, our focus swiftly turned toward getting families with younger children out before the others when and where we could. The city was one of the largest though and had a population of almost seven thousand, most of that number counted amongst civilians.

That the Lordling was willing to slaughter _children_ without trial or notice meant that we had to move quickly. The bastard had his own plans though.

Perhaps because of the link that he had to Auron, or just it was just because he was that fucked up in the head, but the Sarafan Lordling abruptly started up a plan to bring in the children from the cities near by that were still mostly loyal to the Sarafan; Ziegsturhl and Nachtholm. One of the Cabal human runners from Ziegsturhl had burst into Sanctuary with that information late one night and damn near collapsed at my feet when he found me as I was talking with Nikolai.

"M'lady! Oh, thank the Pillars I've found ye," he said as he panted for breath. "I couldna find Lord Kain."

"He's out on a mission at the moment. What has happened?" I asked as I helped steady the man.

"The Sarafan Lord has started takin' all the children from Ziegsturhl and Nachtholm," the man said in a strained voice. "He's makin' it plain that they're to be held as hostages to ensure their continued loyalty to 'im. He ordered the deaths of ten of the little's _out right_ when their families refused to hand them over."

Nikolai and I shared a pained look before I turned back to the man.

"Do you know if they are bringing the children here to Meridian or not? And if so what route they plan to take?" I asked.

"Aye, here to Meridian, M'lady," the man nodded. "They plan to keep the little's behind the barrier to keep any vampires away from 'em. I got a glimpse of the cages they're puttin' the little's in too. Lined with runes they are, like the Gates. Sounded like they plan to take the river to the Great Southern Sea and then come in at the Port. Damn near killed my horse gettin' here in time."

"The Port is under their control," Nikolai said with a knowing wince. "We will have to attack before they get to the river or go with a force primarily made of humans."

"I know it ain't much M'lady," the man continued, "but I know they ain't left Ziegsturhl as yet. Still collecting little's from Nachtholm. Cities done its' damnedest to shore up what with them bein' on a lake. If we can stop this from happenin' then we'll have their loyalty for sure I'd think."

"Good man," I said with a note of relief. "If we can cut them off before they even get on the water then we'll have them caught regardless of the runes. Nikolai, take him to rest. I'll contact Kain over the Whisper."

"Alright Kat. I'll gather the others too," Nikolai said as he helped the man to one of the barracks.

~Kain?~ I Whispered.

I tried my best to focus my mental efforts on only reaching the _younger_ Kain and not the Eldar. I had not seen nor felt the energy of Eldar Kain since the visit at the Pillar's but that did not mean that he was not yet around the area somewhere. My attempt worked though. Least wise I _believed_ that it did as only one voice, not yet roughened by time, answered my mental call.

~What do you need Katrina? I am occupied at the moment,~ his voice fairly rumbled with battle-lust.

I blinked in surprise at the tone. He had not left to _fight_ anyone, just to get a bit of high quality ore that met his approval from a neighboring city. He had wanted Vorador to work on some new armor.

~We just got word that the Lordling is kidnapping children from Ziegsturhl and Nachtholm. He intends to bring them to Meridian and keep them behind the barrier from what the runner told me,~ I told him. ~From the sound of it, we have the chance to cut them off before they reach the river by Ziegsturhl.~

~Ah, good,~ Kain's voice shifted to that of a mildly pleased tone. ~I am currently near Nachtholm causing a bit of... _havoc_... amongst some troops that had the misfortune of stumbling across my path. Have Vorador lead my forces across the river and follow the north edge toward Ziegsturhl. Use your Gift to scout ahead of them and keep watch. I will keep these fools occupied for the time being.~

~It will take almost three hours to gather everyone and then reach the river. Our troops are rather scattered right now,~ I Whispered, a small note of concern clear in my tone.

~Do not concern yourself with me Katrina,~ he Whispered back firmly. ~I gave you an order.~

~As you will, my Lord,~ I responded with a note of fond exasperation in my tone.

~Good girl,~ he purred back.

I hurried to find Vorador, hidden away in his smithy, and let him know the plan. Janos had gone back to his old retreat to study the pieces of the basin the Lordling had been using and would be unable to help us. Vorador had put aside his tools and led me to the library. He took a few moments to look over the map of the area before he nodded his agreement with Kain's plan.

It took a little less time then I'd initially thought in order to gather up the needed vampiric and human troops that we had, as well as to send out runners to Provance to request backup from those hidden there. I took wing as soon as I was able and, cloaked in my Gift, I flew above the others and guided them safely toward the attack point. Vorador kept me up in the sky just as Kain had suggested so that I could act as their eyes for any sneak attacks. I kept circling the now hectic battlefield to warn our troops of anyone attempting a flank attack.

~Katrina!~ Kain's voice snapped in my head suddenly over the Whisper. ~I need you to fly over to Nachtholme Cove and retrieve two younglings.~

~Younglings?~ I asked in confusion.

I signaled a second Whisper to let Vorador know that I was needed elsewhere for the moment and received a curt 'understood' from the Eldar. I turned and caught a thermal as I winged my way toward the Cove.

~Yes,~ his voice was both annoyed and somehow impressed. ~They are getting in my way.~

As I reached the cove I saw what he had meant by his words. It was the pair of twins that Nikolai and I had saved a little while back. Young as they were, they had somehow managed to climb up onto a ledge that could not be easily reached by men weighted down by armor. They both had bows and were firing arrow after arrow at the warriors that were trying, and failing, to kill Kain.

I noted with no small amount of amusement that their shots would often take out warriors that had been attempting to attack Kain from behind. He would suddenly spin around to find himself deprived of what would have been a perfectly timed killing blow. I couldn't help but laugh as I landed just above the kids on a smaller outcropping that proved to be just barely wide enough for my feet. I dug claws into the stone outcropping and let my Gift drop so that they could see me.

"Hello again you two," I called down to them in a voice that was gentle yet loud enough to be heard over the din of the combat around us.

The boys shot went wide as he turned to look up at me with a grin, blood from a scratch trailing down his cheek. His arrow still managed to nail a warrior one the ass while his sister very carefully timed her shot to strike another guard before she, too, turned to look at me with a joyful little expression. I heard Kain let out a frustrated, snarling roar in the distance.

~Get those two _hellions_ out of here!~ he snarled out across the Whisper.

~You're just upset that they're stealing your kills,~ I responded with a mental laugh. ~I _told_ you they had potential.~

~ _Away_ with you woman!~ he growled and I saw a head go flying in the distance as he vented his anger on viable targets.

I laughed again at his reaction and then dropped down to gather the two children up in my arms. They both wrapped their arms around my neck and tucked their legs up around my sides in a way that left my wings free.

"Hold tight to me you two," I ordered as I wrapped my Gift around us and then leapt straight up into the air.

I flew as quickly as I could back toward Ziegsturhl and the relative safety of our own forces. I winged around the battle and swooped down in order to land close to where the others had started to gather the rescued children. I flared my Aura as much as I could in warning of my approach and saw a few heads turn to look up just as I dropped my Gift and came in for a landing. I passed the kids over to Alma when she rushed over to my side.

"Keep an eye on these two for me, will you?" I asked her.

"Of course, these two and all the other younglings," Alma responded with a smirk. "You get back up in the sky now and watch our backsides deary."

I laughed softly at her response even as I coiled my Gift back around myself and leapt back up into the air.

"Already on it," I called down to her as I loosened my Gift just enough to be heard.

The battle below continued along the same vein as before and, even with the runes etched upon their armor and swords, the Sarafan troops found themselves badly outnumbered by our own men. There had been no sign of the Lordling amongst them though and that knowledge made me frown. As the fighting began to die down, Kain made his way to the main group. He was close enough for me to hear him as he let out a satisfied growl. He had noticed the fact that we had barely taken any losses.

His eyes then landed on me where I sat entertaining the twins and a few other younglings. I had let them climb over me and examine my wings as I spread them wide. Only on occasion did I need to let out a warning hiss when small fingers tugged too hard at my down-soft feathers. As he walked over, the twins jumped to their feet. He came to a halt with a frown as they bowed and curtsied respectively.

"Thank you once more for our lives Lord Kain," they said together.

I had to stifle a laugh when his eye twitched in response to their thanks. He stalked past them and as he did so he let his hands drop to briefly rest upon the tops of their heads. A touch that lasted for all of a seconds time. He stopped next to me and let out a soft growl that sent the children around me scattering with cries of subdued and somewhat relieved-to-be-alive laughter.

Most of the lot, including the twins, ended up next to Alma and she welcomed the sudden attention. I smiled up at Kain from where I sat and he held out a hand to me. I placed my hand in his and he pulled me gracefully to my feet. My wings fanned wide for a brief moment to help me maintain my balance. He reached out and let his fingers run down along the edge of one wing. I could feel the strength of his satisfaction with the success of our battle. I let said wing push further into his touch with a happy little purr of noise.

"You did well to notify me of the situation and in gathering the others my Little One," he said after a long moment. "Thanks to our efforts, both Ziegsturhl and Nachtholm have agreed to follow under my banner. We now hold control of _four_ of the human cities."

"If only we could completely take over Meridian..." I started with a frown. I shook my head a moment later. "But I have no idea where the damned generator for the barrier is."

"I would not risk you going into that snake pit unless we knew _exactly_ where to strike," he said with a low growl. "As it is, we must rely on what little human reconnaissance we have from those merchants that are allowed within the Keep. Back into the sky with you, my Little One. Scout ahead for us."

"Alright," I responded with a smile.

Before I leapt to the sky, I allowed my wing push against him in a small nudge. He smirked at me in response and watched me as I went airborne. Only once I was high in the sky again, did I let my Gift wrap back around me to conceal me from sight. I winged around the group a few times as stragglers rejoined the main body of our small army. I then turned to wing back toward the river crossing that we had used to reach the northern side of the river.

I circled back and forth. I would fly ahead for a few minutes before I then circled back and behind the others. I wanted to make sure that no one was attempting to flank the men and take them from behind by surprise. Once the lot were safely across the river, I flew ahead toward the canyons to make sure the path was clear. I'd barely reached the canyons themselves when something slammed into me. _Hard_. An odd tingling jolt pulsed through me in a way that both caused me to loose my hold on my Gift and forced me to impact against the ground hard. I let out a cry of startled pain as I tried to look over what had hit me.

It was net. A _rune covered_ net!

I squirmed and writhed as I tried to get free of the heavy bindings that held me pinned to the ground. My strength had flagged beneath the power of the runes as they all but neutralized my vampiric side and I sound that I could no longer simply rip my way free of the thick ropes. I tried to reach through the Whisper to call out for help from the others and found even _that_ vampiric ability hindered because of the runes.

Still, I tried to shout over the Whisper as loud as I could. I hoped that either version of Kain might be able to hear me. I continued to try to find a way to undo the net that had tangled closed around my form. Someone grabbed me by my hair suddenly and distracted me from my goal. I let out a satisfied sound when that same someone yelped and drew their now bloodied hand away. I heard the ringing sound of a sword being drawn from its' sheath and I tensed as I prepared for a blow that might well kill me.

"HOLD!" a voice cried out suddenly. It was the _Lordling's_ voice.

 _Fuck, shit and damnation!_ I thought. I looked up and tensed as he approached my bound form.

"My Lord, you would have us spare _demon spawn_?" said the one who had drawn his sword. A sword that was now held with the point ready to stab down into my back.

"Demon spawn?" the Lordling echoed with a smile and a shake of his head. "She is no demon spawn, else she would be writhing in pain trapped as she is within that net. Or are you saying that you did not apply the runes properly?"

The man stiffened and straightened at the accusation that the Lordling threw his way. He lowered his sword to his side as he straightened and I relaxed minutely when the point was no longer held ready to sink into my flesh.

"My Lord, I have applied the runes to _hundreds_ of nets," the man said with pride clear in his tone. "They have _never_ failed to catch, wound and weaken our enemies."

"And yet this one is not screaming in pain, now _is_ she?" the Lordling asked with a hum of breath. "It stands to reason that _this_ is the one that I have been looking to free."

"My Lord?" one of the other guards asked in a confused tone.

I squirmed carefully beneath the netting and tried to cut at the bindings with my claws without the men noticing my movements. The ropes were of a steel-like metal weave however and I found that I could not to cut through them with my strength being sapped to that of an above average human.

"Come now, think man, _think_ ," the Lordling cooed out as he reached down to grab the net. He twisted the netting and forced me onto my back. I winced at the pressure that action put on my wings. "What hurts all vampires regardless of the centuries they have stolen by partaking of our blood, hmm?"

" _Ah_. Of course, My Lord," said yet another warrior.

I watched at that particular male pulled a water skin from his belt.

The next thing I knew cold water had been dumped over my head and I sputtered in anger and annoyance as the water soaked into my hair and clothes. I growled and bared my teeth at them as they stared at me with dumbfounded expressions. They had clearly been expecting me to start screaming in pain at the barest touch of water. Instead I glared contemptuously at them.

"See? This is the poor angel I have been trying to find. She who has been tortured and tormented by the vampires," the Lordling said as he grinned at me. Though his men could not see it, the smile on his lips was cold and cruel. "The _poor_ angel is a _tortured_ creature that needs our holy aid. Here, see the white amongst all these red feathers? The _poor dear_ has had to have had her wings damaged badly time and time again to have them changed so from their natural, _pure_ color."

He grabbed the net again as he spoke and forced me around so that I was suddenly pinned on my stomach. He then grabbed onto my right wing in an almost gentle grip and signaled for one of the men to hold up a torch. The men crowded around me as I tried once more to pull free and I heard them as they started to mutter to each other when they noticed the small patches of white that the Lordling had pointed out to them.

He was using the knowledge given to him by Auron to try to spin a viable reason for keeping me alive now that they had caught me. I could not even say that it was _not_ a vampire that had caused me harm. Damn them both for this... this _indignity_! I twisted around in the net and tried to bite at the Lordling's hand even as I let out a hiss of rage. He grabbed a handful of my hair, careful to only grab at the top of my head in order to avoid the sharp spikes, and he held me still.

 _Damn these runes for leaving me so weakened!_ I though angrily. _If only I could get free of this cursed net!_

"Poor dear does not even _know_ what she does, so abused is she. Come, let us get her back to the keep," he said. "We must tend to her and free her from the spells cast upon her."

A sudden pulse of magic flooded over me and I let out a startled gasp. My vision wavered and then dimmed as sleep a spell hit me and forced me into an unconscious state.

-*-*/-**-*-

I awoke slowly to consciousness once more and I let out a faint groan at the muddied sensation within my skull. I shook my head to try to clear away the spell induced fog that was clouding my thoughts. I realized that I was propped up on something soft and that my arms were also bound up above my head. I blinked away the last of the fog and looked around to try to figure out where I was. It took a few moments, but I realized that I was in the Sarafan Lordling's room.

I frowned when I realized that I was sitting upon a queen-sized bed, propped up close to the headboard. When I glanced up I saw that my wrists were bound above me with Hylden-runed shackles. Shackles that were connected to a chain that looped through a ring bracketed to the wall above the headboard. The chain ran to the ceiling to where yet another ring projected from the wall and from there to a thick hook on the far wall to the right of me.

I blinked a few times and then looked myself over. I contained a sigh of relief and found myself grateful that I was still dressed. I started to test the bindings to see if I could somehow pull free of them when a hand brushed against my left wing. I let out a warning hiss as I pulled away from that touch and I rolled as far as the chain would allow me to so. I ended up in a crouch with as much distance between myself and the one who touched me. The Lordling stood next to the bed with his hand outstretched and a smirk on his lips.

"Auron has told me quite a bit about you my dear," he said with a dark grin as he tapped his finger against the stone necklace. "His dear little wayward _pet_."

"I am _no one's_ pet," I hissed at him as my wings flared in warning. "And Auron is nothing but a _monster_."

"Oh? A monster is he? Well then, I _must_ say that he is a monster after my own heart," the Lordling said as he pressed a hand to his chest with a mocking bow. His eyes never left my own. "All I need to do in order to gain the power that I want here in Nosgoth, is return _you_ to him. That is what I was testing when you so rudely interrupted my ritual that one night. I was performing a test to see if the Path Stone would indeed open the doors to another dimension as he said it would. It was a successful test, even if it did release another of your kin on this world."

I tugged harshly at the chain even as I growled at him. I filed the name of the necklace away for later even as I bared my fangs at him in threat.

"You are nothing but a _pawn_ ," I said to him in a snarling tone.

"Perhaps in some ways I am. But I am a _powerful_ pawn and I will eventually own all of Nosgoth," he laughed cruelly. "You though, _you_ will be returned to Auron."

"Auron cannot reach me here and I have no plans to ever suffer his touch again," I bit out through my teeth. "And you _will_ be stopped, you foolish little bastard."

"Ah... as if you could do _anything_ to stop me, human weak as you are right now thanks to those runes," he tilted his head and looked me over slowly as he licked his lips. "Auron has often complained to me that there is no equivalent magic to the Hylden runes in your Gaia. I imagine that it would have made _breaking_ you so much easier. As for his touch... well..."

The Lordling's ice-blue eyes suddenly changed to black, a dark black that fairly glowed with malevolent light. A cruel laugh escaped his lips and his entire posture had changed. A sultry smile crossed his lips even as he drew a dagger from its' sheath at his waist. I flinched back when I recognized the posture and smile as Auron's. Fear flooded through me at that knowledge. He laughed again as I tried to move further back and strained against the bindings that held me trapped.

"Ah, the wonders of magic," he said in a voice that was a distorted, grotesque mix of both the Lordling's and Auron's voices. "I can ride the boy's flesh any time I wish at this point, all thanks to his magic and the Path Stone."

He twirled the dagger slowly between his fingers and then eased himself up onto the bed.

"Now... you and I need to have a _talk_ my pet," he purred.

"Hell no!" I choked out as I kicked out at him with my leg.

Just because the runed shackles left me only human strong did not mean that I had lost the skills which I had learned in my time here. The blow landed as intended and knocked him back and nearly off of the bed. He let out a low growl before he lunged at me and punched me squarely in the jaw. I yelped at the blow, my reflexes dimmed as much as my strength and then kicked out again in order to try and push him back. I tried to stand on the bed to get into a better fighting stance and he waved his hand at me.

A burst of powerful magical lightning slammed into me and sent me to my knees with a hissing cry. I attempted to stifle the sound of pain that tried to escape my lips, knowing that he would enjoy it. He was upon me a moment later and the next I knew the dagger that he had been holding was buried deep in the inner thigh of my right leg. He twisted the dagger harshly as he forced my legs apart. He then wrapped his hand around my throat and settled himself along the line of my body. I snarled both at the weight that bore down on me and the pain that flared in my wings at being pinned one my back.

" _Hush_ now, my pet," he purred out as he licked my cheek. "You are _so_ eager to again feel pain at my hand, aren't you?"

"I am not.. _your_... _pet_!" I roared at him.

I grunted in pain as he twisted the dagger and then forced it deeper into my thigh. His hand tightened around my throat and as it did so, his thumb brushed over Kain's Mark in a way that made me twitch. It felt wrong, _perversely_ _wrong_ , for him to have touched that Mark. He jerked his hand back with a soft, enraged hiss of breath. When I looked, it appeared as if his thumb had been mildly burned. My eyes widened at the sight and I bit back a sound of pain when he suddenly wrenched my head back and to the side at a painful, exposed angle.

-*-*/-**-*-

WARNING SEXUAL ABUSE AHEAD. TRIGGER WARNING.

You have been warned!

-*-*/-**-*-

"What is this?" he asked in a deadly, dark tone as I felt a weakened pulse of his Aura push over me. A pulse that originated from the stone necklace. "What is this _Pet_?!"

I sneered at him and spat in his face instead of answering his question. He let go of my head and backhanded me hard across the face. I winced as the blow twisted my head to the side but made no sound. I continued to remain silent as I turned my head back around. I glared at him defiantly as I tucked my chin down and bared my teeth in threat once more. I wasn't going to tell the bastard a damned thing.

"Who Marked you?" he snarled and then roared in my face. " _WHO MARKED YOU_?!"

"Go fuck yourself," I hissed at him.

He backhanded me again and twisted the dagger harshly in my leg. I let out a grunt of pain and had to bite my lip to keep from crying out at the agony that flared in my thigh. I would not allow him the satisfaction of hearing me scream, not if I could help it. Again and again he slammed his fist into my body and I grunted at each impact but managed to keep from screaming out as I endured the onslaught. I'd survived beatings like this before without breaking and I would do so again. His hand abruptly closed around my neck and he forced my head back once more, forced me to bare my throat in a mockery of submission.

" _Who_ marked you my pet? Was it that winged _bastard_ that escaped the Hylden realm?" he snarled into my face. "Are you his willing little _whore_ now? Or perhaps that green-skinned Eldar who led the attack on the Sarafan Lord's troops to save the little ones two nights ago now? He is as much a sadist as I am from what my host has told me. Did you go to _him_ for the pleasure to be found in pain instead of _returning to my side_? _Who did you give yourself to pet?_!"

I spat into his face again and tried to twist my head down to bite his arm. If I could only sink my fangs into the human and feed upon him to weaken the bastard whose skin Auron was riding, I might well be able to get away. Another jolt of electricity snapped through me though when I tried to bite him and my body jerked. I let out a cry of pain that I somehow could not suppress.

"The boy's magic makes this _so_ much easier," he growled. Rage still suffused his tone.

He sneered at me and reached down. He to started to yank off my pants and I let out an enraged shout. I struggled against him and I tried to kick at him with my free leg. A longer pulse of electricity coursed through my body and it caused me to spasm uncontrollably. He used that time to tear off my pants in a way that yet left the dagger embedded to the hilt in my right thigh. Clawless fingers started to scratch harshly over my inner thigh. He then moved his finger higher and began to rub at my folds.

I hissed in rage at that touch and tried to pull back from his now questing fingers. His hand closed over my crotch and a strong burst of that electrical magic flooded painfully right into my core. I yowled and bucked as pain tore through me in a near blinding wave of pure agony. I tried to pull away from his grasp as he let out a cruel laugh.

"It is _so_ much easier to make you _scream_ this way," he growled out in that dual voice with a dark grin. His voice changed to a mockery of gentleness. "Tell me who marked you pet and I will stop. Know as well that I will _kill_ the bastard or bitch that _dared_ to Mark what is _mine_. I will make you watch as I _rip out their heart_ before you. I will take away whatever _shred_ of protection you _think_ they might have offered to you. _You Are Mine_."

"N- _never_!" I managed to hiss out despite the continued onslaught of pain.

He chuckled darkly as he pulled his hand away. I slumped against the bed and gasped for breath. My body continued to jerk and twitch from the pain even though the flood of electrical magic had halted when he had removed his hand. He smirked down at me and trailed a finger down along the line of my stomach.

"The boy is right," he purred out idly in that dual-voice.

I realized that the Lordling was somehow still aware of what was going on. I snarled in rage and started to struggle in earnest at the realization that they were both aware of what Auron was doing as he rode the boy's body.

"I should check to be _certain_ , shouldn't I?" he purred out in a threatening tone,

"Don't you fucking _touch_ me!" I roared at him.

I then screamed with fury and indignation as two fingers suddenly plunged into my core. He started to prod and twist his fingers around within me and I tried to pull away from that foul touch. His fingers hooked within me and then spread wide as he started to force my core to open for him. I let out another roar of denial as I bucked and struggled to free myself of his touch.

"If you are no longer my _innocent_ little pet," he purred darkly as he used the grip he had on the dagger buried in my thigh to keep my legs spread wide, "then it does not _matter_ if I am gentle with you any more, now _does it_? I will have what is mine. Yield to me now and I will at least gift you _some_ pleasure as I take your body and spill seed within you."

"No! _NO_! Let me _GO_! _Damn you_!" I screamed out.

I was near to tears at that point and I tried frantically to pull away from him. He started to thrust his fingers in and out of my body harshly. He hooked those fingers within me in order to drag his nails painfully against my inner walls. If he'd have had claws, he would have slashed me open. I hissed at him and tried to kick out at him again. He blocked my weakened blow and laughed at me.

"Ah, then we will continue to have our _fun_ , my Pet. Scream nice and _loud_ for the both of us now," he said in a dark voice.

He twisted the dagger in my leg again even as he rammed a third finger into me. I struggled to choke down the sudden, strong urge to sob as those fingers scissored within me and forced me open, forced me to take them deep. I desperately poured every ounce of energy I had into a focused, Whispered shout to the _one_ person that might be able to help me, to save me.

~ _KAIN_!~

-*-*/-**-*-


	23. Rescue Mission

Edits as of 05/2016.

Next up!

This one switched from first person POV to third person POV with Eldar Kain and Raziel for the first part. I know most of this has been first person but these two held me at Reaver point in order to have a chance at the spotlight. You do NOT argue when you have two versions of the soul reaver blade at your neck... -Cries-

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three: Rescue Mission

Eldar Kain and Raziel had not been idle in the time that had followed their visit to a fledgling Katrina.

The parasite that had dubbed itself the 'God of the Wheel' had taken Kain's threatening words that it had best 'burrow deep' to heart. The eldritch creature had seemingly disappeared from their sight once more and could not easily be found. They had thus used the time available to them to traverse much of Nosgoth itself in search of further Ancient and Hylden artifacts that might aid them in their fight against the parasitical monster.

To that end, Eldar Kain had them searching for the Seer. While Kain's younger self believed the Witch dead, Eldar Kain had the foresight that was gifted to him by the Chronoplast itself and, after a brief perusal of said device, knew just where and when to seek her out at the particular junction of time they were in; a small hut just inside the wild edges of the former Dark Eden.

The lands of Dark Eden had recovered after Kain had defeated the corrupted Pillar guardians; DeJoule, Bane, and Anarcrothe. The land was no longer being affected by the twisted magics that the guardians of Nature, States and Energy had wrought upon it in their madness. As such, very few of the monstrosities that Kain been forced to fight in his youth still existed to roam the wild terrain. Even now the landscape was considered unholy by humans and to them the lands were to be avoided at all costs despite the potential bounty of the land. The vampiric duo did not hesitate to enter the wild forest.

"If this witch, this Seer, is indeed a Hylden as you believe... why are we going to her for aid?" Raziel growled out.

His annoyance was plain as they landed at the edge of the forest and Eldar Kain reverted from bat form to his normal state of being. They started past the twisted boughs that hid a long overgrown path.

"There is much that we still do not know about the Hylden beyond the biased writings that were left behind by the Ancients. Do recall that history is written by the victors Raziel. This limits our knowledge regarding the entire Hylden species," Eldar Kain said as he glanced over his shoulder at his Childe. The Eldar turned his head back around and continued deeper into the forest. "We know that the Parasite tricked the Ancient vampires into starting a holy war and yet... the Hylden did not fight in such a way that would feed the bloated beast by slaying their enemies. No, they instead cursed the Ancients with immortality and denied the Parasite his intended meal. So, too, was he denied a feast of Hylden souls with their subsequent banishment to the Demon Realm. A strange thing when one thinks upon it long, yes?"

Raziel came to a abrupt yet brief halt. He shook his head and then quickened his pace in order to catch up with his Eldar whom had not slowed his pace one bit as Raziel processed what had been said.

"You make it sound as if someone knew the _truth_ of the Elder Go-" Raziel started as he caught up to Eldar Kain's side.

Eldar Kain's talons flicked out suddenly and cut over Raziel's left ear in a reprimanding gesture that had not been used on the dark haired vampire since his early fledgling days. He snarled at the gesture and slashed his own taloned hand down in a cutting motion as he backed a step away from the taller vampire lord lest he be caught but another unexpected action.

"I am no _fledge_ for you to curb!" he bit out with a growl. To be treated like a fledge at all was wrath inducing for him.

"No, you are not," Eldar Kain responded with a sneering smirk as he looked Raziel over. "And yet even a fledge Katrina had sense enough to correct you when you called the creature such. Do not call that parasite a 'God' again Raziel, you will not like it if I must correct you a _second_ time."

Raziel stiffened at the implied threat in the Eldar's darkened tone and then, some tense moments later, he bowed his head with the slightest baring of his throat in acknowledgement of his Sire's, his Lord's, words. They continued on from there in silence until they reached a small path that wad marked only by a handful of bird skulls mounted upon a small branch. Eldar Kain turned to follow the path and Raziel followed silently.

"As to what you were saying," Eldar Kain said as he pushed aside a thick branch. "Who else but one who lived in that time might know the 'why' of the situation at hand? Perhaps someone of a clearer mindset saw the threat of the Parasite and moved to act as they could to stop it."

"And why not warn the others of the truth then?" Raziel queried.

"Have you ever tried to change a fanatic's mind, my Raziel?" Eldar Kain asked in a dry tone as he looked backwards and raised a brow at the younger vampire/reaver.

Had Raziel still been human, he might well have blushed under the gaze that his Sire sent his way. He knew that there were many times, even in the recent past, that his own rage had blinded him to the truth that Kain had been trying to guide him toward. He'd been led about, pulled between Kain and the Elder Parasite, both of them vying for his loyalty even as they fed him their own versions of the truth. Yet one thing could be said in Kain's favor; after Kain had damaged his wings and thrown him into the Abyss, he had not demanded Raziel's continued loyalty and obedience the way the Parasite had. Kain had only wanted him to find and then see the truth for himself and decide his course of action from there.

It had been a weaving and winding path put before him and Raziel had only come to see the truth of Kain's true destiny as the Scion of Balance recently. As such, he still berated himself on falling so long for the clever manipulations of the very being that desired to consume Nosgoth down to the last soul. Raziel had not realized it, but he had come to a halt as he contemplated the twisted and convoluted path that had led them here. Eldar Kain noticed the pause in his Childe's movements and turned back around in order to walk to Raziel's side. He reached out with a taloned claw and tilted Raziel's head up. The sharp pointed tip dug gently into Raziel's chin and he did not fight against the touch nor pull away as he met his Sire's gaze.

"Enough melancholy thoughts, my Raziel," Eldar Kain purred out in a low tone of voice that made Raziel shiver. "You said it yourself; you are as you were, _my right hand_."

"As you will," Raziel responded in a careful tone, "my Lord."

Eldar Kain let out a hum of approval as he scratched his talon along Raziel's jawline. The sharp talon tip raised a welt but not blood as it traced that severe jawline. He turned and started back down the overgrown path.

"Now let us continue on," the Eldar said firmly.

They found a small hut tucked neatly against a sharp cliff. The light of a hearth fire lit the windows with a warm, welcoming glow and Eldar Kain moved toward the door without pause. Raziel raised a brow in surprise both when the door opened without Eldar Kain having to knock and at the fact that a distinctly female Hylden let them inside without word nor greeting as if she had been expecting them. The Seer spared Raziel a small smile as he passed her with a wary gait and she shut the door behind them with a gentle click. She moved over to a small cabinet and pulled out two mid-sized vials of what was clearly blood-wine. She handed both of the vials to Eldar Kain.

"The last time I saw you," Eldar Kain said with a smirk as he automatically checked each vial's seal over for tampering, "you were not well pleased with my presence. Yet now you offer me and mine _blood-wine_. I find myself wondering what has changed."

" _You_ did," she said with a soft laugh as she moved to tend to the pot that simmered over the flames of the hearth. "You were overbearing and annoying in your youth. Demanding to the point of foolishness even as you heeded to your Eldar's wisdom in seeking me out for assistance."

Raziel's wings twitched in surprise at the bluntness of the Hylden woman's tone and he raised a brow at his Sire as he watched for a reaction. Eldar Kain merely laughed as he opened one of the vials in order to catch the scent within. He eyed the vial with a pleased look even as he continued to speak with the Seer.

"So your initial refusal to help me in my youth was merely a test?" Eldar Kain asked with a smirk. He took a small sip of the blood-wine a moment later and let out a pleased thrum of noise.

"One that you both passed and failed at the time," she responded as she set aside the spoon that she had been using to tend to what smelt like rabbit stew. "Now you are older and wiser, less likely to bandy about threats at every turn."

"And yet I could still be of threat to you," Eldar Kain purred out with a low, near sub-harmonic growl that echoed with a testing threat.

"And I would _believe_ those threats as you are now," the Seer said as she took a seat. "So. You would know the truth of the Hylden and the Ancients?"

"Another Oracle to suddenly know what we need," Raziel growled out suddenly with a bitter frown.

The Seer turned to look at him with a saddened expression upon her face.

"I am called a 'Seer' for a _reason_ , my friend," she said softly. "Unlike Moebius who only saw the future paths that he wished to shape and the Parasite that can see just enough of the future and of the past in order to manipulate those who might listen to his siren's call, I myself am cursed with the blessing to see _all_ the possible dimensional timelines tied to the planet called Nosgoth."

"'Dimensional timelines'?" Raziel asked with a raised brow.

"Time and Dimension work hand in hand young Reaver, something that Moebius never truly realized. Be grateful for that, he would have posed a _far_ greater threat had he realized such a thing," she said.

She reached to pick up a ball of yellow yarn. She then cut free two strands of yarn and held them pinned between her fingers as she raised them up for the males to easily see.

"You would see each of these strands as a single timeline yet that is not the case. It is the tiny threads of each string that make up a thousand timelines based upon a thousand different choices. Some choices are large, change and chance made manifest in one burst of action. Some are small, a singular pebble that ripples outward to cause a tsunami of change years, if not centuries, later. You must understand though, that each string is its' own dimension and that each thread fights to remain wrapped around the others. This twining pull maintains the shape of that particular dimension. Sometimes of course, a single timeline can branch off..."

Here she reached out with a claw far more delicate the any vampires and pulled free a single thread of one of the strings and she then began to thread it through the second piece string so that it seemed as if the string originated from that one thread.

"... and a _new_ dimensional timeline can be forged with its' own series of choices and paths, failures and successes," she said as she held up the now connected strings. "This is what many different versions of yourself were able to do, Raziel, when you accepted that final, purifying sacrifice to cleanse Kain's sight. Other versions fought back against their imprisonment to the detriment of their world. Others still were somehow slain in truth. The willing sacrifice that you made was one of many key events that helped to shape the path now before you."

"I believe I understand what you mean, but why do you stress my sacrifice so when it comes to alternate versions of myself?" Raziel asked. "I do understand now that I have indeed had the freewill to chose and help shape our world's future, yet you say one of _many_ key events. Why?"

Eldar Kain remained silent as he leaned back against the wall, open vial in hand. He too was curious as to what the Seer was getting at.

"Because Raziel, sometimes the impossible happens and paths that were _never_ to have been walked are cleared for one to traverse with impunity," she said.

She set aside the two strings she had bound together and picked up the yellow ball of yarn and then a second ball of blue yarn. With a pulse of magic she pulled at the two balls of yarn at separate points and meshed the two strands that were pulled free together to make a single green string of yarn. Eldar Kain's breath hitched almost un-noticeably as he pushed away from the wall.

" _Katrina_ ," he said.

"Yes," she smiled at them. "Unnoticed, unaware, her mere _presence_ in this dimensional timeline has changed so much just with her arrival. Yet, I cannot even See her unless she is with another Key Player such as yourselves. The Time Line does not register her like it would you or myself because she is not _from_ here. And yet she can affect so much without realizing it. This, I believe, is part of the reason you were drawn to her so swiftly Kain. Not merely due to your _vampiric_ instincts, but also those instincts driven by your being _both_ the Balance Guardian and the Scion of Balance. By knowing in your very soul that she is a queen piece from a third chess set that should _never_ have been put into play. I say one thing more; I know for certain that her presence has allowed for something that should never have happened in this particular dimensional timeline."

"And what is that?" Raziel asked with a sudden, knowing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"Hmm, it seems that you can answer that _yourself_ , can you not young Reaver?" the Seer said as she turned to look at him.

He swallowed harshly even as he met the Hylden woman's gaze. Not out of fear of the woman, but of the cold knowledge that became crystal clear in his mind. Fear of a path that he had somehow avoided, yet accepted, when he had willingly submitted to the Reaver. Fear of something that was near enough to non-existence, something that was terrifying to contemplate for one who had seen countless centuries. It had taken more courage to face that choice with eyes wide open than it might have had he been _blind_ to the knowledge of what awaited him...

"I was never supposed to be anything but the sword, the Soul Reaver, after my sacrifice," he said in a pained voice. " _Forever_ trapped. Bound by sensory deprivation so complete that I would have eventually gone mad within the blade."

"Exactly," she answered in a soft and gentle tone that somehow did not grate on the prideful males nerves. "Her vitae mixed with Kain's, feeding him the energy of both a human and a vampire not of Nosgoth. That combined essence from her world passed from Kain to you, both when he raised you and from the blood he has shared with you over the centuries, gave you what energy, what _other-worldliness_ you needed to shape yourself anew after that willing sacrifice. It was not a _blind_ leap of faith that you took, but it was still _a_ leap of faith and her essence allowed for, if you will, a _cosmic reward_ for your knowing sacrifice."

Raziel held out his hand in a silent request for the unopened vial of blood-wine. Eldar Kain passed it over and his Sire's expression seemed somewhat pained at the thought of having potentially lost Raziel forever to the Reaver blade. Raziel knew that Eldar Kain had done his best to save Nosgoth and spare Raziel his fate in his efforts to find his 'coin's edge'. He knew as well that Eldar Kain had thought Raziel lost for good. Raziel shook his head to clear away his dark thoughts and opened the vial of blood-wine. He swiftly put the rim of the bottle to his lips and tilted his head back.

Though the vintage of the blood-wine was most likely both potent and exquisite, Raziel barely noticed the taste as he downed the entire vial in a few harsh gulps. What he _did_ notice was that the blood-wine was potent enough that it managed to burn his throat, the pleasing burn of a powerful alcohol. He moved to one of the few chairs in the small hut and sat down roughly. He rubbed at his face with the heel of one hand and let out a soft grumble.

"It seems I owe her more then I had thought possible," he muttered a few moments later as he leaned back in the chair.

"Indeed," Eldar Kain said as he took a longer pull from his own vial of blood-wine. "Yet we need information other then the _certainty_ that Katrina's presence has changed things from whatever course they may have followed otherwise. Tell me; what is the _true_ history regarding the Hylden and the Ancients and the war between them?"

"It is a sad history. _Both_ of our species believed in the sanctity of The Wheel," she started to explain as she stood and set aside the balls of yarn. Once her hands were free they fairly danced in the air and she spoke with a wistful expression upon her face. "Of life and death and eventual rebirth. Of finding ones dearest allies and loved ones in the next life. Of taking the path not followed the first time 'round and seeing what might be found. Perhaps one might be human one life, Hylden the next, Ancient after that or even return as the wolf or the raven. We _knew_ that the soul was not destroyed upon death. We had ways, both magical and technological, to track and follow souls as they chose new forms. There was _no doubt_ that there was a Wheel of Life, Death and Rebirth. The Hylden were more prone to follow technological advancements in their pursuit of that shared belief whilst the Ancients focused on the magical aspects of the world. In the beginning, our societies were able to mesh in many ways. There were those amongst each of our species that were more gifted with either magic or technology respectively and those prone to a particular skill set were welcome amongst their like minded brethren despite their natural forms. We did not hate each other then. Oh, we had our outliers, our monsters, our thieves and murderers amongst each species, but there was no pain of _outright_ _war_. The young Human species had even started to show signs of potential brilliance. It was our Enlightened Age."

The Seer's hands fell to her side and her expression turned sorrowful. The two males shared a glance and Eldar Kain grimaced as he thought of his own Empire's decline as the evolutions of his Childeren became more and more horrifying each time they awoke from their Torpor. Madness had taken root so thoroughly through the ranks of the vampires and only Kain himself had seemed immune toward the end. The Eldar shook his head and looked back at the Seer.

"Did you not realize that the Parasite was a threat beneath the land? With all that magic and technology available to you were not _aware_ of it?" Eldar Kain asked.

"No, we did not know of it, not at first," she answered with a shake of her head. "We also never really figured out _where_ the Parasite came from. By the time we began to realize that the Oracle of the Ancients was in truth the very Parasite that was _eating away_ at the life-stream of Nosgoth, it was far, _far_ too late. Most of the Ancients were already under its' thrall without even realizing it. Only a handful of us on either side realized that the call to war was a trap set by the Parasite so it could feast upon our souls and pervert the very Wheel that each side sought to protect."

"And thus the Vampiric Curse was created and the Hylden banished to the Demon Realm," Raziel said with no small amount of awe in his tone. "Kain was _right_ in his supposition; at least _some_ of you figured out what was wrong and tried to deny the Parasite its' intended feast."

"We did," the Seer said with a nod of her head and a wave of her hand. "In truth, even the Hylden are affected by the Curse, yet it affects us far differently then it did the Ancients. Two... strains of the Curse if you will. In Vampires the Curse created the Blood-lust, which was a necessary design flaw, and gave them the ability to change humans into creatures such as yourself. This was a design meant to eventually deny him even the Human's souls."

Her expression twisted into a look of dark and vindictive satisfaction as she finished that that sentence. She shook her head a moment later and looked at the two males.

" _You_ are a different breed of vampire compared to the Ancients," she continued. "Hardy, strong and an even greater ability to heal. And that is not even taking into account the fact that Mortanius' actions _altered_ that original, magical strain of the Curse to create Kain. An alteration that caused the Vampiric Curse within him to take on some of the Hylden strains traits. For you see, in the _Hylden_ it eventually twists us and causes a devolution _very_ similar to what happened to your own Childeren, Kain. The Curse twists our natures in a way that allows both longevity and the ability to survive the harsh environment of the Demon Realm both within the shelter of the Gates used to protect the haven city we created within said Realm or even those times when we needed to traverse the areas outside of the city. The Curse also did not hinder our ability to procreate completely within our own ranks, but it _did_ limit the birth rates due to that Gifted longevity. The Demon Realm can only support so many. Eventually, unless things are changed and the Curse purified, _stabilized_ , it will cause my arms to fuse with my wings and I will begin to slow until I am naught but a talking statue that passes on words of wisdom and warnings of the future."

"But... you're supposed to be _older_ then Vorador," Raziel said in a confused tone as he and Eldar Kain shared a look. He looked back at the Seer. "Should you not already be as such then?"

The Seer laughed into her hand for a moment and then sat down as she could no longer stand on her feet due to her amusement. It took several moments for her to stop laughing and only Eldar Kain's hand on Raziel's shoulder stopped him from snapping at the woman.

"Ah... ah, but I needed that, thank you," she said with another laugh. Again, somehow her tone did not incite further upset in the Vampire Reaver. "You two are still operating under the belief that _Moebius_ built the Chronoplast. He did _not_."

Her smile turned dark as she spoke, "That is _my_ life's work you use to traverse the Time Stream. I am, in truth, barely three centuries old. I use it to travel where I am needed in the Time Line, as either the Seer or the Witch."

Raziel's wings twitched with his agitation.

"And you could do _nothing_ to stop all this from happening?" he asked in an accusing tone.

"I did what I _could_ ," she snapped out as she pinned Raziel with a glare. "I built the Chronoplast so that our Scion could have the tools that he needed to restore our world and kill the Parasite. Another forged the Curse to prevent Ancient and Hylden alike from becoming food for that same Parasite. Yet a _Third_ put steps into play to build the Pillars as directed yet place the needed modifications and a _Fourth_ worked the banishment spell designed to affect almost all Hylden as the Pillars were forged into being. Each of us could _only do so much_ without destroying the very fabric of reality itself in order to forge a path meant to destroy the Parasite and yet leave our world _whole_ enough to recover from the damaged it has caused! You _cannot_ traverse back in time with the Chronoplast to a point where the device _does not exist_. It is not _possible_ and singular devices can only be used to traverse back _up to fifty years_ at the most, no more. By even that point in time, the seeds of war had already been sown and the Parasite's hold upon the Ancients complete. We could not _undo_ what had already been done and could only work to change the _future_!"

"And the Hylden Lord's attack in my youth?" Eldar Kain asked after several moments of subdued silence.

"Not all accepted that the banishment was necessary," the Seer said with a shrug as she stood back up. "Indeed, not all chose to remain within the safety of the City and the worst of our criminals were banished by the Consulate to be consumed by the Demons of the land."

Eldar Kain was about to question her further upon that particular subject when a burst of almost static like noise flared painfully in his mind. He reached up and rubbed at his temple as a sudden sense of growing unease filled him. His head jerked up when the 'static' cleared abruptly. A desperate and panicked voice rang through his mind like a clarion call.

~ _KAIN_!~

"I beg pardon, but we are needed elsewhere," Eldar Kain growled out with a sudden flash of realization.

His taloned hand clamped firmly onto Raziel's arm and he tugged the younger vampire to his feet. Raziel did not fight him but did shoot him a confused look. At this distance, the only one Katrina could have reached over the Whisper was himself, thus Raziel had not heard the panicked cry. Even then her call was a targeted and focused Whisper meant for Kain alone. Younger and Eldar had both heard her at the same time and had gotten the briefest sense of just where she was located. His Younger self had already started for the Keep even as he called upon the others via Whisper.

The Seer bowed her head to Eldar Kain and her eyes flashed golden for a brief moment just as a vampire's eyes would flash white. He paused at the sight and raised a brow at her.

"Go to her," she said softly. "I know not the extent of what has happened, I cannot See that, but she will be near to _broken_ when next she is at your side, Eldar Kain."

Eldar Kain let out an enraged sub-harmonic growl at her words and twisted his Gift of teleportation around both himself and Raziel. He landed the both of them upon the roof of the Sarafan Keep despite the Gated barrier that surrounded it and had to close his eyes briefly against the pain that flared in his skull. He opened his eyes and looked at Raziel with a frown.

Raziel himself wavered in place for a moment as the disorientation caused by the teleportation through a Gate faded. It felt like he had the beginnings of a migraine and his skin itched mightily from talon-tip to wing-tip. Once he had recovered, Eldar Kain gave him a shove toward the door of the roof.

"Go," he ordered. "You know her scent and the taste of her blood now. Find her and get her to the rooftop swiftly."

"You are not following?" Raziel asked in a flash of momentary confusion.

"I must needs take care of the generator that powers that damned barrier," Eldar Kain growled as he rubbed at his brow. The Eldar was developing his own Gate induced migraine and his temper was not well improved by it. "I recall seeing what I thought to be a demon attacking a portion of the Keep as the barrier fell."

"What you saw was _yourself_. Of course," Raziel nodded his head in understanding. "I will find my Lady, my Lord."

Raziel turned and darted through the door. He cloaked himself in shadows with his Dark Reaver Invisibility spell and disappeared from sigh. He ran swiftly down the Keep's stairways and worked to catch his Lady Katrina's scent in the air of this snake's den.

-*-*/-**-*-

Back to Katrina and First Person POV folks!

Also...

WARNING SEXUAL ABUSE/RAPE AHEAD. TRIGGER WARNING.

You have been warned!

-*-*/-**-*-

I struggled in earnest to try to get free of the Auron-ridden Lordling even as his fingers hooked painfully within me. Human blunt nails scratched viciously over my inner walls and I struggled against the painful pressure. He leaned down and suddenly bit down hard into my inner thigh just as he sent another burst of electricity to course through me. A pulse that originated at his fingertips. I sank my fangs deep into my lower lip to try to stifle the scream that was forced from my throat even as my body convulsed due to the agony that tore through me. He let go of my thigh and looked up at me with a cruel sneer.

"Such a _disobedient_ pet," he growled in that dual-voice. "I had not had the pleasure of a virginal half-blood amongst my pets for over five-hundred years before I stumbled across you. Ah, my sweet pet. Do you know that even your name means 'pure one'? Only you are not such a _sweet_ and _pure_ thing anymore, now are you? You little _slut_!"

I yanked harshly against the Hylden-runed shackles and struggled to get free of the bindings that hindered my abilities. I could feel as pain flare at my wrists when the metal began to dig into my flesh and draw blood. The skin of my wrists were torn open from the force of my struggles. The sheets beneath me were already soaked through with the blood from the thigh wound and even more of my blood began to trickle down my arms. I growled in fear-filled rage and strove to pull my body away from his cruel touch. He continued to send increasingly painful bursts of magic directly into the core of my body as his fingers prodded and dug viciously against my inner walls.

"Now though, now you are just a little _whore_ who can't keep her legs _shut_. You have given away what kept you safe from the _worst_ of my wrath whenever you disobeyed me," he snarled out.

He forced a fourth finger into me and increased the level of electricity that pulsed through me in violent waves yet again. It felt like every nerve ending was on _fire_ and I bucked and writhed. I tried again to pull free as those four fingers wriggled uncomfortably within me in a _mockery_ of foreplay. I tried to stifle my agonized screams but my fangs were torn free from my lower lip and I yowled in torment as the level of magic increased yet again.

" _Who_ marked you, my disobedient pet?" he purred out in a deadly tone. His face twisted a moment later into an enraged expression. "Tell me which of the fools you travel with has taken what is _mine_!"

"I am... _no one's_... pet!" I snarled out past the tears and pain. I tried to kick him at him with my free leg and he blocked my weakened blow easily. I let out a rage-filled wail. "I'll fuckin' _kill_ you, you bastard!"

The pain flared as his fingers pushed deeper still and I felt something inside me start to _rip_ from the invasion. I tried to wrench back and he twisted the dagger in my thigh harshly to hold me in place as he continued to shove his fingers deeper still. A moment later I felt his thumb brush against my mound as he tucked it in against the rest of his hand. That offensive sensation of being breached increased. It suddenly felt like he was trying to force his _entire hand_ inside me and I panicked at the thought. I kicked at him with a shriek and ignored the pain in my thigh even as the blade cut a wider gash in my flesh. Pain I could handle but this... _this_...!

The level of electrical energy that he had been pouring into me suddenly _changed_ in frequency. I let out another, startled shriek of sound. _Pleasure_ started to course through me unexpectedly, _impossibly_ , and my body started to react to the repulsive violation.

" _NO_!" I yowled out.

I bucked wildly and he pushed me down against the bed with his own body to keep me pinned in place. His fingers wriggled within my core and magic danced over his fingertips as he sought out that sweet spot within me.

"Oh my dear, _whorish_ , pet," he purred in that dual voice as he leaned over me ominous. "You'll cum screaming for _anyone_ these days, _wont_ you?"

"No! No! _NO_!" I screeched as my body continued to react to that changed and pulsing magic that now coursed through my core. " _Damn you!_ "

"The boy wants me to break your jaw you know, take that _pretty_ little whore's mouth of yours to shut you up," he said. He grabbed my hair at the top of my head and forced my head back to expose my throat. "To make you swallow his seed like the _eager_ little _slut_ that you are."

I tried to turn my head to bite at him when he leaned in to bite at my neck. Pain stopped me and my entire body arched back in agony when I felt his entire hand slide in to my core. That tearing, _ripping_ sensation within me grew stronger even as the magic continued to pulse within me. I let out a scream of pure terror as I felt my body start to tighten around that invading hand, to react to the magic that pulsed through me despite the blinding pain of being rent open so. I had to fight now against my own bodies reaction to his, _their_ , twisted application of magic. My eyes flew wide with panic and I yowled in strained fear as the pleasure somehow started to outweigh the pain of having his entire hand buried within me. It was too much! _Too much_!

" _No_!" I howled out.

"That's it, my whorish little pet. _Break_ for me," he hissed into my face. "See what agony you have gained by giving yourself to another. Be a _good_ little slut and cum for your _Master_."

-*-*/-**-*-

Worst of it is over!

-*-*/-**-*-

I spat in his face and fought against the tide he was forcing me to feel. Tears flooded down my cheeks whilst the pain and pleasure continued to wrack through my body. He raised his free hand to strike me and then had to catch himself against the headboard as an explosion abruptly rocked the entire Keep. The Lordling's eyes flashed back to the normal pale blue for a moment and then the darkness took over once more.

The hand within me was yanked free with a wet sound and I all but fell limp when the invading presence was removed. I let out a choked sound when he raised his blood covered hand to his lips. He licked at the red fluid from my torn and bloodied core. He moved to run bloody fingers down my cheek. I jerked my head away from that touch and I let out a weakened hiss of breath. He let his hand fall to the hilt of the dagger embedded in my thigh and smirked down at me. I shook violently as shock started to assault the edge of my mind.

"It seems that we have unwanted guests," his dual-voice had become mockingly sweet. "You stay here and _rest_ for now my pet. Before I go though..."

He pulled out a second dagger and wrenched my head to the side. He tore into my braid and pulled out the leather spiked strips. Once my hair was loose he grabbed it in his fist and slashed the blade through my hair with violent movement. What remained of my hair fell loose in a rough shoulder length cut and he let the cut strands fall onto the blood-soaked bed. I snarled at him weakly and he laughed as he stood. He glanced down at the blade in my thigh with a smirk before he turned and left the room.

I shuddered, trembled and gasped for breath as I curled as much as I could into a ball while I tried to somehow process what had just happened to me. Sobs tore free from my throat even though I worked to quiet myself. Out, out, _out_... I needed to get _out_... needed to _escape_. I struggled to shift myself so that I had enough room to grab at the hilt of the dagger. I froze with my hands on the hilt as my eyes focused on the runed shackles wrapped around my still bleeding wrists.

If I pulled out the dagger _now_ , I would bleed out within _minutes_ without my vampiric healing factor available to me. I lifted my hands away without pulling the dagger free.

I blinked at my hands as they trembled and shook. I then looked at the decorative ring that the chain was looped through. It had shark-tooth like spikes rimming it. I shifted my weight onto my undamaged left leg and struggled desperately to raise up enough to get one of those spikes stuck in the slight gap of the left shackle where it locked. I tugged and twisted the shackle as I haphazardly tried to force the bindings open. I needed to get _out_ , I needed to get _free_. A voice sounded from behind me and I jerked with fear. I pulled my wings close in order to cover myself as much as I could, panicked that the Lordling/Auron had returned or that one of his guards had come into the room to 'play'.

" _By the Pillars_! My Lady!" the voice was filled with shock.

 _Raziel_. I realized dimly that it was _Raziel_ who had found me. I slumped against the headboard in relief and then tucked myself into as much of a ball as I could as shame abruptly tore through me. I felt a taloned hand brush against my shoulder a moment later in a hesitant touch and I couldn't help the soft, trembling keen that escaped me. I was answered with a near-to-comforting growl as he lightly brushed his Aura against my own. He moved to grab the shackles around my wrists and I jerked my head up.

"Hylden runes!" I managed to croak out in a voice dulled by screaming.

"I see them, my Lady," he responded soothingly.

He dug his talons swiftly into the gaps of the shackles and tore them open with a careful flick. His talons showed scorch marks where they had touched the metal even though he had been cautious. He caught me as I fell to the side, suddenly dizzy. The faintest flush of vampiric energy was restored to me now that the shackles had been removed. I let out another keening breath, this time of hunger. The loss of blood had hit me in full now that my vampiric nature was no longer being suppressed by the runes.

"I have you, my Lady. Let us get you fed," he said as he looked at the blade in my thigh with a frown. He shook his head a moment later. "I fear what would happen if I pulled that blade free. Despite Kain's stories, I am not well acquainted with Half-blood weaknesses."

"I'd bleed out... same as a human at this point. Too drained..." I murmured weakly as he picked me up in his arms. I lay my head against his shoulder and fought to keep my eyes open despite my exhaustion.

"Ah," he said simply as his grip tightened. "This will get cold."

I shuddered as a pulse of Gift magic passed over me and I realized that we had faded from sight. I could still see just the faintest outline of my hand when I held it up though. He carried me out of the room swiftly and turned to the right. He was not kidding either, it had gotten very cold, like we had started to move through ice-water. I shivered due to the chill and tucked myself closer to him.

Or at least that's what I told myself...

He came to a halt near a small, shaded alcove and gently tucked me into it before he became fully visible to my sight again. I grabbed at his wrist and opened my mouth to say something but found that I could only choke upon my words. He gave my hand a squeeze and leaned his forehead against mine in a comforting bump before he pulled back.

"I will be but a moment. A lone human is nearby and you need blood," he said.

He let out another soothing growl and I relaxed faintly. I nodded my head rapidly and curled as much was possible into a ball despite my unresponsive right leg.

He moved away and I found that I lost focus on everything around me. I stared at the marble flooring blankly. The thought of what had just happened started to circle round and round in my mind. A moment later all thought was pushed away as the scent of fresh blood hit my nose and I found myself twisting and biting instinctively at the source of that scent.

As I fed, I could feel my body begin to heal the wounds that had been inflicted on my person. Non-magical as they were in nature, they started to heal swiftly. The blood that I consumed went straight toward healing those wounds. I barely registered that fact that Raziel was saying something to me. _Pain_ suddenly lanced through my leg again. The flesh that had healed around the blade was torn once more as the blade was pulled free.

I lashed out with one hand, claws extended, and Raziel caught my wrist in his taloned hand. I felt my claws dig vicious little grooves into his armored vambrace, heard the screech of claw against metal. His Aura pushed over me in a soothing wave and he let out another near-to-comforting growl. Some sense came back to my mind at that noise and I eased my claws back as I continued to feed. He kept his hand around my wrist in a comforting and steadying grip.

Body drained of all blood, I let it go with a small sound of partially sated hunger Raziel pulled the corpse away from me and tossed it to the side. Taloned hands moved toward my thigh. I let out a soft, panicked hiss and my wings flared in a warning gesture. He let out another low growl and his own wings flared in a sheltering sort of way as he gave my wrist a gentle squeeze.

"I must be sure that the wounds are healing properly, my Lady," Raziel said in a soothing tone. "If I must fetch another meal for you, then I will do so. Let me see."

I turned my head away and I flushed with shame as he examined the wounds that I had been forced to endure. He let out a low, angry sounding hiss before he gave my leg a gentle pat. He then turned to strip the corpse of its' pants.

"You are almost healed," he said simply. "Here, my Lady, put these on."

I struggled into the breeches that he had handed to me even. He turned his head away both to keep watch on the area and allow me a modicum of privacy. I had to tie the belt looped around the breeches into a knot in order to keep them up as they were too big for me. He then had to help me roll the pant legs up when I found that I could not stop the shaking of my hands. I let out a snarl and punched at the wall beside me in helpless rage. He caught my hand in his own before my blow could land.

" _Peace_ , my Lady," he rumbled soothingly. "Let us get you out of here first."

I nodded my head rapidly, beyond ready to be rid of this place, and he helped me to my feet. The coldness of his Gift wrapped back around us and he led me toward the roof at a jog. We reached the open roof top and I glanced around the area. I realized that the sounds of a battle echoed from below us. I pushed the thought of the fighting away and looked up at the sky with a nervous twitch of my wings. I let out a strained sound at what I saw.

"The barrier is still _up_ ," I said and my voice broke on the last word.

"Kain is dealing with the generator," Raziel said after a moment. "We need to get airborne. Can you use your own Gift now?"

I nodded quickly and let go of his hand. I found that I did not care that Eldar Kain had shared the knowledge of my Gift with his Childe. I was visible for all of a second before I flickered back out of sight and I leapt into the air. While my energy was strong enough to maintain the lack of sight that my Gift allowed for, I could yet hear the rhythmic beat of my wings as I gained in height.

I heard the sound of a second set of wing beats fill the air as Raziel leapt to follow after me and we winged toward the edge of the barrier. We caught a thermal and road it for a few brief, tense moments of silence before a second massive explosion rocked the Keep. The barrier flickered out of being as the flames rose and consumed part of the Keep. I couldn't help the cry of pure relief that escaped me as I turned and winged away from the city. Raziel followed swiftly on my heels by the sound of his own wing beats.

Bare moments after the barrier had fallen, the sounds of dozens of smaller wing beats filled the air nearby followed by dozens of chirping sounds. A flock of bats circled first around Raziel and then around me. Some of the small forms bumped into me when I wavered in the air and became visible for a brief moment as I felt my hold on my gift slip. The mass then turned toward one of the high cliff walls that were visible from Meridian. Eldar Kain's bat form circled an almost unnoticeable ledge before it turned back around to twine around each of us a second time.

I turned toward the cliff ledge that he had indicated and tried to land, only to trip over my own feet for the first time in a long while since I had started to learn how to fly from Janos. I had to tuck into a roll and I lost focus on my Gift completely in order to keep enough focus to prevent myself from face-planting against the ground. I stayed close to the ground instead of standing and kept my wings held in such a way as to try to conceal myself from sight as much as possible. Raziel and Eldar Kain landed nearby and I furled my wings tighter around myself.

Eldar Kain's Aura pushed out against me in a comforting wave and Raziel's joined it a moment later as they both crouched near me. Despite the comforting presence of their energies, I still found myself pushed against the cliff wall with my wings wrapped around me in a way that kept me mostly hidden from their sight.

Fear and rage, terror and loathing, self-hatred and shame, relief and panic. These emotions and more tore through me. I felt myself tremble with tears and I struggled to keep silent. I felt Eldar Kain's Aura give another small pulse. He was closer now. Barely second after that pulse had passed over me, I felt the backs of his talons brush over the base of my now exposed neck. I jerked under that touch and tried to curl into a tighter ball.

 _Why would he even want to_ touch _me right now?_ I thought to myself... only, it _wasn't_ to myself.

"Little One," he said in a soft, near exasperated tone. I suddenly found myself pulled onto his lap and held close. I let out a small meep of noise and trembled in his arms. "One; you are projecting your thoughts again. Two, and listen to me _very_ closely my Little One; what happened is _not_ your fault."

"Couldn't this have been _stopped_?" Raziel suddenly hissed out in anger. "The state she was in when I found her..."

He cut his own words off with a snarling growl. I felt Eldar Kain's chest rumble beneath me as he too growled low in a rumble of sound that was both soothing and annoyed.

"As the Seer said, time flows strangely around her," Eldar Kain said softly. "When she is by herself it is all but impossible to see exactly what can happen to her using the Chronoplast until the event is already said and done with. The Sarafan Lordling himself is so minor a character that a ghost of him barely registers to the Chronoplast. As Auron exists on another dimensional world, one cannot even _begin_ to see what trouble he has caused through the Lordling until it, too, has already happened. As far as my younger self is concerned, Katrina has been missing for two days, bound this entire time by Hylden artifacts and _untraceable_. This entire event could have happened a month ago or perhaps even a month from now, as it was orchestrated by Auron who is _outside of time_ as far as we are concerned. I could not be certain when or _if_ she needed aid until she called for me through the Whisper."

"And you did not think to _warn_ her when you spoke to her at the Pillars!?" Raziel snarled.

Eldar Kain shifted abruptly and I heard Raziel let out sudden a squawk of pain. I peaked out from under my wings to see the winged vampire held in a tight grip by the back of his neck. He struggled for a brief moment before he fell limp and bared his throat in submission. Even as he submitted, he let out an angry sounding growl. Eldar Kain shook him roughly at the growl and contained rage filled his tone as he spoke.

"Do you think that I had not thought to do so? Did you think that I did not try to check _innumerable_ times to see what would happen if I had _blatantly_ warned her of what _might_ happen to her? Sometimes it led to my finding her corpse, sometimes it led to a _longer_ duration of imprisonment, sometimes a shorter time frame but with _far_ greater consequences! Explicit foreknowledge of what could happen proved again and again to be _detrimental_ when I examined the Time Stream! As I said before, Auron is _outside of time_ and at this point I know of many things that _may_ have happened to her but until she tells my younger self _exactly_ what occurred I do not and _will not_ know the extent of what has happened! Time is still being shaped even now!"

He shoved Raziel away roughly and then turned to me with a serious expression on his face. He reached to run a talon lightly across my cheek. I shuddered even and tried to tuck myself against him. He flared his Aura in a soft and comforting pulse of power.

"If I could have saved you from this, believe me, I would have my Little One," his eyes flashed solid white for a brief moment.

He leaned down and lightly nuzzled his nose along the right side my neck just below his Mark. I found myself briefly grateful that he didn't actually _touch_ the Mark as I did not wish to feel _any_ kind of forced pleasure. Not even from Kain.

"D6 to D20 to D4..." I muttered blankly as I tried to process what I had heard.

"The _hell_...?" I heard Raziel mutter as he righted himself.

"Di...different kinds of gaming dice," I muttered softly. "The way E-eldar Kain makes it sound, it's as if he throws a six-sided die, a D6, and then somehow _I_ turn it into a D20. Then _Auron_ turns it into a D4... can't tell what it will land on 'cause..." my breath hitched with sudden realization. "Everything is still being shaped as you said because I am still going through it all for the _first time_."

I looked up at Eldar Kain with a frown as I pulled my head back.

"If I... had you block all of this...?" I started hesitantly.

"Then I will never know what has happened unless you ask me to remove the mental block," he responded with a small frown. "Do you _want_ to forget the whole of it?"

I tucked myself back against him and remained silent for several long minutes as I thought about it. I honestly wasn't entirely sure... I was just so damned tired and... _soul-sick_ in a sense I suppose. I almost wanted to just sleep for a few centuries...

A sudden chirp sounded loudly right next to my ear and I jerked away from Eldar Kain's chest because of the noise as my train of thought was thoroughly broken. Eldar Kain and Raziel both let out soft snorts of surprise when I pulled a small bat free from where it had hidden itself behind my left ear. I stared at it blankly for a long moment as it moved to hang from the fingers of my hand. I noted with a building sense of amusement that it looked a lot like one of the silver-haired bats from Gaia, complete with silvery fur woven amongst all the black on its' back. I suddenly found myself convulsing with silent laughter as it moved to nibble at my withdrawn thumb-claw. I moved my thumb out of its' reach and let the side of my head fall back against Eldar Kain's chest.

"The bats are cute," I murmured once I had the strange fit of laughter under control.

Eldar Kain let out a huff of breath at my words, but I could feel his amusement in his Aura.

"I have never once heard _any_ part of Kain referred to as ' _cute_ ', let alone his bat form," Raziel said in a dry tone of voice. "Are you _quite_ certain your mind is yet _intact_ my Lady?"

I let out a faint sound of disappointment when Eldar Kain reached out to touch the bat. It shimmered into a shadowy shape before said shadow melted back into his body. I turned my head to look at Raziel.

"Bats. Are. _Cute_ ," I said firmly, though my voice still wasn't much above that of a whisper. "They're like... little fluff-balls with wings. Sometimes near literally. Gaia has over a _thousand_ different breeds of bats from bigger fox-faced fruit bats to these itty-bitty white puffballs with wings."

"I swear... next you are going to call wolves 'cuddly'," Raziel said with a shake of his head as he sat down on a largish stone.

"Were-wolves, no," I said softly with a sigh as I nuzzled against Eldar Kain's chest. " _Regular_ wolves, yes."

I heard the impact clearly as Raziel face-palmed and Eldar Kain burst into outright laughter. I smiled faintly against his chest and curled up close to him as I closed my eyes. I liked it when he laughed, that deep thrum of noise. I let out a soft sigh.

"May I just rest for a while?" I murmured faintly.

"Yes, sleep dear Katrina," Eldar Kain said softly into my hair. "We will be right here."

* * *

Please read and review if you have the time :)


	24. Anger Management

Edits as of 05/2016

Fleshed things out and fixed some errors. chapter is longer.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-four: Anger Management

Despite having fallen asleep with Eldar Kain and Raziel offering a comforting presence meant to calm my nerves, nightmare's still riddled my slumber. Nightmares in which the Auron ridden Lordling had not been interrupted and the torment had continued. Nightmares of Kain finding my body and going into a rage. Nightmares of a single die spinning on one tip and ever changing its' shape. Nightmares of another young half-blooded girl from what looked to be around the fifteen-hundreds, kidnapped like I had been in the middle of the night. Auron's 'delight' at finding her a virgin, the tortures that followed and were so painfully similar to my own torment at his hands.

The nightmare shifted constantly and showed me images where sometimes she gave in, sometimes she killed herself to get away, sometimes... _sometimes_ , even though Auron had said he hadn't had a virginal half-blood amongst his pets for over five-hundred years, the dream shifted and showed her _still_ fighting, _still_ holding on and hoping to be freed even by the time that I had been caught by him. I could only hope that the other half-blood that he had spoken of fought him to the last and found a way to end things on her terms, but I also knew that not everyone could survive such torments with their mind intact.

The nightmare then shifted again and the other half-blood stood suddenly at Auron's side as a willing slave, one that helped him with his tortures. The dream twisted and I found _myself_ standing with her at his side and helped her tear out some poor souls lungs. My hands moved of their own accord even as my mind screamed in denial.

It was that last, _detailed_ , nightmare about that 'other' half-blood that jerked me awake with a stifled cry as I rejected the mental image of my _ever_ helping that bastard. I flared my wings wide and I struggled in Eldar Kain's arms as he held me in pinned in place across his lap.

Eldar Kain's grip remained firm around me, though I had to have buffeted him hard with my wings and scratched him with my claws. He let out a low, comforting growl and his Aura pulsed in a small burst that flooded my senses and briefly overwhelmed my panic stricken mind. I shuddered once, twice and then went limp in his grasp as I slowly registered where I was. I submitted to that power whilst I fought to clear the fog caused by the nightmares from my mind. I rubbed at my face and let out a soft groan.

I froze when the back of Kain's talons lightly brushed over my wings along the line of the bone. I waited for _any_ sense of renewed panic to set in but then slowly relaxed an inch at a time under his continued, gentle touch. I realized dimly that the only reason that I had not panicked under his touch was because my wings had not been harmed when the Lordling/Auron had attac... assaul... _raped_ me. He had... _they_ had, raped me. My left hand opened and closed into a fist slowly again and again as I examined that cruel, cold knowledge with a detached sense of self.

I seriously contemplated the thought of asking Eldar Kain to block out this particular memory forever... and yet... and yet I was so damnably _angry_ and I didn't want to actually let go of that rage. There was also the fact that if the memories were blocked that I might well panic over what could possibly have been bad enough for me to ask for a memory block. Things... could have been _far_ worse considering the cruelties that I had witnessed from Auron over the years.

My hand slowly closed into a tight fist once more. I barely recognized the small flash of pain that seared up along my arm when my claws started to dig deep enough into the palm of my hand and began to cut into the muscle and bone beneath the skin. Eldar Kain let out another soft rumble of noise and I felt Raziel's Aura pulse as he started to approach me carefully. I was held firmly in place even as Raziel gently forced my hand back open. I didn't fight either male's touch and instead looked at the palm of my hand and watched as it healed from the self-inflicted wound. Eldar Kain's voice echoed above my head and he rested the talons of the hand not smoothing my feathers upon the back of my neck in a firm, yet admonishing grip.

"Do _not_ hurt yourself, my Katrina," he said with a firm growl.

I let out a small noise to acknowledge that I'd heard him. I then felt a low growl begin to build in my chest as I glared at my now healed hand. I felt my own Aura flicker for a moment. Raziel's taloned hands closed upon both of my wrists firmly in a way that trapped my claws against the ground. I realized that my eyes had most likely gone white as my anger flared. I fell as still as I could whilst I turned my head to look at Raziel out of the corner of my eye, though my body still trembled finely with my growing sense of rage and hatred. Careful concern showed in his expression and I finally closed my eyes even as I continued to shiver in rage.

"I'm going to kill them both," I growled out finally in a low voice.

Raziel's grip eased a touch around my wrists at the sound of my voice. I felt Eldar Kain give a soft, approving rumble of laughter as he held me.

"Allow my younger self the satisfaction of dealing with the Lordling my dear Katrina," he said as he continued to preen my feathers with precise care. I shivered slightly under that continued, soothing touch. "You are no Mage and cannot counter his magics as I can."

I felt silent for a long moment before I let out a grumbling sigh of noise. I murmured softly against his thigh. "I hope you tear his balls off and shove them down his throat..."

Raziel let out a soft laugh, "That was... _not_ what I expected you to say."

I opened my eyes again to look at him and spoke softly, "You saw the state I was in."

"I did," he answered in a sudden and carefully blank tone of voice.

"And you have not told Kain?" I asked with a slight tilt of my head.

"He refused to let me say anything," Raziel responded.

Eldar Kain's hand rubbed soothingly at the back of my neck. I tilted my head into that touch like a cat arching for a better angle. His touch felt good... _safe_.

"It is your choice to tell my younger self what has occurred," Eldar Kain said to me softly, though I kept my gaze locked upon Raziel's. "I will learn the knowledge from that, _if_ you are willing to share it."

"Hnn," I murmured softly as I closed my eyes again and I continued to speak in a soft voice a moment later. "Can you fault me my rage, Raziel?"

"Never, my Lady," he said in a firm tone. He gave my wrists another small squeeze.

I shuddered again and let out a soft sigh as I just tried to _think_. It took a few moments before I realized, with a small and abrupt flash of insight, just what I wanted. It would be a small illusion and with Eldar Kain's ability to block memories would have been the most likely result anyway as I... needed to avoid talking about Raziel?

I realized with another small, sudden jolt that I had not been overly _surprised_ to see a whole and _restored_ Raziel with wings intact helping me to escape my bindings. I blinked a bit and knew, just _knew_ , that Eldar Kain had blocked out just enough of the initial 'visit' at the Pillars to make me forget that Raziel had been there. A visit which had to have involved my seeing the restored vampire/reaver. Yet it was like he had left a door cracked _just_ wide enough so that I would not be shocked at the sight of Raziel later down the line. I let out a thoughtful hum of breath at that knowledge. I then shifted in order to try and sit up. Raziel let go of my wrists as I moved and Eldar Kain helped to steady me. He used the knuckle of one talon to turn my head so that I could meet his gaze.

"What have you decided my Little One?" he asked in a soft rumble.

"I... have to forget Raziel again, right?" I asked hesitantly.

"The immediate knowledge of his presence, yes," he answered.

"Then..." I took a slow breath and let it out in a huff of air. "Take just enough of the memories away so that I can believe that I got out on my own. I'll realize the truth of it later when my memories of all this are unlocked, _restored_ , but right now... I... got away from Auron on my own..."

I fell silent and glanced down with a frown.

"A small illusion in order to believe that you repeated the feat?" Eldar Kain said as he tilted his head and he nodded once a moment later. "Understandable given that you must forget Raziel's presence as it is and how crucial he was in this escape."

I opened my mouth to ask something and then clamped my mouth shut with a sharp clack of teeth. I clenched my jaw and tried to pull my head back, to look away from him. His hand shifted to cup my chin and his grip tightened just enough to keep my head still. He forced me to meet his gaze once more and I swallowed roughly. His mind brushed over mine with a gentle touch.

~I do not think you weak for asking for this of me. I would not have thought you weak if you asked for the entire memory to be blocked either. Torture of any kind is no small thing to recover from and you have enough memories of such things,~ he Whispered to me.

~Wont you see what happened anyway when you block the memories?~ I asked after a moment of silence.

~Memories do not function like the 'movies' of your world, my Little One,~ he responded. ~I cannot 'see' them being played out in exacting detail. More that I can feel the emotions, words spoken, scents and thoughts of the moment I am focusing on. Anything to be 'seen' is not but half-blurred images at best and darkened shadows at the worst.~

I nodded slowly and then started to laugh softly as I found myself focusing on the strangeness of him talking about _movies_ of all things. It was a silly thing to focus on, but I could not help but find it funny as I leaned against him once more. His hand shifted from my chin to rest on the back of my neck and his own chin fell to rest upon the crown of my head. My thoughts were yet mostly fractured and I found that I was focusing on the oddest things... like the bat earlier.

~We seriously have enough time when we go to Gaia that I take you out to the _movies_ of all things?~ I asked him with a mental laugh.

~Yes, you were quite insistent on that actually,~ he said with a roll of his eyes. He spoke his next words aloud. "Are you ready?"

"A moment?" I asked as I pulled my head back once more.

He nodded his head and I turned to look at Raziel. I held out my hand to him hesitantly. He took my hand in his own taloned grasp and he gave my hand another, gentle squeeze. I tugged him forward so that I could lean my forehead against his even as I leaned back a little more heavily against Eldar Kain's chest out of weariness.

"I don't know exactly when I will remember all of this properly, so I need to say this now," I said softly. "Thank you, the both of you, for coming to get me out of there."

"Always, my Lady," Raziel said with a soft rumble.

"This will not break you," Eldar Kain rumbled and I nodded my head at his words.

"I wont let him win," I murmured darkly as I turned to nuzzle my nose against the line of his jaw. "I have survived everything up to this point and I will continue to do so."

"Good girl," Eldar Kain said as he nipped at my neck lightly with his fangs. "Now sleep."

I felt the magic seep over me and I fell into a fitful sleep... and _forgot_.

I drifted in and out of slumber with nightmares plaguing my thoughts. Rage and shame assaulted my mind equally for a long while. My mind slowly began to settle upon the sensation of rage more and more each time I blinked my eyes open. Sleep would rapidly wrench me back under and the dreams changed each time it took hold of me.

I finally awoke to full awareness and rolled onto my stomach with a low groan of discomfort. I let out a huff of breath at the strong scent of smoke in the air. I glanced over the edge of the cliff that I had been able to safely reach and I blinked when I noticed that the Sarafan Keep was in flames. I let out a hum of dark satisfaction at the sight and started to let my eyes fall shut again as I tried to process, to organize, my scattered and drained thoughts. A mental shout echoed in my mind and I jerked up onto one elbow briefly in response. I let out a soft whine of annoyance as that shout had forced me back from the edge of slumber.

~ _Katrina_!~ Kain's voice, raged-filled and holding just the smallest note of worry, echoed through my mind. ~Little One, where in the _hell's_ are you!? Katrina! _Answer_ me woman!~

~Here,~ I Whispered back in a pained and weary voice as I fell back against the ground. ~'m here...I hear you..."

~Katrina,~ Kain's voice sounded border-line relieved. ~I have been calling for you for the past _ten minutes_. I found a bed that was all but _drenched_ with your blood and covered with chunks of your hair, a bloody trail leading away from the room and a drained corpse down one of the halls, yet I could not find _you_. Where _are_ you, my Little One?~

~Got out...~ I frowned and blinked blearily at the ground as I tried to piece my thoughts together, ~flew. I'm... on a... a cliff outcropping? I can see the Keep burning in the distance...~

~Can you see the moon and is it to the left or the right of you?~ he asked.

~Ummm...~ I blinked again and rolled onto my side so I could look at the sky.

I could see Meridian itself clearly but as I looked to the left of my little roost I could not see the moon at all. I turned slowly and glanced above me and then at the rest of the cliff that blocked the rest of the sky from my sight.

~I cannot see the moon...~ I started slowly. ~Is it still early night? If it is, then the moon is hidden by the cliff... east of me..."

~You're directly to the south of Meridian then,~ he said in a satisfied tone. ~I can see the cliff you should be on. Can you fly back?~

~...I... don't know...~ I responded in a hesitant tone.

I then tried to push myself to my feet. I let out a huff of breath as I eased back to the ground. The human I had... caught?... and fed from had helped to heal my wounds but I still felt so damned tired and drained.

~No... last feeding went toward healing my... my wounds.~ I let out a soft groan. ~I don't have the strength to fly right now...~

~I see,~ Kain's voice had gone dark. He was silent for several long moments, long enough that I almost drifted off again, before he spoke again. ~Janos returned early when we figured out that you had been taken. He is on his way to you with several blood vials now.~

~Alright. Did you... find the Lordling?~ I asked as I closed my eyes and curled back up.

~No,~ came the dark response. ~It seems that he fled the moment the barrier went down. We do not know where he has gone at this time.~

~...damn...~ I Whispered softly. ~Do me a favor... if you do find him...?~

~What is it?~ he asked.

~Tear off his balls and ram them down his throat,~ I growled darkly in my chest and that growl transferred to my Whispered words.

I could almost picture him giving a blink of surprise at my harsh words and knew his face would have darkened with rage by now. His voice came back as a dark growl and I felt my lips twitch faintly.

~Whatever he has done, I _will_ see him dead for it, ~ he promised.

~That too...~ I Whispered as my rage flagged again with my growing weariness. I blinked my eyes open when I heard the sound of nearby wing beats in the air. ~I... think I hear Janos...~

~You do. He has just Whispered to me that he has spotted you. Let your adopted Sire tend to you now, my Little One. I will see you soon,~ he said softly.

~Kain, I...~ I stopped and fell silent.

I blinked as I realized what I was about to say... and that I... actually _meant_ it. I just wasn't sure that I could say it right now, not with what had just happened to me. Not when I yet felt... I decided to simply Whisper my next words to him with as much affection as I could manage filling my mental voice.

~My Lord,~ I Whispered softly.

~Dear Katrina,~ he Whispered back. Dark affection laced his own tone and brought me comfort.

I let my eyes fall shut again and I let out a soft sigh. The wing beats grew closer and a few moments later the sound of taloned feet hitting the ground sounded near me.

"Katrina! My Childe! Are you alright?!" Janos asked as he gently pulled me up and into his arms.

His Aura pulsed in a gentle, fatherly touch over me. I let out a soft, startled sound and I curled up against him as much as I could manage. One thought suddenly pulsed throughout my entire being. My vampiric instincts thrummed within me in time with my heart beat; safe-safe, safe-safe, _safe-safe_. I was in my chosen Sire's arms and I was safe once more. The rage that I had been holding onto started to slip through my mental fingers. I clenched my hands into careful fists, being intensely mindful of my claws for some odd reason. I started to tremble in a kind of strained relief while I also tried to hold onto that fading anger.

"Oh my dear Childe, what has happened to you?" he asked in a murmured, gentle tone as I shook and trembled within his arms.

His talons threaded lightly through my shortened hair and he let out a faint, worried, sound of noise when I did not answer him right away. I shook my head violently and his arms tightened around me as he let out a soothing croon of noise. It took me three tries to find my voice.

"Not yet... not yet, don't want to talk about it yet," I managed to breath out.

I shuddered and fought against any further tears. I did not wish to start crying again, did not wish to seem weak. I could get through this, I knew that I could, but everything was yet raw and viciously real in my mind's eye.

"Hush now my Childe," he said softly as he drew me into a tighter hug. His wings wrapped around me as if he might shield me from the world in its' entirety. "Later then, when you are ready. Here, drink. Kain said that you needed blood."

Janos popped open a vial and helped me to drink the contents within whilst he continued to hold me safe in a cocoon of his own wings. I dimly recognized the taste of Nikolai's blood, tinged with preservative magics. I let out a soft sigh when I had finished the vial. Each of the vials were filled with more blood then one would think possible due to the magics on the glass, yet I was still filled with a strong hunger akin to some of my worst days being starved of sustenance.

It had been a long time since I had been reduced to such a state. I reached out eagerly to take the other vial in my shaking hand in order to drink it down on my own. Strength returned to me slowly as my body absorbed the blood and I let out another shaky sigh as relief started to course through me. Before my arrival on Nosgoth, I had never know the pure, satiated _bliss_ of being well fed. That sense of wild hunger coupled with what I had just been put through had left memories clamoring at the edges of my mind. With the blood-hunger fed to bearable levels, I could push those memories back down... for the time being.

"Can you stand now, my Childe?" Janos asked me in a gentle tone.

I shifted my limbs a bit and felt the renewed strength in them, though I did not feel truly up to par. I nodded to him a moment later. He stood slowly and helped to ease me to my feet. I wobbled in place for a moment and then let out a shuddering breath as I tentatively gave a single beat of my wings to test their strength. They could hold me in flight, for a little while at least. I scrubbed at my eyes and then nodded again at Janos a moment later when he flashed me a concerned look.

"Home? Please?" I asked. I tried to keep my tone level as I spoke.

"Yes, let us go home Childe," he said softly and he gave my arm a gentle squeeze.

He pushed off the cliff edge and swiftly caught the air under his wings. I followed him a moment later. I found that I was still tired and, due to that lack of energy, I was forced to keep moving to catch the thermals as we winged our way back toward Meridian. Janos had to circle back several times as he followed my erratic flight path. I glided, more then flew, back towards home and I felt a brief flash of annoyance at my own weakness before I calmed once more under the gentle press of my adopted Sire's Aura. As we neared the city, I could hear the sounds of cheering in the distance and I blinked at the jubilant noise.

"The city is ours now?" I called out questioningly to Janos.

"Yes," he responded. "With the Keep claimed we now hold the city."

I eyed the Keep warily and felt another flash of rage pulse through me. I wanted the damned thing destroyed brick by brick and something else put in its' place. Janos' Aura flared comfortingly next to me once more. I blinked and then shook my head as the rage cleared under the weight of his calming energy. We landed near the Blue Lady and then moved swiftly into the building and into that safety of the Sanctuary below. Janos placed his hand lightly upon my shoulder and led me to what amounted to one of the smaller 'war rooms/libraries'.

He had me sit at the dark stained table that had papers and maps scattered about all over it. Alma, Nikolai and another vampire carrying more blood vials, arrived shortly thereafter. They were followed bare moments later by Vorador, who moved instantly to Janos' side and thus my own as the blue-skinned Eldar yet stood behind me. I watched out of the corner of my eye as the two Eldar's shared a concerned look when I ignored the blood vial that was suddenly held out for me to take.

"My dear, your _hair_!" Alma exclaimed loudly when she noticed the rough hair cut that had been forced on me.

She walked over and touched the shortened strands delicately. I flinched minutely at the touch and when Nikolai moved to rest a hand upon my shoulder, I twitched a second time. I had to forceably remind myself that these two were safe and did not mean me any harm. I did not want to hurt them by lashing out, but the urge to react violently was there. That and the urge to bury myself against Janos and hide under the cover of his wings. I grit my teeth to the point of pain in order to fight down both urges.

I was stronger than this!

"Kat? Are you alright?" Nikolai asked as he knelt by the chair that I was sitting in.

"I... will be..." I responded softly to his gentle query.

I found the vial that had been held out to me suddenly shoved into my right hand by the vampire I did not quite recognize. I'd seen him around here and there in the Sanctuary, but I had not worked with him as yet as he worked primarily in the medical wing and my own talents oft had me act as a scout and thus mostly away from any battlefields. As such, I did not know the males name off the top of my head. I kept my gaze mostly on the table in front of me and rolled the vial mindlessly around in my hand.

"You need to drink this," he said with a growl when I made no move to drink from the vial. "You are far paler then your normally complexion. Why did you not simply return straight here, you foolish girl? You had everyone worried!"

Something in me suddenly snapped at his words and the rage that had been leashed tenuously abruptly flooded my thoughts so completely and totally that I actually saw _red_.

The vial in my hand shattered violently. Blood sprayed out in a wide arch as the containment magics within the glass failed. Everything close to me was suddenly covered in a fine layer of blood. I felt my Aura pulse and then flare viciously to fill the entire room. I placed my hands upon the table in front of me. I ignored the glass now embedded in my hand and stood slowly as I started to growl low in pure rage. I barely even registered the fact that Kain had just entered the room and that he had paused, somewhat startled with my wild mood, at the doorway.

"Oh yes... it is absolutely a _Good Idea_ to come running straight back to Sanctuary after being bound by Hylden-runed shackles and having my Gifts weakened to the point where I could hardly focus upon them," I hissed out in a low and deadly voice as I glared at the vampire through my shortened hair. My claws started to dig into the wood of the table and began to leave deep furrows in the smooth surface. "It is unquestionably a _Good Idea_ to put everyone here at risk when I had been drained of blood to the point that I could barely think straight. It is a wonderfully _Grand Idea_ to come back here right away when my head is not on straight and thus put everyone in danger by Leading the _BASTARD_ Lordling straight here after _HAVING HAD HIS HAND SHOVED INSIDE OF ME_!"

The last words echoed in the room as my voice was raised in an enraged shout. I could feel a sudden shocked and enraged pulse from Janos', Vorador's, Kain's and even _Alma's_ Aura's as their energies flared in response to my words. My hands tightened further still around the wood beneath my hands and the table creaked ominously under my touch. The small furrows in the wood grew into longer, deeper tracks beneath my claws.

I bared my fangs in threat and outright hissed at the vampire in front of me. My wings flared wide in threat-gesture as he took a slow step back, eyes wide with startled fear like a deer that had suddenly been caught in the oncoming head-lights of a car from Gaia. I knew that my eyes _had_ to have gone white with power early in my rant if not immediately after the vial had shattered in my hand. It was a struggle, an _immense_ struggle, in order to fight down the urge to just leap across the table top to tear into him with fang and claw.

"Call me 'foolish' again," I hissed at him in a low and dangerous voice. " _Do it._ "

He shook his head slowly as he backed away another step. His fear-scent had spiked and my instincts flared in response. I had to fight back the urge to go for the kill. My wings and limbs trembled with the need to lunge for his throat. I took a deep breath and spoke through gritted teeth.

"No?" I hissed out the question even as I tilted my head.

I flared my Aura again and my wings fanned out wide enough that the tips of my wings nearly brushed against the ceiling. The table suddenly gave a groan, the pressure that I had been exerting upon it finally too much for the strong wood and it collapsed. Papers and maps were sent flying as the table gave way to my rage. I stalked a single step toward the other vampire and ignored the sound of broken wood as it crunched beneath my foot.

"Get the _Fuck_ out of my _Sight_ then," I growled softly in a clear threat.

"I just..." he started and I let out a roar as I flared my Aura yet a third time.

" _OUT. OF. MY. FUCKING. SIGHT_!" I roared.

He fled the room.

I found myself panting harshly for breath as I trembled and struggled against the rage that seared through my mind and blinded my sight now that the male was gone. I no longer had anything to focus my rage upon and every instance of torture that I had been through flooded through my mind, compounded by what I had just been put through. I gasped and choked against the memories, finding it harder and harder to simply _breathe_. It felt as if I would drown under the weight of it all.

I wanted to find the Lordling and rip him to pieces for his role in what had happened to me. I wanted to tear and rip and _shred_ Auron to bits with claw and fang for every single thing that he had put me through over the years. I wanted them _both_ to suffer for what they had done to me a thousand times over as I crushed them into a _bloody paste_ beneath my heel.

I wanted...

 _I wanted_...

Four power-filled Aura's suddenly pressed down upon my mind like a comforting blanket. I sucked in a harsh breath as if I had been trapped underneath water for a long period of time and had _just_ broken through to the surface. I realized dimly that at some point Janos had pulled me into his arms in a tight hug from behind, my head neatly tucked under his chin. His growls were a soothing, parental rumble of noise against my back.

Alma pet at my hair at my hair even as she started to pull the glass free from my hand. All the while she let out a soft and soothing croon of noise as she leaned against my right side. Vorador held my undamaged left hand firmly within his right hand, whilst his own left hand was a firm and calming weight upon my left shoulder. He was not tucked against me like Janos or Alma, but he made his own presence a clear and comforting weight none-the-less.

Kain himself was in front of me, pressed against the front of my body to complete the odd cocoon of comfort that surrounded me. His right hand lay upon the left side of my neck and his mouth was a gentle weight against his Mark with his fangs just barely pressed into the skin of my throat. Strangely enough, there was no Pleasure pulsing through the Mark at that moment, there was only the strongest sense of 'home', 'safety' and 'mate' that pulsed in time with their combine Aura's. All this and beneath it just a _hint_ of the rage that I could taste along the edges of their own power-filled Aura's.

I let out my breath in a choked, strangled sound and struggled to stay on my feet as I fought against the tide of tears that abruptly threatened to break loose. My instincts warred with the dual need to rend and kill... _anything_ really... and this new need to submit to the energies of my... _clan_? My mind all but blanked at the word. I rolled it around in my mind like a pebble that slowly began to turn into a pearl.

 _Clan_... that word felt... _right_.

My rage started to fade as my instincts calmed and the need to kill eased away. I slowly slumped forward against Kain and I felt my wings droop loosely to brush against the ground. I let myself sink into that soothing power that surrounded me on all sides. My Aura flickered out as the anger stuttered and fell quiet. I dimly registered Janos' voice in my ear.

How long had he been speaking so soothingly?

"Easy, my Childe," he rumbled softly against my back. "You are safe now. Easy now, we are here."

"Katrina," Kain's voice was a low rumble against my neck as he pulled his mouth back enough to speak. "Are you back with us my Little One?"

"'m here," I murmured in a dull voice. "Stone..."

"Mmm?" Kain rumbled in confusion.

"The stone..." I said again as I tried to organize my thoughts and focus on something... other. It did not exactly work well as everything was tied together... report... I needed to try to treat this as a report. Maybe that would help? "The Lordling called it a Path Stone. Auron... he is using it to... to ride the Lordling's body like a glove. Could feel his Aura... pushing out of it when he was... both of them... they..."

I fell silent again as I shuddered violently. It was not working, everything was still _too real_. Too immediate. Alma let out another soothing croon in my ear and she continued to stroke her claws gently through my hair. I could feel that the wounds in my hand had healed over now that the glass had been removed. I felt a small flash of gratitude toward her aid, but it was a numbed sensation.

"You do not have to repeat what you said unless you wish to," Vorador said with a low and soothing rumble.

I nodded my head and raised my hands to hesitantly rest them upon Kain's waist as I leaned further into him. His scent. His power. He pulled his mouth away from my neck in full and moved to rest his forehead against my own in a brief touch. He then pulled back and reached up to coil a shortened strand of my hair between his claws.

"I take it that they did _this_ as well?" he asked in a dark tone.

"I... told you that Auron likes my hair cut short..." I said in a soft voice. "He did that after the first explosion before he left the room..."

I started to tremble again and my hands clenched him reflex. Kain let out a faint grunt of and I forced myself to relax my grip lest I actually dig my claws into his sides. I leaned forward again and he let me tuck myself in under his chin.

"So damned _angry_ when he found your Mark..." I muttered.

I couldn't help the sudden near hysterical laugh that escaped me as I nuzzled my nose against Kain's chest. _Sweet_ scent. _Good_ scent. It meant I was _Home_. I tried to calm myself even as I tried to speak through the strained laughter.

"He thought... he thought that Janos or Vorador might have been the one's to Mark me... he did not even think to ask about you. Didn't tell him _Anything_ ," I said fiercely as I finally managed to swallow back the laughter. I closed my eyes tight. "So damned mad... first 'virgin half-blood' that he had caught in... five hundred years he said? Why? _How_? How can electrical magics do anything but cause _pain_...? Had to fight my own body... _zapping pain_... then it didn't hurt... and... shit... shit... SHIT!"

I _knew_ that I was not making a lick of sense and the anger started to flare once more as my thoughts started to run 'round and 'round in circles. My hands clenched again and Kain let out another grunt. He yanked me forward suddenly, out of Janos' arms, though my chosen Sire's taloned hands remained a soothing weight against my back. Kain's mouth closed on the skin over the Mark again and his fangs lightly brushed the skin of my throat. That pulse of 'Home' and 'Safe' and 'Mate' filled my mind once more.

I gasped for breath for several long minutes before I finally relaxed in his grasp. I only realized that my claws had started to dig into his flesh when I caught the power-rich scent of his blood. I pulled them out with an apologetic hiss even as he pulled his head back from my neck. I took a half step back and wood crunched under my foot. I looked down and let out a soft sound of distress at the sight beneath me.

"Sorry... I..." I started, only to fall silent.

I blinked at the ground around us which was covered in the broken wood of the table and I blinked again at the sheer mess I had made in my rage. Papers and maps and splinters were strewn about. Blood and glass from the vial seemed to coat everything in sight.

"Oh... the table... I..." I frowned and fell silent again as I looked over the havoc underfoot.

"Do not apologize Sister," Vorador said as he gave my shoulder another firm squeeze. "It was a flawed piece of work. I meant to replace the thing years ago and simply have not had the time to make a new one."

I blinked again, this time in confusion. I looked at him with a small frown, "I... thought you were a blacksmith...?"

"I have learned many a craft over the years," Vorador responded with a soft chuckle and he brushed my hair behind my ear lightly with the point of one talon. "Do not concern yourself over what can easily be replaced little Sister."

Alma let out another croon to my right and I glanced at her with a tired series of blinks. It took a few moments to really focus upon her what with how tired I suddenly felt. She lifted a few strands of my hair up and I frowned at her as she let the strands go. She had such a serious expression on her face when she met my eyes.

"I'll teach you some tricks to grow this nice and long my dear," she said firmly as she leaned forward to place a kiss on my forehead. "We are not going to let that bastard mark you in even the _smallest_ of ways, now are we deary?"

I let out a pained chuckle and I rested my head back against Kain's chest, "Right..."

She nodded firmly as she patted my arm and turned to leave the room. Nikolai still stood hesitantly at the doorway of the room, a pained expression on his face. As a human, he would have had to stay back to avoid getting hurt if I had started to lash out violently, but he had still tried to stay nearby out of concern for my well being. I flashed him a grateful look for his willingness to stay. He almost started forward a step, yet Alma gently grabbed his arm and guided him from the room.

"Come along, Nikolai deary," she said as she tugged him along.

He hesitated a moment longer but followed after her without a word and only a single nod of his head in my direction. His eyes showed plain the concern he felt and I knew he would try to check in on me later. Not that I would mind, my human friend had often helped to cheer me up when I was in my darker moods. Later though... right now I just... I shook my head and just focused on my breathing.

"I will get the city organized," Vorador said as he turned to leave the room as well. "The fires will need to be put out swiftly lest they spread."

"The Keep is partly in ruins after that last explosion," Kain said with a satisfied growl. "See to it that plans are put into place to have it torn down in its' entirety. I would have it rebuilt from the ground up."

Vorador chuckled, "That will be years of work, but at least one thing we have is time."

"Indeed. See to it that it is done Vorador," Kain said imperiously.

Vorador let out a snort as he turned away, " _Why_ do I help you again youngling?"

"Because Nosgoth is _mine_ , as you well know," Kain snarled out.

Vorador let out a thoughtful hum of breath as he left the room. Janos was still as my back and he let loose another gentle pulse of fatherly energy. I let out a soft keen and I tried to tuck myself a little closer to Kain even as Janos' taloned hands rubbed soothingly over my back. I did not hear either of the two males _say_ anything, but I felt Kain's head jerk up and heard it clearly when he let out a faint snarl of breath.

I realized distractedly that they were having a conversation over the Whisper and I let out a soft sigh. The next thing I knew, Kain had picked me up in his arms bridal-style and he hissed at the older vampire. I let out a faint meep of noise as the swift change in my position briefly left me dizzied. Their Aura's flared briefly and they all but glared at each other.

"Please don't fight..." I said to them in a soft and dull tone.

They relaxed only a touch at the sound of my voice and Janos let out a soft huff of breath. He flared his wings for a brief moment in a near threat before he looked down at me.

"You need your rest," he said firmly.

"And I did _not_ disagree with that," Kain growled out in a stiff tone.

"You would take her right back to your bed!" Janos snarled in outrage.

"If you think that I would do _anything_ with her in such a state, then you are _Thrice_ the fool that I thought you to be!" Kain snapped out. "Until she has recovered the _only_ thing that she will be doing in my bed is _sleeping_. Nor is she to be left alone."

I bristled at the last sentence and hissed up at Kain, "I am not made of _glass_!"

"No, you are not," Kain responded in a tone that was both agreeing and stern. "But you _do_ need time. Now hush and let me tend to you."

I relaxed into his grip a bit at a time before I finally let out a soft sigh of capitulation. I nodded my head and tucked my head back under his chin.

"Alright... alright," I murmured against his neck.

Janos let out a heavy sigh and ran his talons through his short, feather-like hair. He pinned a mild, yet almost glaring, look on Kain. I felt Kain bristle before he let out a small, warning growl at the Eldar. He then turned on his heel and carried me out of the room.

Kain took me back to his room and laid me, almost tenderly, upon my side so that my wings could easily be spread out behind me. He then sat upon the edge of the bed beside me. He began to gently comb his claws through my wing feathers and started to smooth them out of their ruffled and twisted state. I twitched under the touch but otherwise did not try to push him away. He let out a thoughtful hum of noise several minutes later after he had finished straightening a large portion of feathers on my left wing.

"I find myself surprised that your wings remained unharmed," he said slowly with a lilt of curiosity laced in his tone.

"He was more focused on punishing me for being a 'whore'," I said to him in a soft and almost meek voice.

Kain let out an abrupt snarl at my words and flared his Aura in an overwhelming wave that startled me. I tried to jerk away from him and he grabbed my shoulder firmly in one hand and my neck in the other. He leaned forward and gave my ear a harsh, painful nip. I went still with a sudden flash of fear at his unexpected anger and I couldn't help the confused keen of noise that escaped me. He gave my shoulder a firm shake even as he pulled his fangs from my ear and leaned back. His blue-gold eyes glared heatedly into my own confused green-eyed gaze.

"I will _not_ hear you utter that word in reference to yourself ever again Katrina," he snarled in a low and fierce tone. "You are not now, nor have you _ever_ been, a whore. I would not have Marked you as mine if you were. Rid such folly from your thoughts and do so _now_. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes Kain," I whispered, my eyes were wide in startled fear and my instincts quailed under the weight of his power.

His hand tightened minutely around my neck and I tilted my head back further out of instinct. He let go of my neck with a low rumble of noise. He eased back and trailed his claws over the skin at the hollow of my neck. He stood and set aside the Soul Reaver and then stripped out of his armor before he climbed into the bed behind me. He tugged me close into his arms, my wings pinned firmly between us and he buried his nose into my hair at the base of my neck as he took in my scent with a deep inhale. His Aura eased up and shifted to a more comforting pressure as I started to shudder and cry quietly against the pillow that my head lay upon.

I'd been lucky enough to escape on my own, to get back home to Sanctuary. I had been partially worried about Kain's reaction, waiting for some sense of disgust from him. Even in my 'enlightened' home world, some people still reacted poorly to their partner being... raped. Saw them as being 'sullied' and no longer worthy of their time. But... here he was, willing to touch me, _hold_ me, still accept me at his side. Even the unexpected correction had been a better reaction then what I had feared given my lack of knowledge regarding vampire culture.

I was still wanted and, from his so strong reaction, I would not be tossed aside. That thought more then anything else caused all of the residual anger to drift away... for a little while at least.

* * *

Chapter done! hope you all enjoyed!


	25. Road to Recovery

Edits as of 05/2016

Raz and Eldar Kain POV first folks. They are wanting a more active role in things what with shit going on in the background.

Chapter Twenty-five: Road to Recovery

Raziel had seen his Sire enter random seeming rages before.

Sometimes those periods of rage were violent and destructive, leading towards events that left him and his brothers ordering extensive repairs to the Sanctuary of the Clans or to Kain's personal Retreat and to seeing to the well-being of anyone unlucky enough to have crossed Kain's path.

Sometimes the rages were quiet and cold, but no less dangerous to one's continued good health. Especially as their Sire tended to order Raziel and his brethren to attack him in... _training_ sessions that always ended poorly for the Brother's regardless of what tactics they might have used in their attempts to defeat, or simply _defend_ against, their enraged Sire.

Raziel and his brothers had needed to learn swiftly the methods and means to keep themselves, their own first-'born' lieutenants and even the human servants, out of their Eldar's way when he was in such a state in order to avoid major injury. They had even been lucky enough in the early centuries of the empire to have been able to direct their powerful Sire's ire at the unfortunate souls that had yet fought under the fading banner of the Sarafan.

Raziel had only recently begun to realize that those fell moods had to have been brought about by Kain's attempts to monitor the Chronoplast and see what outcomes might occur if he took 'X' action over 'Y' and what the potential results would be if he did so. Many of those rages might well have been Kain railing against what he would have to do to _Raziel_ himself. His favored and trusted first-born...

What Raziel had never had before, was the... _distinct pleasure_... of witnessing one of those moods as they developed. While Raziel could not feel the full press of time as he had when he was one of the pivotal players in a temporal event, both when he had chosen not to kill Kain and when Kain had initially prevented the Reaver from consuming Raziel himself, he could still feel the edges of time as they shifted and twisted in faint ripples around his Sire whilst Eldar Kain stared at the city of Meridian and rubbed a talon against his temple. Blue-gold eyes had flashed hunter's white multiple times over the past ten minutes alone and his expression had gone dark with a rage and loathing so strong that Raziel had felt his own flight instincts pulse with the need to flee. Yet he stood his ground and remained in place, unwilling to move even an _iota_ of an inch lest he draw the Eldar's attention to himself.

Eldar Kain's face slowly relaxed and then settled on an expression of dark pride. The faint ripples that Raziel had been sensing suddenly faded completely with a small burst of energy that crackled against him like a mild shock to the skin. Eldar Kain took a slow breath and let it out in a dangerous sounding, sub-harmonic rumble. Raziel shivered at that sound and knew instantly that his Sire had settled into one of his colder rages.

Eldar Kain slowly turned and Raziel remained as still as he could as the older vampire approached him and came to a halt just in front of him. Eldar Kain slowly raised a talon and trailed that sharp digit along Raziel's jaw, opening a cut that rapidly healed as he did so. Raziel remained still even then, unwilling to flinch under that harsh touch even as he steadily met Eldar Kain's gaze. His Sire finally leaned forward to lick away the line of blood that had been drawn with a dark and approving growl at Raziel's lack of flinching.

"You did well this night my Raziel," Eldar Kain said in Raziel's ear.

"What of Lady Katrina?" Raziel asked in a careful tone.

"She proved to have the temper of a caged wild-cat buried underneath that kind heart of hers," his Sire responded with a faint quirk of his lips, though his eyes yet remained hard as stone. "The road to recovery will take time, but she has taken the greatest step forward by telling her chosen Clan what has happened."

"I do not imagine that Janos, nor Vorador, reacted well then," Raziel said with a droll tone.

He couldn't help the mild wince as fangs suddenly brushed his neck when Kain leaned forward again. The Eldar's tongue passed over his neck slowly to lick away the newly drawn trail of blood and Raziel successfully fought back the desire to issue a warning growl. He had learned well the kinds of punishment his Sire could issue if one was foolish enough to even attempt to challenge the Eldar whilst he was in such a foul state.

"Janos is not one prone to violence if he can help it," Eldar Kain said with an amused rumble. "Yet he made it plain what he would... _attempt_... to do if my younger self pushes his chosen Childe too quickly after what she has been put through. Vorador is not the overly protective sort, yet he too will show his concern in his own twisted way. But it is not his, nor Vorador's reaction that surprises me. No... _Alma_ has become a little bit more important to the timeline. An interesting development that."

"Alma?" Raziel frowned but realized that he suddenly had faint, hazy memories of someone by that name. "I... _remember_ that name all of a sudden from my... early fledgling years? Vorador as well."

"One of Vorador's Brides. I had to tend to the six of you by myself the first time around, unruly lot that you were. Now I had aid for the first fifty years," Eldar Kain said as he shifted and started past Raziel. "Come, we need to visit the Chronoplast. Katrina's enraged breakdown was unexpected, considering how many more likely reactions she could have had. I need to examine what else has changed because of it."

Raziel trailed warily after his Sire, mindful that the older vampire might well desire a fight later on and he found himself hoping that they would come across a group of foolish Sarafan vampire hunters. At least that would give Eldar Kain the chance to vent his rage on something that he could actually kill.

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

I will be the first to admit that I was not an easy person to deal with over the months that followed my capture and subsequent escape. The smallest things would either send me into a rage or had me trying to find a place where I could just be alone. With Kain's blanket order for me not to be left by myself, finding a place to be _alone_ was all but impossible. Oft times he would find me himself when I tried to hide myself away and, in an attempt to pull me out of my fits of depression, he would force me into a no-holds-barred fight that tended to end with us both a bloody mess. The first time we had fought in such a manner, I had come out of my battle-rage with a startled sense of sudden clarity when I realized that we were both covered in blood and healing wounds. I had apologized for wounding him so, even though I was the one that was the worst off after the fight. Bare seconds after the words had left my mouth and he had used my dazed state in order to pin me down. I had then received another painful and scolding bite to the ear from him both for my inattentiveness during a fight and due to the unnecessary apology.

"You need to let this rage out somehow," he said me in a firm voice as he pulled his fangs free from my ear. He licked at the wound as it healed. "It is best that I deal with it directly lest you accidentally take it out on one of the humans, like your Nikolai."

"I understand why you are doing it," I said and I rubbed at my ear with a soft grumble of noise. "I still don't like that I hurt you while blinded by rage."

"Then learn to _harness_ that rage, my Little One," he purred as he stood and helped me to my feet. "Perhaps you might even win one of our matches if you are able to do so."

A part of me took that as a challenge and, though he always won our later bouts, I still managed to put him through his paces a time or two as I improved.

Alma kept to her word and had _tried_ to teach me a little bit of magic in order to help me grow my hair back out. Problem was, and somehow I was not all that surprised by the discovery, I had absolutely no talent with magic outside of my natural vampiric based Gifts to sense and see others' Aura's and make myself invisible. I could not even muster up the magic to light a single small candle and she'd had me try to do so for over an hour before she finally gave up and went to get the two Eldar's for their opinions. Vorador and Janos confirmed that any magical abilities I might develop over the years would end up being Gift based and that, while I could very well study magical theory and learn to recognize signs of it being used, I would never be able to cast a normal spell myself. Alma took that knowledge in stride and had ended up casting the spell she had been trying to teach me herself. Within the next few days my hair was back down to the middle of my back and braided once more with spiked studded leather strips. Spikes that were now hollowed out and filled with small amounts of a poison that would be deadly to humans, though did nothing to vampires or even half-bloods.

We had tested my reaction to a small amount of the poison just to be certain that I would not suffer negative effects if I was not careful of the spikes myself.

Kain had been pleased to see my hair long and plated once again into my usual braid. I'd entered the room where I'd had my breakdown, a room that had been tidied up, maps and papers either repaired or replaced and a new, ornate looking table put into place, and he had reached out to hold the braid loosely in his hand for a moment after I had made my way over to his side. He had then brushed his claws lightly through the feathers of my left wing before he then turned back to the map he had been examining when I had walked in. He may not have been one to show public displays of affection, but after my capture he had started to touch my wings and back more often in idle gestures that could easily be overlooked if others saw him. It was a twitchy kind of comfort, but one that I was grateful for.

Kain could not always be by my side of course, he had an empire to build after all, and as such either Janos, Alma or Nikolai made a point of it to be nearby whenever Kain was out fighting. Janos offered me the comfort of a father's arms, Alma and I became closer and she offered the comfort of a teacher as she began to teach me vampiric etiquette 'worthy of a high-born lady' and Nikolai continued to be my closest confidant and friend. Even Vorador made a point of checking in on me as his 'little sister' and, though he continued to be an ass about it all, I found myself grateful that they were all there for me.

Despite the outlets made available to me by the others though, I found that I had a budding destructive desire to help in the currently slow dismantling of the partially ruined Sarafan Keep. Namely by scrambling to remember what I'd learned in school about how black powder was originally made so that I could blow the entire thing up in one fell swoop. Charcoal, sulfur and... a third item. I scrounged through many of Vorador's and Janos' older tomes, the ones in which I could easily recognize the writing within, in order to see if there were any signs that the Ancients had known how to make such a thing. That search proved fruitless as all of their destructive arts had been centered around magical spells and rune work. I eventually gave up the search when I realized that I was about to open a can of worms that Kain did _not_ need to deal with, specifically that black powder would lead to the potential development of guns. There was also the fact that I could not recall such weapons ever having existed on Nosgoth, even in the later days of Kain's empire portrayed by the events of the Soul Reaver game. I remembered _flamethrowers_ , yes... but not guns.

When Vorador had made a mock-gift of a dress of all things near to three months after the attack, and about a week after I had given up my search for how to go about making black powder and set fire to all of the parchment that I had been using to store my notes, my destructive urges firmly settled upon pyromania. It didn't help that the fucking thing was _pink_... and _frilly_ of all things.

Vorador had simply handed me a good-sized box as he passed me in the hall one day without a single word and he had only issued a dark smirk when I had flashed him a perplexed look. I had opened the box up slowly, filled with a sense of careful, wary confusion and had found a pink, frilly, monstrosity within the innocuous seeming box. I'd stared at it blankly for several long minutes before I had made my way up to the roof of the Blue Lady. Being made of brick as the building was, it was a safe place for the sudden urge that had hit me. I then gathered together what I could to all but ritually set fire to the damned poofy looking thing. I sat down on the edge of the roof and watched the flames as they crackled away merrily. I hummed a soft melody to myself as I watched the soothing, flickering light.

Janos and Kain both found me when the dress was roughly at the point of being mostly consumed by the flames. Janos had looked concerned while Kain simply looked bemused at what I was doing, though there was a residual sense of upset to both of the males Aura's. I had only realized a few days later that the both of them had actively needed to search me out as I had somehow managed to avoid everyone else without even meaning to in my impromptu desire to deal with the dress as I had. Everyone had simply taken my purposeful stride to mean that I was meeting up with one of the others and had left me in peace rather then ask questions. That event alone had helped me to realize that if you acted like you belong in a particular place, most people would not consciously pay you any mind.

"Why... are you _setting fire_ to _clothing_ my Childe?" Janos asked in a confused voice whilst he blinked at the burning pile.

"Blame Vorador," I said simply as I continued to watch the flames flicker away.

The two vampires shared a curious and bewildered look. Kain moved over to my side and brushed the tips of his claws over the edge of my left wing. I twitched at the touch, but did not turn my attention from the flames.

"And why pray tell, would we blame Vorador for your sudden urge to burn clothing of all things?" Kain asked in a bemused tone.

"That clothing was a dress that he decided to give to me," I said as I pointed to the pile of burning cloth. "A very pink and very _frilly_ dress."

Kain snorted softly in amusement at my words and Janos let out a soft sigh.

"And thus the best response was to _burn_ it, my Childe?" Janos said in a tone that was both mildly scolding and relieved.

"I like _some_ cute things, like animals and such," I said with a wave of my hand, "but I don't do dresses and I most especially don't do 'cutesy' outfits like that... _monstrosity_. It does not help things either when Alma keeps trying to convince me to let her tailor a dress for me... eugh. Pants and a shirt thank you..."

I stood and waved them back as I pulled free a skin of water that I had grabbed earlier. I poured water over the fire and carefully stomped out the last of the embers. I paused and glanced up at the ruins of the Keep in the distance. I felt my expression darken as I gazed upon the sight. I still wanted to blow the damned thing up, it would be satisfying, but the consequences of continuing my research into such a thing outside of magical means could be disastrous and I would not risk it. I found myself briefly wondering what the melting point of brick and mortar was and I let out a thoughtful hum of breath.

I felt a hand brush against my lower hip and I let out a startled hiss. I swiped my claws down at the sudden and offending touch. A touch at my waist and up and _somehow_ I was alright with it, but if anyone touched me any lower than my waist and it would set me off, even if it was _Kain's_ touch. Which in this case, it was. He caught my wrist easily in his hand before my strike could land and he let out a soft warning-growl. I glared at him for a long moment regardless of the threat sound as I worked through the sudden flash of anger. I let out a huff of breath seconds later and lowered my gaze with just the slightest tilt of my head to acknowledge his status as 'Alpha'. I was feeling particularly defiant that night though and even as I tilted my head I tried to pull my wrist free of his grasp. He held tight to my wrist and Janos began to speak as if nothing had happened, though the older vampire watched the two of us closely out of the corner of his eye.

"We were coming to find you in order to let you know that I was successfully able to discover something regarding the Hylden Basin you found," Janos said and I turned my attention to him with a raised brow. "The runes upon it were not of any use. What was important was that it was not made here in Nosgoth. It was created from materials that can only be found within the demon realm that the Hylden are currently sealed in."

I tilted my head at that and frowned, "So the asshat was using the Basin as what... a focal point to open the portal to where the Hylden are sealed?"

"We believe so," Kain said satisfactorily, though he still hadn't let go of my wrist. "As this Path Stone originates from your own world, we have cause to believe that the Stone itself will allow for a stable pathway to be opened back to your Gaia. What we needs must confirm is what you would need from Nosgoth in order to return here to us and at the appropriate time. Would you have to leave the Path Stone that the Lordling has here in order to keep the link between Nosgoth and Gaia active? Or would you instead have to travel with the stone and use something else as your link back to us? We need to figure this out so that we do not leave an enemy at our backs. First thought, we must deal with the enemy before us."

"Right... right," I reached up and tugged lightly at my braid with my free hand, mindful of the spikes. I let out a growling sigh a moment later. "The fuckwit."

"Katrina," Janos said with a sigh and a twitch of his wings "Is such language truly necessary my Childe?"

My own wings flared slightly in threat in response to his words and I glared at him as I straightened my shoulders.

"I'm not even going to dignify the son of a bitch by even calling him a 'lordling' any more," I hissed out softly. "I can always come up with something else to call him."

"Something that would be far more inappropriate, I am sure," Janos said with a shake of his head and a faint, exasperated smile crossed his lips.

"Yup," I responded with a dark smirk of my own.

I tried to tug my wrist free once more and Kain's grip tightened for a brief moment in a warning to be mindful of my temper before he finally let go of my wrist. He turned to walk toward the edge of the roof and called out to us over his shoulder.

"Janos, go back inside. Katrina, come, we are going to the Keep," Kain said in a dark seeming tone of voice. "We have a few new prisoners to deal with."

A moment later his entire form seemed to shudder and then dissolved into a cloud of bats that circled the rooftop once. I let out a faint noise of surprise, wondering when he got that particular ability back. I shared a confused look with Janos, who could only offer me a shrug of his shoulders and wings. Kain had never before had me follow him when he had to interrogate a group of prisoners, so what had changed? Why would he need or want me to come along with him this time?

"Go along my Childe, the skies of Meridian are safe enough for us now," Janos said as he gave my shoulder a pat.

I nodded my head to him and then leapt into the air. I swiftly caught a thermal in order to wing after Kain's bat form, which had not in truth gone that far. The bats circled back around and looped around my form once I was in the sky before they turned to wing straight for the Keep. As we neared the deconstruction site several of the humans, many long loyal to the Cabal, raised their heads and their hands in acknowledgement of our approach. When we had landed, and Kain had reformed into his normal state, a youngish-feeling vampire walked over and bowed low to Kain with his fist over his chest.

"My Lord Kain," the vampire said. "As we advised Lord Vorador, we successfully caught three humans out of a group of twelve that had been attempting to sneak into Meridian through what had been an escape tunnel that was built into the lower levels of the Keep."

Kain started past the younger vampire as he headed into the undamaged portion of the Keep and down to where the dungeons still remained mostly intact. Both I and the youngling moved to follow, myself at Kain's side at an equal pace and the other vampire making sure to stay a step behind us out of respect.

"You have sealed the path to ensure that no more fools attempt to sneak into my city?" Kain asked in a stiff tone.

"Yes, Lord Kain," came the prompt response. "We blockaded the path and placed guards around the general area. Several scouts are also checking the undamaged portions of the Keep to see if there are any other such routes."

"Good," Kain let out a satisfied huff of noise at the report. "Have the fools stated their purpose behind their suicidal attack?"

"M'lord," here the vampire hesitated and glanced at me. I raised a brow at him and he looked back to Kain. "They attacked us on sight, all while demanding that we... um... that we release the... 'angel' that we have enslaved."

I felt my lips purse together as I frowned and Kain shot a questioning look in my direction when he noticed my expression. I let out a low growl as I spoke to him. I had not talked much beyond my initial outburst about what had happened to me and the others, Kain included, had been allowing me my space and had not forced me to speak on just how I had been caught and what had happened after that. This... this was information he needed to know however and I clenched my jaw as I worked up the resolve to explain just why the youngling's report was so important.

"The Bastard and his men had caught me in a Hylden runed net while I was flying ahead of the troops," I told him in a dark tone. "He then had his men dump water on me. He used the knowledge that Auron had given him to spin a tale that I was a 'tortured angel' and not a vampire, as I hadn't reacted with pain to either the net nor to the water. His men believed the lie."

"Hmm, a clever tactic," Kain said with a low growl as he tapped at his chin. "Still, this may prove problematic. Zealots always fight hardest for the cause they follow."

"Then everyone under his banner will be actively trying to catch me alone again," I growled out. I shook my head in annoyance and my wings ruffled against my shoulders in agitation. "If I could but conceal my shadow, then I could continue to act as a scout for you..."

"But as it is, you can no longer do so," Kain said knowingly. "Not unless you are paired with at least one watcher in order to protect against another capture."

My wings flared away from my shoulders, plainly revealing my annoyance before I could control the twitch. I had to roll my shoulders before I could draw them back against me so that they hung cloak-like around me once more. Near to three months since the attack, and my subsequent escape, and I still had not been allowed to participate in any missions. Part of it was because of my budding temper which I still had trouble controlling and part of it was because Kain and the others still believed that I was not yet ready to go out on any missions alone. As a result of everyone's good intentions, I had developed a clear case of cabin fever and I longed mightily to be allowed to go out on my own once more. That I would be forced to have a minder, a watcher, a... a bloody _babysitter_... ! Even if I was able to go on naught but a simple scouting mission...! It was a thought that angered me immensely.

"Ah... the prisoners are this way M'lord," the younger vampire said as he moved ahead of us at a slightly faster clip. He had mostly likely sensed my darkening Aura and wanting to be clear of any potential outburst.

"You have something to say, my Little One?" Kain asked in a low voice as we continued to walk down the halls that led to the dungeons.

"I am getting overtired of constantly being watched over," I hissed out softly as I kept pace with him.

"A growing sense of pride is all well and good Katrina," Kain said and his tone darkened to hold the faintest hint of warning. "However, you have yet to _control_ that growing temper of yours. Learn to curb yourself and come to understand and accept the fact that to go out alone on a mission in the future would be folly. If you can manage such, _then_ we will talk."

I could not seem to help the flash of anger that seared through me. I knew my eyes had flickered hunter's white for a brief moment as I turned and snarled at him.

"You are one to talk about controlling one's 'sense of pride'!" I said in a low snarl.

Barely a half of a second after the words had finished leaving my mouth and I found myself suddenly pinned against the cold stone wall with Kain's arm at my throat. I let out a half-choked snarl of breath and tried to struggle free of his grasp. His Aura flared and my own Aura flared in response as my wings tried to mantle in warning, in challenge, despite their being pinned against the wall. I kicked out at him with a growl and tried to dig my right knee into his side in my attempt to break free. He twisted his body to the side and caught my upper leg in his free hand before the blow could land. Claws dug harshly into my inner thigh and I froze as rage instantly started to turn into panic as I abruptly recalled the dagger and what had followed. I jerked back with a reflexive snarl that turned into a yelp as I cracked my skull painfully against the stone wall.

Rage warred with fear in my mind and I glared into Kain's now diamond hard gaze as I tried to hold onto my anger and not give into the fear caused by painful memories. His grip remained a firm and unchanging hold upon my thigh but the pressure upon my neck increased incrementally in warning. His voice snarled through my mind as he Whispered to me rather then speak aloud. I would only come to understand later that he had allowed me an unprecedented amount of leeway concerning my outburst. In keeping his words to me private, and giving me the chance to calm, he was showing his favor of me whilst still making it plain to anyone who had witnessed the event that he would not tolerate such outbursts with impunity, even from me.

~Curb yourself _now_ Katrina,~ he said in a dark mental snarl. ~Or do you wish me to issue a public chastisement before sending you back to your adopted Sire's side like a wayward fledge? I have no qualms against doing so if you choose to force my hand Little One. Is this wild sense of pride so strong that you would risk my ire with a _childish fit_?~

Embarrassment at the threat flared through me and I had to fight against the urge to bare my fangs at him. A part of me refused to back down however and I kept my gaze locked on his even as I struggled to relax the rest of my body and tried pull my Aura under control. I might well be young yet, but I was no _fledge_ to be sent home with my metaphorical tail between my legs. Inch by inch I relaxed in his grip. Though he did not remove the pressure from my throat, his grip on my thigh did loosen and his claws eased from my flesh so that the small wounds could heal. His expression had also relaxed minutely as I yielded to him, though he still looked stern and somewhat angry. My Aura pulsed faintly in a brief burst of warning when he began to rub his thumb firmly against my thigh and I had to mentally scramble to get it back under control as I breathed in harshly through my nose.

Kain let me go abruptly and I had to catch myself against the wall once his grip upon my leg was gone in order to avoid falling to the ground in an undignified heap. He crossed his arms and stared at me with a severe expression on his face and I had to stop myself from wincing at the look in his eyes. I straightened my shirt and half-twitched my wings in an attempt to un-ruffle the feathers before I pulled them in to rest upon my shoulders once more. My gaze never left his as I tilted my head just enough for it to count as a token baring of my throat to show that I had yielded to his commanding presence.

He let out a dark hum of noise, a satisfied thrum that echoed through my bones, before he turned to continue down the hall at a faster clip. I lengthened my stride to catch up to him and then slowed carefully to match his pace once I was at his side once more. The younger vampire had stopped to nervously await us next to the doorway to the dungeons and he moved to open it for us as we approached. Both of us passed the male without word.

By scent alone we easily found where the three humans were jailed in one of the cells and, as we came to a halt in front of the cell, two of the three males burst to their feet with human-weak growls. The third remained where he was against the wall at the very back of the cell. He had even flashed a bemused look towards his compatriots when they jumped up. Strange.

"Monstrous bastard!" one of the men shouted. "How _dare_ you taunt us with our failure to save the Fair One by bringing her here like some sort of leashed animal to be shown off!"

Kain gave a dark chuckle at the man's words.

"Do you see a leash 'round her neck?" he asked in a dry tone.

"Release her from whatever fell magics that you have cast upon her you demon!" the second one cried out. He slammed his fist against the bars of the cell with a clang of noise.

I ignored the pair as Kain continued to taunt them with my willing presence and focused on the third male. He watched me with dark and hungry look in his eyes. My gaze narrowed on him and I frowned. Why was he looking at me so? He smiled suddenly, a dark and foul sneer of his lips, and then licked his lips whilst he looked me over slowly with those hungry seeming eyes. I realized with a cold sense of dread that this one had followed along on their assigned mission not out of any sense of holy duty, no, but most likely because he had been promised the reward of _my own body_ at some point had they been successful in capturing me again.

I almost flinched back when he raised his eyes to meet mine again but Kain's voice abruptly coiled through my mind in a way that made me realize that he had also been paying attention to the third human despite his apparent focus on taunting the man's companions.

~Still yourself Katrina,~ he ordered in a firm and cold tone. ~If you react by retreating then you give him just what he wants; a taste of your fear.~

I forced down that sensation of fear and focused instead on my anger. I bared my fangs at the human in a vicious sneer. I crossed my arms as I met the man's gaze and his eyes flashed briefly with surprise before he narrowed his gaze on me. He flashed me a lazy smirk a moment later and tilted his head at me. I snapped my gaze back towards Kain when he reached out with his Telekinetic Gift without even a hint of a warning. He slammed one of the two ranting fanatics into the back wall with his Gift hard enough to break bone and and skull. Blood and gore was sent outward in a wide spray of fluid both over the man that still sat silently against the wall and over the other remaining ranter. Both of the humans let out varying sounds of shock; the one by the bars let out a sudden, mourning sound of denial at the sudden death of his friend and the one who had been eyeing me so intently let out a sound of disgust at suddenly being covered with blood and brain matter.

" _Monster_!" the fanatical human roared in outrage and shock.

"Can't you come up with a more original insult?" I growled out in annoyance.

"Fair One, _please_! Fight what compulsion he has on you!" the human cried out as he turned to look at me in entreaty.

I rolled my eyes and let out a huff of breath as I looked away from the male. I kept a bored expression upon my face. Kain chuckled darkly at my reaction and I looked back over when Kain lifted the man into the air by his throat with his Telekinetic Gift. The third man against the wall stood slowly as he watched Kain and he idly flicked a bit of flesh from his shoulder. There was an odd kind of wary acceptance in the man's eyes along with a strange kind of viciousness.

"Your continued fanaticism has become droll," Kain said with an idle kind of growl to his voice.

A moment later and there was another pulse of energy from Kain. His eyes flashed hunter's white as the human fell limp, held in place with that Telekinetic hold. Kain's eyes changed back to normal a few seconds later and he shook his head as he snapped the man's neck with a small twist of his power.

"And you do not have the information I seek," he rumbled. "A pity that."

I realized that Kain had used his Charm ability in order to try to gain some sense of where the Sarafan Asshat might be hiding after his escape. Kain let the body drop to the ground with a loud thud and he turned his attention to the remaining human within the cell. The man watched the two of us warily but seemed completely unsurprised at the abrupt deaths of his companions. Kain flicked the cell door open with another small flex of power and then stalked into the cell.

"As for _you_ ," Kain growled out.

He grabbed the man's arm before he could even begin to defend himself. In fact he did not even seem to try which surprised me. Kain twisted the man's arm and forced the human male to his knees. The male still made no move to fight back. I tilted my head in confusion. Was he hoping for leniency if he did not fight us or what he simply resigned to death?

"You are no fanatic," Kain purred out in a deadly tone. "A mercenary I take it?"

"Gold's got a sweet song," the man hissed out with a pained laugh and a nod of acknowledgement. "My own fault for sidin' with cranks. If you're wonderin' where the little Lord ran off to, then you're wastin' your time. No one knows where he is. We're gettin' orders through communication crystals nowadays."

"You... are being surprisingly talkative," I said with a frown from where I yet stood outside of the cell.

"Weren't paid for my silence. Point in fact, I was told that if I were caught to share what I knew with you if I saw ya," he said with another pained laugh. " _Winged whore_."

I could feel my expression darken even as Kain swiftly snapped the man's arm. The pain forced a scream from the male. Kain lifted the human into the air by his broken arm and the man let out a groaning laugh through the pain.

"I ain't... the only one that's... been promised the _bitches_ body if we catch her," he said as he sneered down at Kain. "Bind her with those runed shackles and she's weak as any other _slut_ and just as eager to be _ruined_ and broken open on someone's _cock_."

I stalked my way into the open cell even as I felt my rage flare. Kain's suddenly stern gaze stopped me before I had taken more then a few paces into the cell. I let out a low growl as I came to a halt and I frowned at him as my wings spread outward and twitched with my agitation. Kain then looked back to the male and he reached up to force the man's head back at a painful angle.

"You human's constantly forget who your betters are," he growled softly. "Know your place."

"Ya want to know something fun?" the human said in a strained voice as he grinned down at Kain and ignored the implied threat. "I was one of the little Lord's guards while he was here. The winged harlot's got a _real_ sweet scream. Enough to make a man _hard_ just hearin' her _squeal_."

I felt myself pale even as Kain let out a snarl of rage at the male's audacity The thought that someone else had been nearby... had _heard_ me and had _enjoyed it_ as the bastard's had... had...

I felt my face go blank and I lunged forward with wings flared. I stabbed my hand into the man's chest viciously in order to dig my claws into his heart. He let out a satisfying choked sound when I crushed his heart in my hand. I ripped my hand out of his chest and pulled his heart out as I did so. I then threw the crushed organ to the ground as the man's eyes dimmed and he let out a dying gurgle of noise. I watched with a dark sense of detached satisfaction as the light left his eyes.

Kain tossed the body to the side a moment later. I closed my eyes and trembled for a long moment as I tried to reign in my rage. I needed to control it, I really did. Especially if...

Kain's hand closed upon my hip in a gentle grip and I instantly clamped my hand around his wrist even as my eyes flew wide open. I took a slow, shaky breath and then let go of his wrist a moment later. He used that grip on my hip to turn me toward the open cell door. I followed the push and moved to stalk out of the dungeon, out of the ruined Keep and into the open air at a rapid clip. Kain's hand again pushed against my hip when I came to a brief halt once we were outside again. When I glanced at him, he indicated the street ahead of us with a tilt of his head.

He wanted us to walk back, not fly.

I nodded my head in agreement and started down the route that he had indicated. Neither of us spoke as we walked. No asking if I was alright. No kind words. No false platitudes. No promises that nothing like what had happened would happen again, because there was always the chance that I could be caught again. Just the comforting weight of his presence next to mine as we walked the streets openly on the way back to Sanctuary. I stopped outside the door of the Blue Lady when we reached the building and I turned to look at Kain. He raised a brow at me and I frowned faintly. As much as I _wanted_ to continue to help, as much as I felt my movements were _restricted_... I let out a gusty sigh as I looked away from him and I tugged lightly at my braid.

"Who would you partner me with?" I asked finally.

"Alma," his response was swift. He'd already put thought into this. "She is the eldest of Vorador's Bride's and would be the best suited to pair you with considering her age and skill."

"Makes sense," I said with a shrug of my shoulder. "It helps that we are getting along better."

He tilted his head at me, "No arguments?"

"No... no not if..." I sighed and shook my head slightly.

The cold knowledge that the bastard and many of his men intended to pass me around if I was caught again was a strong deterrent against demanding that I be allowed on a mission without some sort of backup. My wings tightened around my shoulders and I shuddered at the thought. What I had been put through had been bad enough. I did not wish to be put through worse.

"No more arguments," I said to him in a soft voice.

"Hnn, we will see if this calm of yours lasts," he rolled his shoulders and nodded his head.

He pushed open the door of the building and gave another firm nudge to my hip with his hand. I raised a brow at him as I pushed down the urge to again grab at his wrist but my fingers still twitched and my claws unsheathed briefly. I took a deep breath and calmed myself before I raised a brow at him questioningly.

He was being a tad... pushy... today. Literally.

"Room," he ordered simply.

I felt my wings twitch and flare slightly with my nervousness. I wondered what he could be planning. I nodded my head at the command though and started inside the building to head toward our room. We passed Nikolai and Janos talking in the hall and I offered the two of them a small smile as we walked past the pair. They both returned the smile and then nodded to Kain respectfully as we continued past them and down the halls. As we entered the room Kain shifted the Soul Reaver from its' sheath and leaned it against the wall within arms reach of the bed.

He started to tug off his vambraces and I sat down on the edge of the bed without a word. I reached to run a finger lightly over the skull of the Reaver. I noticed him tense minutely out of the corner of my eye and I made sure to make no move toward the hilt itself. He was as possessive of the blade as he was of me and I knew better than to risk his ire when it came to the Reaver. I let my hand fall away from the blade and I raised a brow at him as he finished stripping off his armor as if he had not reacted. He waved a hand at me as he turned to face me.

"Lay down on your stomach, my Little One," he ordered in a low voice.

I stiffened for a moment and then slowly moved to lay on my stomach, my wings tucked close, all while keeping him in my sight. He let out a soft chuckle at my wariness as he moved to climb onto the bed and over my form. I tensed again for a brief moment when he leaned over to scrape fangs lightly over the back of my neck. He eased back and his weight settled upon my lower body. His hands slowly moved to rest on the base of my neck.

"Hush," he purred softly. "Close your eyes my Little One. Trust me and savor each sensation you will feel at my touch."

I swallowed heavily and let my eyes fall shut as he had instructed. He slowly started to massage my neck and I began to relax. As his hands moved to rub my shoulders, I could not help the hitched sigh that escaped me as he worked at the tense muscles of my upper body. He worked his way down my back and then back up in a slow, sinuous path. I found myself alternating between melting under his touch and tensing when his hands made their way to my lower back. He repeated that same path several times until I no longer tensed when his hands reached the base of my spine. I let out a low groan when he reached up and started to rub and knead the muscle at the base of my wings. His scent spiked at my groan and I stilled as complexly as I could when I caught that musky scent of his arousal. He let out a low, soothing rumble of noise when I tensed beneath him.

" _Relax_ Katrina," he purred. "Just relax into my touch, my Little One."

I slowly relaxed into his touch once more when he continued to do nothing but continue the massage. I let out a shaky sigh as he worked out the knots of tightened muscle in my wings until said wings lay spread out and limp against the bed with the tips hanging over the edge of the wide bed. My mind felt unfocused from the gentle attentions and I realized that I had started to practically purr. His claws then started to trail a pattern feather light along the exposed part of the back of my neck. I let out a soft gasp as those sharp and deadly claws trailed a slow, winding path down my bare back without even once leaving a scratch. Those claws trailed back up along my spine to my neck and he slowly undid the small line of hooks that held the neck of my shirt closed. I blinked my eyes open to look at him over my shoulder as his hands trailed back down my spine. He slowly undid the second line of hooks that started just below the middle of my back and pushed the cloth open. He moved his hands back up and started to rub at the base of my wings once more and I let out a purring groan as I relaxed in full beneath his touch.

"Away with these for now," he ordered several minutes later as he lifted his weight off of my lower body. "Then turn over."

I blinked at him blearily, half asleep by that point. I nodded my head as his words finally registered to my mind. I rolled my shoulders and drew my wings back into my body. A small mess of feathers was left on the bed as a result of the action and he gently brushed the feathers to the side and off of the bed itself. I squirmed a bit as I yawned and stretched like a cat and then rolled onto my back as he had instructed. He settled his weight back on top of my waist as he tugged my shirt completely off. Again his scent spiked with desire and I fell still beneath him and eyed him warily. His claws began to trace idle patterns over the skin along my collar-bone. He leaned down and kissed my lips, then chin and then my throat in light, feathered brushes of lips against skin.

"Calm," he ordered softly as he leaned back. "Get used to my touch again. Nothing more will happen as yet mine own. Shhh."

"K-Kain," I hissed out his name softly when his hands started to massage right under my jawline and then along my collarbone and out to my shoulders.

He then took one of my arms in his hands and massaged the limb all the way down to my fingertips in a way that left my claws extended even once he was done. He repeated the process with my other arm and hand. My eyes lost focus and I blinked up blindly at the ceiling of the room, not really seeing anything. I panted softly for breath and trembled at the sensual trail of patterns he drew on my skin. He moved his weight further down until he had straddled my thighs and he then trailed the edge of his claws just over the top of my trousers. I jerked up onto my elbows as the haze of pleasure was ripped firmly away at that touch.

His hand closed firmly on my neck at my abrupt movement and his thumb pressed soothingly over his Mark. A duel sense of Pleasure and Safety pulsed through me in gentle waves until I finally relaxed again, though I remained propped up on my elbows. Again he leaned forward to kiss my lips, chin and neck in feather light touches. His lips moved back to my mouth to press against my own in a gentle, open mouthed kiss. I slowly responded to the kiss as he pushed me back down against the bed. His body followed the line of my own as he continued to kiss me. His tongue flicked against my own in gentle sweeping passes and I moaned softly.

A flick of movement from his fingers later and the button of my pants were undone. He eased back with a final sweep of his tongue over my lips and shifted his weight off of me and to the side as he tugged the cloth of my pants down and off of my form. This time instead he settled his weight onto the bed beside me as he started to trail his claws up and down the line of my legs. Those sharp points then trailed a delicate line back up along my stomach to my neck and along my jawline. Back and forth, back and forth he trailed his claws then eventually the palms of his hands over my body until I no longer twitched with unease but instead trembled due to the stimulating, sensuous assault on my senses. I let out a groaning mewl of sound several minutes later and I squirmed to roll back onto my stomach. I wanted more of that sweet, dangerously sharp and yet oh so gentle touch along my back. He let out a dark chuckle and his scent spiked again as I wiggled back onto my stomach.

"Such a _greedy_ little thing," he murmured into my ear as he leaned over to kiss my neck lightly. "Then again, you _have_ been avoiding my touch for near to three months outside of sleep. Perhaps this should be enough for now?"

" _Nngh_!" I twitched my head up and blinked at him blearily. "Please..."

"Please what, my Dear Katrina?" he asked in a teasing tone as he flicked his tongue along the shell of my ear.

"Don't stop..." I hissed out softly and I arched into a light brush of his claws against my lower back. "Please... don't stop. Didn't realize... how much I've..." His claws brushed along the very base of my spine and the touch caused me to shudder in pleasure. "Ah, _Kain_...! missed being touched..."

He chuckled and his weight settled over my lower body once more. His hands fairly danced over my flesh in teasingly light touches. Those touches remained calculate, careful. The sharp points of his claws, points that could so easily rend my flesh, instead traced a dangerously thrilling pattern along my flesh and sent shocks of pleasure through me. His touch shifted and hands started to rub firmly over my flesh and he pressed down firmly with a soothing pressure, mindful of that one spot along my spine, until I lay limp beneath him. He started to hum a melody softly under his breath, his voice a deep baritone rumble, as he continued that sensual assault. My head jerked slightly when the melody finally registered to my pleasure addled brain.

"Huh..." I said with a blink as I looked back at him over my shoulder with a small smile.

"Hmm?" a questioning tone from him.

"Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera," I murmured in a voice dazed with pleasure. "Didn't realize that existed here... always did like that song best..."

"Hnn," he rumbled softly in agreement and then he continued to hum the melody to me.

"My Lord," I purred softly as my eyes fell shut and I surrendered to his soothing touch completely.

Music of the Night indeed...

* * *

Hope you all have enjoyed!


	26. Haven Forfeit

Edits as of 05/2016

* * *

Chapter Twenty-six: Haven Forfeit

Over the course of the next few weeks, my nights were mostly spent with Kain as he re-acclimated me to his touch and helped me to move past what had occurred. Slow steps that I truly appreciated given the lingering unease that I felt. Some nights ended with me falling asleep beneath the weight of his body resting carefully upon my hips and his hands trailing light patterns over my back. Some nights were spent discussing the differences, and in some cases _similarities_ , of what each of our worlds considered 'classical' as we learned a little more about each other's respective pasts. I savored those conversations as I was glad to have the chance to get to know him better as Kain the Man and not just Kain the Vampire Lord.

What with him having been born a nobleman, he had grown up well read and cultured compared to most of the other humans of Nosgoth who barely had basic reading skills let alone writing skills. The benefits of being born to an aristocratic family were easily apparent in his history and that was not counting the years he spent after his change reading and studying various magical and non-magical tomes.

With the internet available to _me_ growing up on Gaia, I'd had access to such classical outlets without even having to leave my home. It had been ages since I'd seen, let alone used a computer or a DVD player, and I found that I did miss the ease of access to such media outlets. And the public libraries. I'd spent hours reading books at the local libraries when I was a child. Even with the age discrepancy between us, my own knowledge base growing up had us mostly on par with each other and thus our conversations could vary widely when we realized that I could easily hold my own during our discussions.

Kain had been... _intrigued_ by the idea of public libraries when I'd mentioned them to him, but he'd still found it hard to believe that the knowledge that was usually horded by nobles and vampires alike in his world could be so readily available to _children_ or anyone else who had a desire to seek such knowledge out. The mere thought of _mandatory schooling_ for 'the common man and woman' threw him for a loop when I talked to him about my youth. It was amusing to watch his expression twist to one of bemused disgust when I spoke of such things and explaining a regular day at school or college had left him perplexed at the thought of so many students being taught by only a handful of teachers or professors. I did have to clarify that most teachers _were_ actually very overworked during the time that I had been in school.

He'd sniffed primly at that point in our conversation and I had raised a brow at him when I saw his satisfied expression.

"The fact that these teachers of yours are so over-worked is an indication that a one-on-one apprenticeship should be maintained," he'd said to me.

"Not necessarily," I'd responded with a small huff of breath. "A _basic_ education, such as the ability to read and write in common script and then basic maths and sciences _should_ be available to everyone. Further education might work better with a one-on-one approach, but the basics should be taught to any and all. Ignorance breeds fear and misunderstanding."

"Perhaps so, but knowledge of a thing does not necessarily breed wisdom nor sense," he'd countered smoothly.

The discussion had continued from there, neither of us really giving ground on our view points but still acknowledging when the other brought forth a valid point. That discussion _did_ make one thing perfectly clear to me; Nosgoth was very much a world that embodied the phrase 'sapientia est potentia'; 'Knowledge is power'.

We had also found out through our discussions that several plays and works over the years were similar or outright the same between our worlds, as how else would he have been able to make a reference to Hamlet otherwise during his early years as a vampire. I found myself for the first time in a long while, ie; not since my late high school and early college days, discussing the merits of what Kain knew as the works of various playwrights; Oxford, Bacon, Derby and Marlowe and what I knew on Gaia as the works of the playwright Shakespeare.

Alma caught the tail end of one such talk as Kain and I shared a bottle of blood wine in one of the more private libraries that Vorador had built in the underground Sanctuary.

"Hamlet has proven to be one of the most influential tragedies over these past few centuries," Kain said as he drained his goblet. "Even in my youth it was a tale upon many a nobles lips. That it still is favored _to this day_ is a testament to its' worth."

"And yet Macbeth engaged the mind with the realization that even one's indirect actions could lead to the tragic deaths of those around you," I said.

I sipped from my own goblet and I blinked at it when I found it mostly empty. I had not realized that I had drunk so much. Kain refilled both goblets without word and I gave a small nod of my head.

"Thank you," I said with a small, fangless smile. "At any rate, Macbeth's actions even resulted in the death of his _wife_ , what with her suicide. And all due to his quest to maintain his power. One of the reasons the play is labeled as a true tragedy in Gaia is that _everyone_ of importance dies because of the actions behind Macbeth's greed, including Macbeth himself. A tragedy warning of the pitfalls of said greed."

"And yet near to everyone perishes in Hamlet as well and that play covers the actions of a man who pretends at madness and yet succeeds in his desire for revenge against the uncle who slew his father and married his mother, only to die himself at the end. A warning against loosing one's self to revenge," Kain laughed suddenly. "Speaking of 'mothers', perhaps I should ask your opinion on Oedipus?"

I felt my face twist in disgust and I shook my head quickly.

"Yeah, _no_ , that one got weird _fast_ ," I said. "And considering the fact that incest is a problem that plagued many human noble families in Gaia's past, let alone the _current_ state of Nosgoth's human nobility, that play is based more on potential truth then fiction. Incestual relationships when you are looking to breed can result in some _horrendous_ birth defects."

Kain laughed at my words and started to say something when a noise drew our attention to the doorway. Alma had been leaning against the door frame.

"My dear," Alma all but crooned as she pushed away from the door frame.

She fairly stalked into the room in as she made her way towards me. I turned to look at her warily as that falsely sweet croon had never boded well for me when she had used it in the past. Why was she upset with me?

" _You_ have been holding out on me," she said in response to my perplexed look.

That... did _not_ help me understand her sudden upset..

"Uhmmm?" I blinked at her warily.

I shifted a step back, my wings giving a nervous twitch as I did so. She approached me and came to a halt in front of me with her arms crossed. I spared a glance at Kain. He smirked as he took another sip from his goblet. No help from him then...

"I'm... not really following what you're saying Alma..." I started slowly only to have her cut me off.

"This! _This_ is what I am talking about," she waved her hands at me and then placed her hands on her hips as she leaned in close to m. "You show obvious signs of being a noble-born and then constantly behave as if you are _slumming_! Playing at being less then what you obviously are!"

"I've told you before," I said with a sigh as I relaxed and I rolled my eyes, "I'm _not_ considered noble-born where I'm from. Just because I know basic manners..."

She cut me off again and began to tick points off on her fingers.

"Basic manners. Proper use of 'My Lord' or 'My Lady' versus 'M'Lord' or 'M'Lady'. Proper enunciation save for the times in which you are being _deliberately_ crude. You know how to read and write, mind that you had to be taught our _current_ script, but the fact that you knew our worlds _ancient_ script was impressive in and of itself," she snapped out. "Not only that but it took you very little time compared to most in picking up the use of our current script! You are now oft found reading various tomes of poetry or wit and now I find that you know, and can _easily_ discuss, the philosophical points behind the classical arts! No common-born can claim _half_ of that even if they were a noble's _servant_!"

"Urmm... it's just..." I blushed and blinked rapidly at the onslaught of her itemized list.

I shifted in place nervously under her continued glare. I shot Kain a near to pleading look and he let out a soft, dark chuckle. He tilted his head at me and raised a brow.

"Until you clarified your world's class system I, too, had thought you a noble-born by your speech and willful bearing," he said un-helpfully and he smirked at me. "You said it best yourself however; that compared to the humans of this world you might as well be considered amongst the ranks of the high-born."

~Not helping!~ I hissed at him through the Whisper.

~Ah, but _whom_ am I helping; you... or _her_?~ he Whispered back in an amused tone. He spoke his next words out loud. "In either case, your vampiric blood puts you above even the _highest_ caste of human nobles. There is also the fact that you have told me that Auron feared reprisal at the hands of a 'Draconian King' when your wings first appeared. That leads further credence that even amongst the vampires of your Gaia you may well be a noble of some sort without even being aware of it."

"Fuck, shit and _damnation_ ," I snarled out even as I felt my blush deepen. "Neither of you are going to drop this are you?"

"No, we are not," Alma said as she flicked the backs of her claws lightly over my left cheek. A butterfly soft touch. "You must needs embrace your status and stop _hiding_ from it deary."

I rolled my eyes and I swatted at her hand. I growled at her softly, "I suppose an uppity response of 'If I'm a noble, then I'll do as I damn well please woman,' would not be enough to make you to leave it the hell alone?"

Kain barked out a laugh at my words and Alma let out a frustrated sigh even as she smiled at my continued discomfort.

"No deary, it would _not_ ," she said primly. "Now about that fitt-"

This time I cut her off with a hiss as I flared my wings wide in threat.

"I am NOT wearing a fucking dress," I snarled in a low voice, "so do not keep pushing the subject!"

"Of _course_ _not_ my dear!" she placed a hand mockingly against her chest and I knew by her smirk that she had been indeed about to push me on the subject yet again. "You have made your opinion on such things _quite_ clear. No, I was searching you out as we've an _armor_ fitting to be done for you and we need to make sure we have precise measurements to make certain that the armor does not impede your flying. Once the fitting is done, you and I will be going out on a small trip. Just a little scouting mission."

The thought of specially designed armor as well as the hope that I might finally be able to go on a mission of some sort, even if it was in truth a test mission, made me relax. I let out a thoughtful hum of breath as I sipped at my drink and I looked away from Alma briefly. I turned my head back around enough to pin a glare on her out of the corner of my eye.

"If I find _one_ dress amongst my other attire later after this armor fitting..." I warned in a low tone even as I let out a sub-harmonic growl.

Alma chuckled softly behind one hand and then gave my cheek a pat in that 'annoying older aunt' sort of way. My brow twitchednat the touch.

"You can be so _adorable_ sometimes my dear," she said.

I let out another growl and turned my head to glare at her in full. My wings flared out in warning. She knew tha I did not like her teasing yet I held my temper in check. Alma tilted her head as she looked me over and noted the fact that, while I my posture had changed to be slightly more threatening, my Aura had not flared. She'd been working with me over the past few months, poking and prodding at me in subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, ways as she helped me reign in my temper by pretty much doing the emotional equivalent of dropping me into the deep end of the pool to sink or swim. It had only been after the confrontation with the prisoners roughly three weeks ago, and the cold knowledge of what kind of danger I was actually in at this point if I went off alone and got caught, that I had truly started to control my temper and my Aura.

Alma made a noise of approval a few moments later and left the room with a flick of her hair. I let out a sigh of annoyance as I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my free hand and I let my wings relax against my shoulders. Kain's claws trailed up my spine a moment later and I shivered reflexively at the teasingly sharp touch. I looked up at him with a raised brow and a blink.

"You have gotten better at controlling your temper. You are recovering well," he said in a low voice. He then took a larger gulp of fluid from his goblet and then set it aside on a nearby table.

He then pulled me close, hand a firm weight on my hip as he drew me in and kissed me, firm and gentle. His tongue pushed at my mouth and, as I spread my lips to open to the kiss, the blood-wine he had not yet swallowed was instead shared with me. I shivered, half in pleasure and half from fell memories of blood being shared with me this way in the past. I pushed forward to nip at his tongue with my fangs in order to forcefully draw in a taste of his vitae along with the blood-wine to me help focus on the now. Kain's blood was a potent elixir and oft could chase the fouler memories away just by my catching the _scent_ of it.

He let out a purring growl of approval as he nicked my own tongue and then lower lip with his own fangs in response to my needy bite. The taste of our combined blood and his power flooded through me and I shivered again, this time solely in pleasure. A low groan escaped me and I melted into that kiss as it deepened, drawn in by the commandingly skillful, yet sweetly gentle movements of his tongue and lips against my own. As I pulled back for the air that I still needed, I knew that my gaze had gone unfocused with my pleasure, a small amount of blood-hunger and, of course, the alcohol that was within the blood-wine that now buzzed pleasantly through me.

Kain's hand closed upon my hip and he turned my dazed form around so that I faced the doorway. He then grabbed the goblet from my hand and I blinked at him over my shoulder. I found myself surprised that I hadn't dropped it during that searing kiss.

"Off with you, my Little One," he purred huskily. "Let us see what kind of armor Vorador has planned for you."

"Hopefully something simple," I said with a wince as I gathered my wits about me. "Ornamental crap tends to be useless."

"Perhaps for the humans in your world," he said with a chuckle. "Vorador has a habit of making elaborate, yet functional, items. Be it weapons or armor, his skill is renowned for a reason. Besides which, he merely has to offset the weaknesses in any armor with shielding magics."

"Oh, wonderful," I said with a roll of my eyes.

He chuckled softly and his hand slid from my hip to the base of my back. I started out the room and down the hall when he gave my back a small, commanding push. No more distractions would be allowed it seemed, as pleasant as those distractions could be.

Nikolai raced past me suddenly as I walked down the hall toward where Vorador's forge was tucked away. He turned the corner and I heard him give a yelp of surprise a second later. The noise was followed rapidly by a loud 'omph!' and a rather painful sounding 'thud'. I blinked in confusion and picked up my pace in order to see if he was alright. I turned the corner and I came to an abrupt halt. I ran a hand over my hair and blinked at the mess of limbs on the ground.

A moment later I noticed a very pleased looking Alma. She stood calmly, her arms crossed over her ample chest, just against the wall and not even five feet from the mess that I knew she had caused. I face-palmed when she flashed me a very satisfied look and then turned back to look at the tangle of limbs that was Nikolai and Janos. Alma had to have used a small bit of magic to make sure that Nikolai tripped and barreled into the other male with enough force to send both men sprawling to the ground. Now Nikolai was stuck trying to figure out a way to move off of Janos without accidentally bracing himself on, and potentially hurting, Janos' wings which lay akimbo beneath the Ancient back at an angle that looked painful.

Janos rubbed at the back of his head with a wince. He then carefully grabbed Nikolai's waist in order to easily lift the human male up and to the side as he sat up himself and shifted his wings so that he was no longer laying upon them. Nikolai scrambled to his feet, free now to stand without worrying about the Ancient's wings. Janos rolled his left shoulder and the wing stretched out with a pained looking twitch as he did so. I frowned as I looked the limb over.

"Are you alright Sire?" I asked in concern.

"I will be fine my Childe," Janos said as he stood with Nikolai's help. The ancient flashed a small, annoyed look Alma's way. "You should both be on your way. Vorador is waiting at the forge and has been for some time."

Alma flashed my adopted Sire a smug look as she sauntered past him. I let out a frustrated sigh as I shared a look with Nikolai. He grinned at me though, instead of looking equally perturbed, and he reached out to brush his fingertips against Janos' wrist. My adopted Sire turned his attention to Nikolai with a small, gentle smile. I realized that Alma's matchmaking attempt, while unwarranted, may not have been entirely inaccurate in her choice of targets. I smiled at the pair in relief and then darted past them to follow after the older female. I nudged her with my wing as I reached her side and slowed to match her pace.

"That was a bit mean," I said to her.

"You have not been paying attention to them overmuch my dear," she said in a smug tone. "They have been dancing around each other for the past _month_."

"Truly?" I asked in surprise. "Well then why not...?"

" _There_ you two are!" Vorador's voice filled the hall and interrupted me mid-sentence.

He poked his head out of the forge room. He narrowed his eyes upon us and I fought not to let out the small meep at the glare he shot our way. He had traded his usual well-kept robes for a smith's outfit.

"Come along now!" he grumbled as he turned back into the room. "Fledglings!"

"Hey now!" I frowned as Alma and I slipped inside the room. Alma had started to laugh behind her hand. "I am no fledge!"

"Compared to myself, yes, you are," Vorador said as he held out a pile of clothing to me. "Out of those loose fitting clothes and into this. We need to properly fit this armor and your usual outfits will not assist with the process."

"There is a curtain here deary," Alma called out to me and I glanced over to see a changing curtain. I took the clothes with a frown and then blushed at Vorador's teasing leer. "He wont peak deary, I will make sure of it."

"Alma, you _wound_ me my dear," Vorador said as he flashed her a smirk. "Would _I_ do such a thing?"

"Yes Husband dear, you _would_ ," she responded with a flirtatious smirk as she stalked toward him. A move that left me stuck between them

I let out a small meep at their bizarre flirting and darted out from between them. I ducked behind the curtain that Alma had indicated before they could start to tease me about my shyness.

What followed after I had changed was several hours of either standing still or twisting around and testing the movement of a light-weight leather cuirass. It was a simplistic and flat chested cuirass that was designed to be mostly open at the back for my wings. A leather strap around four inches thick, that had metal plates attached to it in layers, was wrapped around my waist like a thick belt and a two inch thick strip of leather ran along the base of my spine to link to from it to the neck of the cuirass. Layered metal was also attached to the strip of leather along my spine in a scale-like design meant to protect the area. Several adjustments had to be made in order to prevent my wings from being pinched when I twisted my upper body back and forth but other than that it was a good fit.

Once the cuirass was tested and vetted for full motion, up to and including my performing a series of acrobatics such as back flips and twisting leaps as I _literally_ bounced off the walls a few times, we moved on to testing a set of light greaves. They were designed to wrap around my knee high boots which could then be hidden under the wide cloth of my cargo-style pants and then a set of vambraces. The last item was a single leather pauldron for my left arm that was fastened into place with a clasp just below the neck of the cuirass at the front, at the top of the leather strip at the back and had a belt strap that wrapped under my left arm. I rolled my shoulder and knew that it would take a bit to get used to the belt that now dug snugly into my armpit.

All told, once the fitting was done I was pleased with the way the armor both fit and looked on me. The extra weight of it was almost nothing to me due to my vampiric strength and the armor itself while pleasantly designed, was not an ornamental piece like I had feared it would be. Alma left the room once the fitting was done with instructions to meet her outside of the Blue Lady. Vorador nodded to himself as he double-checked the belt of the pauldron. He then held a hand over the armor and muttered something under his breath in Latin. Magic pulsed over me and the armor glowed briefly as a set of runes lit up over the entirety of it, even the exposed leather, before the rune light faded away completely. I blinked and tapped a claw against the armor where one of the runes were.

"What are the runes for?" I asked him as I looked up.

"Arrow deflection primarily," he answered as he turned away to begin to clean and put away his armorer tools. "There are also rust prevention runes upon the metal and preservation runes upon the leather. Anything I make lasts for centuries for a reason, Sister, even during times of disuse. Now, off with you. I am sure you are eager to be in the skies once more."

I shifted nervously in place for a moment before I nodded.

"I... Thank you for the armor Vorador," I said.

As I started for the door he chuckled and called out to me.

"At least I know you wont burn _this_ like you did the _dress_ ," I shot a mild glare at him at the reminder of that horrid thing and he laughed loudly as he waved me away. "Go on Sister. Fly safe and fly high."

I twitched to a halt at the doorway as a was of dizziness hit me. I blinked in confusion and grabbed the door frame with one hand. I looked back at him with a small frown. The words spoken were somehow familiar to me. A phrase I had heard during my childhood perhaps? My head began to spin and I rubbed at my forehead as the dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. He raised his head to look at me with a concerned frown when he noticed me wobble against the door frame.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"'May no arrow... mar your skies,'" I muttered softly as the memory of the words solidified and clicked into place. I spoke a little louder as the dizziness faded. "'Fly safe, fly high and may no arrow mar your skies.' I think... my father taught me that phrase? It was... important? Maybe? Umph... ow, my head."

I rubbed at my forehead again with a wince. The dizziness had faded but now I had the beginnings of a pounding headache. Vorador walked over to rest his hand on my shoulder and tilted my chin up with his other hand. I blinked up at him.

"No vampire should have had to endure what you did at the hands of one of your own unless they were a _traitor_ to their cause. Even then there is a firm line between what is punishment and what is excess when making... _corrections_ in someone's behavior. If said behavior can even _be_ corrected," he said in a low rumble. "The only advice I can offer you is this; if memories from before your torment are starting to surface from dormancy, even if they are simple memories from when you were a child, then do not fight them. Cherish them instead as they come to you."

"Sometimes I think I'd like to forget all of it... but then," I shook my head and shrugged. "I wouldn't be the same person if I did, would I?"

"No, you would not be," Vorador said as he gave my shoulder a gentle pat and turned back to his tools. "Just remember that you are more then the events that helped to shape you."

"Right... thanks again," I turned and left the room after he gave an acknowledging grunt.

Kain passed me in the halls as I made my way toward the exit and stopped me in order to look over my new armor. He had me turn this way and that, using light brushes of his hand to guide my movements as he checked over the armor's flexibility and range of movement for himself. He nodded his head with approval several moments later and then tapped one claw against the light-weight armor. Not even a scratch was left behind after a few of those testing taps and he seemed pleased with it overall. While he was examining the leather armor I sent out a brief Aura Pulse to get a sense of if anyone else was might be nearby.

His head jerked up at the pulse of energy and he raised a brow at me with a questioning look in his eyes. I darted in before I could loose my nerve and kissed him soundly. He let out a brief sound of surprise and he grabbed my waist tight in his hands as he returned the kiss with a near bruising strength. It had been the first time for a while that I had been the one to initiate any contact between us and he took full advantage of my impulsive move to deepen the kiss further still as his tongue flicked into my mouth. I fisted my fingers in his hair in response and pushed my tongue against his own. Our tongues warred with each other and I melted against him with a low groan even as he let out a satisfied rumble of noise.

It might had been what remained of the alcohol from the blood wine in my system. It might have been the excitement of going out. It might _also_ have been the fact that I did not want past events to control me any longer but... thought fled in full when I felt the burning need for air. I pulled back from the kiss with a breathy gasp and I panted heavily for a few moments. I then leaned in and nuzzled my nose against his neck for a brief moment before I pulled out of his grasp.

"When I get back..." I started. I paused and licked my lips before I tilted my head at him. "I... could we...?"

His eyes darkened with desire at my shy, questioning tone of voice and he let out a soft chuckle. He reached out to trail his claws lightly against the line of my throat. I shivered under that dangerously sharp touch and tilted my head back further. The tips of his claws trailed up to my chin and along my jaw until he could cup my jaw in his hand.

"Perhaps we shall," he purred in a low, hungry tone. "We shall see how your mission goes first, yes?"

"Right," I nodded and then blushed as his hand trailed down the front of my armor.

He smirked and then gave me a small shove backwards. I flashed him a small smile and then darted for the exit. Alma had been waiting long enough at this point, I did not want to leave her waiting too much longer if I could help it and I was also eager to get going. I tucked my wings in as close as I could. I had to make a small adjustment for how to lay my left wing against my left shoulder what with the pauldron now in the way. I took a slow breath once I reach the door to calm my nerves and then stepped outside. By the current angle of the moon it was likely around eleven o'clock at night, maybe even close to midnight by that point. I looked around and saw that Alma was waiting for me across the road. I moved over to her side swiftly and came to a halt. I bounced lightly on my toes for a moment, ready to go at once. She looked me over and then took a slow breath of air. She smiled at me suddenly and I blushed under the knowing look that she flashed at me.

"Well, it is about time," she purred. She let out a soft laugh. "Let us get this scouting mission taken care of quickly and then get you back to your Lord, yes?"

I rolled my eyes at that and let out a small huff of breath. She laughed again and then started past me. I followed her as we made our way out of Meridian.

"By the way, where are we going to scout?" I asked. "Do we have a specific goal in mind tonight?"

"We're checking out Steinchencroe this evening," she said and I raised a brow at her in surprise. "A little ways out I know, but with your being able to fly and my own speed we should be able to reach the city, check with our contact and be back all before dawn's light."

"Benefits of being a vampire. We don't tire easily," I said with a dry chuckle. "Should I take to the skies now?"

"Yes and with your Gift active as well, deary. Make sure that you pace me so that I can keep track of your shadow," she ordered in a firm tone.

I nodded at her instructions and then leapt into the sky once we were out of the city. I circled above her briefly, doing a few tentative dives and spins before I turned to wing Northwest as I wrapped my Gift around myself and disappeared from sight. At first I tried to hang back, thinking that I would end up flying faster the Alma could run without my meaning to, but she soon put on a few bursts of speed here and there that made me realize that she could run as fast as I could fly. I grinned at the realization and simply let go, though I did make sure to keep my shadow within her sight.

As we neared Steinchencroe, I started to fly a bit lower to the ground. Roughly a half mile out Alma Whispered for me to land and I back-winged swiftly in order to land next to her as she came to a halt. I dropped my Gift long enough for her to get a clear view of me as I crouched down and she grabbed my armored wrist with a nod of her head. I wrapped my Gift around us both and we stalked closer to the city whilst we kept to the safety of the shadows.

We circled the city once and noted that the guard force included only a token number of warriors armored with Sarafan gear. We came to a halt in a small clearing near the city. She kept hold of my armored wrist and tugged me over to a spot in the shadows where we could sit comfortably on a fallen tree.

~Is this where we are to meet our contact?~ I asked her over the Whisper.

~Yes deary,~ she Whispered back. I twitched when I suddenly felt her shift her grip higher up my arm. I outright froze when she started to nuzzle at my neck. ~We will be waiting for a small while and it is best that our human contact does not see us at first. He had not yet proven to be loyal.~

~Riiight~ I said slowly as I eased away from her, confused by her odd actions. ~So this is as much a check on the city defenses as it is a _test_ to make sure that our contact comes alone as instructed.~

~Very good,~ delicately sharp fangs suddenly brushed against my neck and I lashed out to where I could sense her in order to grab her neck. I caught her shoulder in my hand instead and I used that grip to push her back.

~The _hell_!?~ I asked in a startled voice over the Whisper. ~Did you not feed before we left or something?~

~No, I fed my dear,~ she purred. ~This part of our little trip is a test for you. We need to see if you can maintain your Gift through potential distractions, up to and including keeping your companions unseen in the process.~

~And that translates to you attacking me?!~ I snarled as I turned my head in order to block further access to my throat. ~Back the hel - _the fuck_!?~

Her lips suddenly crashed against mine and I fell back with a near-silent thud as my concentration wavered. I felt my Gift flicker and I pushed her back as I scrambled back to my feet. I barely had the sense to keep hold of her wrist and not push her away from me entirely lest she be seen. I felt her shift and then suddenly found my arm pinned behind my back. My wings arched with my surprise and I hissed at the painful hold. I pulsed my Aura enough to get a full sense of where her limbs were and then lashed out with my leg to hook her own. I fell backwards in order to slam her back against the ground and we landed hard with another near-silent impact.

Her fangs brushed against my throat and I slammed the elbow of my free arm into her side. She let out a grunt of breath at the impact and I twisted my body lithely in order to free myself from the hold. I landed on my feet with the claws of my other hand at her neck. I knew once my hand had successfully latched onto her neck that she'd been holding back. I had never been able to get her pinned this easily before. Other then that initial flicker though, my Gift had held through the brief, testing, struggle.

~Fucking _hell_ Alma!~ I snarled at her. ~One; are you done testing me? And two; _what the hell_ was with the kiss?! You're one of Vorador's Bride's, aren't you?~

~And you think that means I only like the company of _men_ , deary?~ she purred in my head as she ignored my first question.

Her hand brushed along the back of my wrist and then I suddenly found myself being yanked down against her. She followed the line of my arm in an instant in order to grab my shoulder and pull me down into another searing kiss. I froze in shock for a brief moment and then let out a muffled yelp as her tongue pushed into my shock opened mouth. I pulled away from her completely with another yelp of sound. Alma and I flickered back into view as my Gift failed me in my confused state. I glared at her even as my cheeks heated with my embarrassment.

She smirked at me even as she let out a soft 'tsk' of disappointment. I growled softly at her even as she held her hand back out to me. I grabbed her hand roughly in my own and wrapped my Gift back around us both. She Whispered into my mind a moment later.

~You did well enough,~ she said in an amused voice. ~You may well be able to ignore pain but we must work on other things that may distract or startle you when you are out in the field.~

~Pick a different way to go about it next time will you?~ I growled back at her in embarrassed frustration.

~Ah, but you _are_ curious now, aren't you?~ her voice teased.

I snarled mentally and then ignored her even as I felt my blush deepen. The kiss had been... _nice_... I'd admit that to _myself_ at the least, but I was WITH Kain and I was not going to test other waters without there being a long conversation between us first.

Our contact showed up, alone, not ten minutes later and I dropped her hand when she gave the mental signal. The boy, no more then thirteen summers, jumped when she seemed to appear out of nowhere and the scent of fear filled the air for several long minutes even as she spoke to him about the cities defenses. Steinchencroe was ripe for the taking considering the fact that the Sarafan Asshat had withdrawn a number of the best warriors from the smaller city. The handful that remained garrisoned in the city were the type to abuse their power and the female populace had done their best to go to ground in order to avoid the unwanted attention.

Most... had not succeeded.

~The city may well be easy to take,~ I Whispered to Alma as she talked to the boy, ~but I wouldn't put it past the bastards here to slay the women if we attacked now.~

~Indeed,~ she responded darkly. ~Their type always try to take out as many innocents as they can when they fall.~

The sheer amount of vehemence in her tone made me realize that she was speaking from experience. It was a surprise to realize that we had more in common then I'd thought, but at the same time it explained why she had pushed me so hard and had made sure to help me restore my hair to 'avoid being marked in even the smallest of ways' after my attack.

~I will let Nikolai know that we need to install a few railroad agents before we move to take the city,~ I Whispered to her. ~The more women and children that we can get out of the city before we attack, the better.~

~Agreed,~ she responded as she waved the boy away. ~Let us head back, we have the information we came for.~

Once the boy was gone, I again took to the skies and we started back toward Sanctuary. When we were a half mile from the city the sounds of fighting rang clearly through the air and I felt a flash of concern. Alma's mental shout rang across my mind as she projected a wide Whisper.

~Vorador!~ she called out loudly. ~What is happening?!~

~Meridian is under attack!~ he snarled loud enough across the Whisper that I could hear it clear as day. ~The rats are numerous, but we are keeping the city defended. Sanctuary itself is burning, so do not enter by the lower levels!~

~Can we help?~ I called out over the Whisper in a wide mental projection. I hoped that either Kain or Janos might hear me as well. ~Where are you?~

~Harass their rear lines near the city entrance!~ Kain's voice cut through along the connection suddenly and I felt a flash of relief. ~We have them mostly routed and a rear attack will send these fools scattering like the _vermin_ that they are!~

Alma and I sped up at his order and we dived into the rear ranks of the lingering attack force that had made the mistake of trying to take the Capital City. I swooped in and caught an enemy warrior before he could stab his blade down into a wounded vampire. Men nearby let out shouts of shock as one of their own simply disappeared from sight only to reappear in midair as I dropped him from a lethal height. Janos flew into the opening that I had made with my attack and he swiftly picked up the wounded vampire in order to get him to safety. Alma attacked lightning fast with her claws, tearing out the throats of the men near her as well as... oh... _eugh_.

~Do you seriously have to go for the groin? You're making _me_ wince and I don't even _have_ that kind of equipment!~ I Whispered to her even as I grimaced in distaste.

~Do you not notice how the others are reacting deary?~ she responded in a dark yet joyful tone of voice.

She had a point. The other enemy warriors nearby were starting to flee after witnessing her brutal attacks, if only in an attempt to protect their _own_ bits from the enraged vampiresses' wrath. Within ten to fifteen minutes of our arrival on hand, the main bulk of the remaining enemy forces had scattered to the far winds. Alma met up with her fellow Bride's and no less then six of them turned at her instruction to tail those that fled in order to take out those who had fled. I flickered back into sight when Janos nearly hit me mid-flight and then started to help him gather up our wounded to get them to the safe spot that had been set up with the healers. As I circled the city to look for wounded or hidden enemies I saw that the Blue Lady and surrounding buildings were clearly on fire and a large group of human Cabal members were working to put out the flames. Vorador was nearby on a clear roof directing them as he stayed well clear of both flame and water. I found Kain flitting about the rooftops as he too checked the city for hidden enemies and I relaxed slightly at the sight of him safe and whole. I found several other familiar faces but began to worry when I realized that I could not find Nikolai among them.

 _Fuck, shit and damnation!_ I thought frantically.

I winged toward where Janos had set up the medical point for the wounded and circled above him as I looked for my human friend amongst either the wounded or the healers. I called out to Janos in a worried Whisper when I did not see him amongst the crowd.

~Where is Nikolai!?~ I asked in a worried tone.

~I am not sure my Childe,~ he called back in a voice filled with an equal level of concern. ~I have not seen him since he began the evacuation of Sanctuary. Check the lower level exit if you can! He may have escaped through that way with the others and may yet be helping any injured stragglers.~

~Alma!~ I cried out to the other woman across the Whisper. ~I'm heading toward the back exit to Sanctuary! I cannot find Nikolai!~

~I see you!~ she turned and leapt across a few rooftops in order to follow me.

We raced together out of the city and then looped to one of the unused sewer paths that was the back exit/entrance to Sanctuary. The scent of smoke and fire was heavy near the large pipe-way and there were over a dozen wounded and burned Cabal members, human and vampire alike, gathered a good ways away from the exit. I let out a strained cry when I saw Nikolai's wounded form being tended frantically by a one of the human women and dived for the ground. I landed roughly nearby and raced to his side. His left arm was clearly broken and his breath wheezed painfully with the sounds of a clearly collapsed lung. My hands hovered over him uselessly and I shot a look at Alma.

"Do you know any healing magics?" I asked her. She shook her head and glanced around the area before she looked back to me with a wince.

"It looks like all of our healers are with Janos," she said. "You will have to risk moving him if you wish to save him. Quickly now. I will check over the rest here and see if anyone else is as critically injured. Go straight over the walls and do not tarry."

I nodded and picked Nikolai up as carefully as I could. He let out a pained grunt of breath even as he tried to flash me a faint smile meant to reassure me. It did not quite work, as his teeth were flecked with his blood. I leapt into the air as carefully as I could and gained height swiftly as I rose to get over the cities high walls. I flew straight toward the medical point and tried to land as carefully as I possibly could to avoid jostling him about too much.

"Healer! _Now_!" I called out frantically as I lowered my friend to the ground.

Janos' head jerked up at my voice and his wings twitched wide with concern as he noted Nikolai's wounded and now unconscious state. Vorador had noticed my distress from the rooftop nearby and zapped over to us with a burst of teleportation magic. Janos shared a pained look with his Childe and Vorador looked over Nikolai with a small frown. The healer that rushed over tried to cast her spells and then she frowned and lowered her hands.

"M'lady..." the healer said slowly. "This is beyond my skill... his lung is crushed and he is bleeding out internally due to the damaged caused by the broken ribs. I _cannot_ repair this level of damage..."

My wings jerked wide with shock at her words and I let out a faint keen of fear-filled worry. I shot Janos and Vorador a desperate look as I knelt next to Nikolai's dying form. I did not wish to loose my friend but I was a half-blood, I did not think it even remotely possible that I _had_ the ability to turn a human and even if I _could_ , I knew nothing about how I might go about doing such a thing. Vorador and Janos shared a brief look before Vorador nodded. He moved to lift Nikolai's unresponsive form into the cradle of his arms. The healer fell back to tend to the other wounded with a bow of her head. I rocked back on my heels and watched the older vampire sink fangs into Nikolai's neck.

He drank deep and drained Nikolai of blood until his breathing had all but stopped and his skin had turned a pale white. Vorador then tore into his own wrist and forced Nikolai's mouth open to let the blood pour down the open throat. A taloned claw rubbed gently at my human friend's throat and he forced his dying body to swallow the thick and dark fluid. I watched the process with morbid sense of fascination and no small amount of worry. A clawed hand suddenly came to rest on the back of my neck and I twitched my head to the side as I looked up to see who it was. _Kain_. I relaxed and reached out to rest my hand over his as I turned back to Vorador and Nikolai. My wings twitched near constantly with my agitation and then suddenly drooped with relief when Nikolai abruptly lunged up and clamped onto Vorador's arm with his undamaged hand. Janos' himself relaxed across from me where he too had knelt down to watch the process. I shared a relieved smile with my adopted Sire and I leaned against Kain's leg as he gave my neck a small, reassuring, squeeze.

"Be welcome, my Childe," Vorador intoned in a soft rumble as he let the newly made vampire feed deep. "You will be fine now."

True death had been chased off and my friend would live a new life.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!


	27. Taking Steinchencroe

Edits as of 05/2016

So small note, if you've played Dragon Age: Inquisition, Alma talks like Vivienne.

-Author gets tapped on shoulder and turns. Author blinks rapidly and then sweatdrops-

Guys, seriously, this is supposed to be a first person point of view stor -Author yelps and barely dodges two sets of talons- Alright, alright you win! I'll write you in!

So back to Eldar Kain and Raziel briefly... At least it makes some sense to show their end of things... -cries-

* * *

Chapter Twenty-seven: Taking Steinchencroe.

Eldar Kain had not yet shared with Raziel what he had seen when he had viewed the changed events of history within the Chronoplast. Whatever he had witnessed, however, had put him in a somewhat better mood overall. When they actually had the good fortunate to stumble across a group of Sarafan warriors, Eldar Kain had laughed and had then torn through their ranks with abandon instead of the tempered fury that Raziel had first expected.

Raziel had hung back at a safe distance to take care of those that tried to flee the area but otherwise did not get involved in the fight. He did not wanted to steal any of his Sire's kills from the Eldar what with the cold rage that the older vampire had recently been in. Eldar Kain would oft make his displeasure known by taking it out of one's hide if one dared to steal one of his kills when he was in such a... _state_. Even Raziel.

With a fledge Katrina safe from the Sarafan once more, and Eldar Kain's dark mood abated, the pair had made their way back to the Seer's hut in order to question the woman further regarding the origins of the Pillar's and the vampiric curse. They learned that, through careful manipulations, the few amongst the Ancient's and the Hylden who had realized the truth of 'The Elder God' had managed to change the very nature of the Pillar's from their intended purpose.

The Parasite had intended to manipulate the Ancient's into making the Pillar's so that the creature would have a way to control how quickly it could feed. A pulse of its' power through the Nature Pillar, an earthquake or a tsunami later, and then it would have had a feast in naught but an instants time. All it would have had to do in those instances would be to claim that the catastrophe would have been 'far worse' and the Ancient's would have continued to remain complaisant in the belief that a true tragedy was avoided. Instead those brave few that had realized the danger had twisted the very nature of the Pillar's both into sealing spell that would bind the Hylden to another realm, and thus put their souls out of the reach of the Parasite and end the 'Holy War' that the creature had called for, and had caused the Pillar's to act as a leash upon the Parasite. The later would limit its' ability to feed instead of allowing it the free reign it had wanted. The Parasite would not be able to feed whenever it wished as it had initially planned.

Had Kain accepted the Sacrifice demanded of him in his youth, the bindings upon the Parasite would have failed completely. The creature would then been able to consume Human, Vampire and Hylden souls at its' leisure once more. Kain's stubborn headed defiance had bought Nosgoth herself time.

Even Janos, the Tenth Guardian and the keeper of the Reaver, had not been made aware of the fact that the Reaver itself had been created as the Key. Not to unlock the Pillar's or 'defeat the Hylden Champion' as the Eldar had been told, but as the Key Piece needed to 'Grant Purifying Sight' to the Scion of Balance. This would also grant the Scion, _Kain_ , the powers that he would need in order to champion all those born of Nosgoth in his battle against the Parasite. The monster would consume the very soul of their world if it grew large enough to do so. In the end, the very edge of the coin that Kain had struggled to find with all of his manipulations of time had been the same shred of a chance that the small group of Ancient Vampire's and Hylden had sacrificed all for.

The possibility that Hope was not just a bitter illusion to choke upon as one died...

The creation of the Pillar's had resulted in one unforeseen bit of damage to the groups plan however. Something that the Seer regretted fiercely even now as she felt that it was her own fault that she had not Seen what would happen. She had not thought to look too closely at the immediate events after the Pillar's creation. She had instead focused so much on the potential far flung futures that she had not realized the immediate, _damaging_ results of their actions and thus did not know how to react and stop what was to follow...

'God' had gone silent the moment the Pillar's were completed. The same moment that most of the Hylden were locked away. The very same moment the Vampiric curse tore through the ranks of Ancient and Hylden alike and changed their mortal natures. 'Cut off' from their 'God', thousands of Ancient's had slain themselves due to that silence, due to the harm they caused because of their sudden blood-lust and due to their sudden, unnatural immortality. The Seer had cursed herself a fool several times over for the losses that occurred. If she had only paid more attention then... but she had not...

The Parasite had still received its' feast due to the mass deaths, though its' ability to consume said souls was hindered by the Pillar's. It was able to regain strength enough thanks to the Ancient's suicides that by the time the ranks of the Pillar Guardian's had been filled with naught but humans primed for turning, the Parasite had been able to manipulate the one Guardian that would have the potential power to undo its' bindings through manipulation. The one Guardian that would have the Time to undo what the Seer and her now long dead allies had wrought upon the Parasite; Moebius.

"And so he proved to be more of a pawn then we believed," Eldar Kain mused as the Seer passed both he and Raziel another vial of blood-wine. "I find myself mourning the fact that I was unable to see his face when he saw the truth of what he served."

Raziel flashed his Sire a dark grin that was all fang as he spoke. Not in challenge but in savage victory.

"It was a singularly _exquisite_ moment," he growled in vicious satisfaction.

"Ah, my Raziel," Eldar Kain said in a mock-pained tone. He tilted his head and put a taloned claw to his chest over where his heart had previously been. "I find myself feeling jealous."

"He deserved no less," Raziel said with a cold voice as he shook his head and the grin fell away. "His betrayals made an already murky situation worse."

"On _that_ we are agreed," the Seer said in a dark tone that fairly hissed with contempt. "He nearly ruined everything in his foolishness."

"A question though," Raziel asked, suddenly focused on something that had begun to bother him some time ago. "The Parasite oft claimed that when I consumed a soul... that I was feeding his Wheel. Did he speak the truth?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "You are, for lack of a better term, _competition_ for the feast that he would horde for himself. Though you are naught but the fox to his greater war hound. Any soul you consume is absorbed by your own essence and strengthens you, just as the blood you consume does the same."

Raziel looked distinctly uncomfortable as she finished speaking.

"Would there not be the chance that I would become as the Parasite then if I can consume the same food source as he?" he asked.

Eldar Kain frowned at the question and shot Raziel a brief, near concerned look. The Seer shook her head at his question.

"Can the fox suddenly turn into a greater war hound? Or does the fox merely become more clever at surviving over time?" she asked him. Raziel began to relax as she continued to speak. "You will never be as the Parasite is, do not fear."

"I must admit that is something of a relief to hear," Raziel said slowly as he sipped his blood-wine. "The apparent knowledge that I was to be trapped in the Reaver was harsh enough to deal with, I did not wish to find out that I could become the same kind of threat that we aim to deal with."

"An understandable concern, but not one to fret over," the Seer said as she stood. "Now, I have shared what I can with you and I am needed else-when. When next you need to search me out, listen for rumors of the Witch and you will find me."

"I thank you for your aid, Seer," Eldar Kain said as he pushed away from the wall.

"No Scion," she said as she bowed her head and prepared a teleportation rune. "Thank you. If anyone can save our Lady Nosgoth, it is you."

A moment later and the two males were left alone to their thoughts.

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

With the Sarafan warriors routed successfully we were able to begin rebuilding what we could of the capital city. Sanctuary however, was completely lost to us. The damage done to the hidden levels beneath the city was extensive. Many areas had even collapsed due to the various magical explosions that had resulted from the flames consuming many an artifact or magical concoction. Vorador's forge going up had caused the most damage. The surrounding area around what had been his forge had to undergo immediate fortifying once the flames were put out in order to prevent what would have been an inevitable collapse of the surface city.

With that being said the Cabal, known more and more as Kain's growing army, could no longer be safely housed at the capital due to many a young vampire's continued weakness to sunlight. At the worst the sun would not immediately kill them, but it did weaken and harm them over time to be so exposed to the light of day. A new Sanctuary needed to be found and fast.

"We could go to Termogent Forest and rebuild my mansion," Vorador had suggested.

The five of us, Kain, Janos, Alma, Vorador and I, discussed where to scout out a new location for Sanctuary from within the lower levels of the damaged Keep. Janos had already suggested his own warded retreat to the northeast, yet the location was firmly in Sarafan controlled lands and could not be easily reached. Kain shook his head and he tapped a claw delicately against the map around Vorador's old homestead.

"That location is far too close to enemy controlled lands at the moment," he said to the older vampire. "Same as with your Sire's retreat. It is not a viable location for a base at this time."

"Not only that," I piped up, "but Nikolai isn't the only new fledge for us to deal with since the attack. The forest is a swamp and the water will be lethal if one of them takes a fell step or forgets that they are no longer human. It is not a safe place for a fledge or our army."

Kain and Vorador both hmm'd their agreement with my words and went back to looking over the map with equally irritable scowls. Kain was upset due to the loss of his base of operations. Vorador was upset due to the fact that we had lost a handful of vampires, including one of his more recently (of only fifty years) acquired Bride's. Alma was also upset at that same loss. She had been mostly quiet so far during our discussion, a seething sorrow that was clear on her face due to the loss of her Sister. She had not offered up much in the way of ideas. I frowned as I looked back over the map and then I tapped at the marker that indicated Steinchencroe.

"I know it is not yet ours," I started carefully. "But wouldn't Steinchencroe be the quickest place that we could claim and then fortify? The city has well built walls that have already lasted the test of time."

"As well as underground fortifications and rooms added to it over the past two centuries," Alma said as she finally joined in on the conversation. "The only places nearby that could be a threat to us, would be town of Vasserbunde and the city of Coorhagen. Both locations have not fared well with the withdrawal of Sarafan troops. We also have word that those in Coorhagen are already beginning to dig in for an eventual siege what with how isolated they are tucked against the mountains."

"Steinchencroe also has a minimal Sarafan foothold at this point from what we have learned," I continued as I indicated myself and Alma. "Though they still have their normal guard force at this time. I would like install a few railroad agents into the city first in order to get at least some of the civilians out of there but..."

I looked at Kain, as it was his decision that would finalize any possible plans, and shrugged my shoulders as I waited for his response. My wings flared slightly at the movement of my shoulders and he reached out to idly scratch claws through the feathers of the wing closest to him whilst he eyed the map. He then moved to grab a few markers on the map and rearranged them. He nodded a few moments later and a grim smirk curled his lips.

"Acceptable. With the Lake of Tears to the West and the connecting river to the north they cannot easily attack our flank. With Nachtholm under our control we also have a back route past my own tomb if we have a need to retreat to the south. We will need control of the River of Tears in order to reach Vasserbunde and Coorhagen as it is. Once we have control of those three locations we will own the entirety of the West," Kain looked up at me with a raised brow. "How set are you on your railroad for this city?"

I shared a look with Alma and she frowned for a moment before she spoke up again, "My contact said that there are clear signs that those Sarafan that remain within the city are abusing their power. I would honestly not be surprised if the youngsters of the city are also being targeted for their fell games and not just the women."

Kain's face darkened at Alma's words and I felt my own face twist into a similar expression of anger and disgust. The thought that there were child molesters within the city was a potentially painful truth. With Nosgoth being the equivalent of Gaia's dark ages, finding youngsters in whore houses was not an overly surprising realization and humans here were also considered to be adults by age _fifteen_. There was really no one here to police such acts against those younger then fifteen summers, unless a particular Lord or Lady of noble blood actively paid attention to what was going on amongst their serfs. Most _rarely_ cared about anything like that however and thus the crimes continued unabated.

I found myself thinking once again that I was grateful that Kain had already shared his opinion on raping people, ie: any of his warriors caught in such an act died by his hands. I could only imagine the kind of hell he might put someone through if they were guilty of hurting children in the same fashion, even if they were 'mere humans' to him. Even though he had been born amongst the 'privileged' himself, and had no real care for 'commoners', he still had lines that were not meant to be crossed.

"It is really going to be a matter of how many we can siphon out of the city before they notice that their... 'sport'... has gone missing," I said carefully as I thought of how to go about the plan of attack. "If we are lucky, then Alma's contact can get the word out within the city himself. He can then sneak people out by the same route that he took to reach us. If not, then we can use his route to sneak maybe two or three people into the city and have them organize things from there. I wouldn't risk more then three or else they would be noticed for being 'new'. I'd... well to be honest, I doubt that we would be able to keep up a viable railroad for more then a week before they realize that many of the people that they normally target have mysteriously disappeared."

Kain nodded his head as he took the information in, "Very well. One week for your railroad efforts and then we attack. I will gather our forces in the forest to the west of Steinchencroe."

The meeting broke apart at that point and each of us started off to either set into motion our portions of the plan or, in Vorador's case, to continue to direct the repairs of the city itself. Janos stopped me from following Alma though as he rested his hand on my shoulder. I signaled for her to continue on without me and turned to my adopted Sire.

"You are doing good work my Childe," he said softly and he smiled gently at me. "I am proud of you."

"I... am trying," I responded with a blush. Subject needed changing... "I... um, how is Nikolai doing? Is he taking the change well?"

"He and the others are taking some time to adapt to the blood hunger," Janos responded with a smile as we left the impromptu 'war room'. "Vorador has had his hands full these past few nights both in organizing repairs and keeping the youngsters out of trouble. I've had to step in a number of times to help him corral them and prevent any unfortunate incidents. Nikolai at the least has not been breaking everything he touches like the others have been. The new strength has taken many of them by surprise."

"I... hrm..." I coughed into my hand softly and my wings twitched a bit. I was a hesitant to ask but I was honestly curious. "Are you and Nikolai... urm... going to be alright?"

"Yes my Childe, we will be," Janos offered me a soft smile at my question. "I would have rather he had a few more years before being offered the choice to turn, but things will work out for the best the way they are."

"I'm just glad that I found him in time," I said with a soft sigh. "The healer told me later that he would not have lived much longer and, from what I understand of how Childe are made, they have to be alive at the start of the process."

"True," Janos frowned suddenly and looked away for a moment. "Kain actually confronted me on that the other night. He had tried to make a Childe himself in a similar manner years ago with no success. He is... a different kind of vampire compared to myself and Vorador somehow. Necromancy was involved in his creation process from what he told me, so I do not know how he would pass on his own Gift if he still intends to do so."

"Oh!" I yelped out suddenly and I face-palmed. "Right! _That_!"

"Pardon?" Janos asked me with a confused flaring of his wings.

"I just remembered something that might help him if he is still struggling with that! I'll see you later!" I called over my shoulder as I darted down the hall and I tried to catch Kain's scent in the air.

I caught Kain's scent easily enough and followed the winding trail to find him standing on one of the remaining parapets of the Keep. He stood with the Reaver drawn and the point of the blade dug into the stone at his feet as he looked over the damaged city with a frown. I padded over to his side quietly and leaned my hands against the stone barrier as I waited for him to finish thinking. He finally turned to me a few minutes later with a raised brow and his frown eased a touch when his eyes finally focused on me.

"Do you need something my Little One?" he asked. In a soft rumble of sound.

"To tell you something, yes," I said as I offered him a small smile. "Janos mentioned that you'd talked to him about problems with making your own Childe."

His expression darkened slightly. "I did. The conversation did not end well."

"You can't make a Childe the same way Janos or Vorador can," I said with a knowing nod and he bared his fangs in a small sneer of disgust. I hurriedly continued, "but that's just it, your origins are _Necromatic_. You'll have to go about it in a similar fashion to how you were made. I don't remember the exact 'how' of it, but when Janos said something I remembered enough to at least help you figure it out from there. Least-ways, I believe so."

He reached out and lightly grabbed my chin in his left hand. A claw passed lightly over my lower lip and drew the smallest amount of blood. The small cut healed swiftly and he ran his thumb over the blood that was drawn in order to smear it over my lower lip. His expression had relaxed once more into a thoughtful look.

"Speak then. What do you recall?" he asked with a soft thrum.

"Recently dead or old dead," I started slowly as I mentally organized what I could remember. "The stories said that you used Necromancy to... well, divide up your soul and then... join that soul piece with the soul that belonged to a particular corpse. Then you would place the fused soul back into the body in a kind of... reanimation process if you will. The older the corpse, the less likely the individual is likely to recall their past life as a human. Again, the exact how of it all never got explained or if it did I don't remember it, but... I believe that should be enough set you on the right path."

He was silent for several long moments before he nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems that I need to visit Avernus Cathedral once the eastern lands are under our control then," he said thoughtfully. "That or arrange a stealth mission to reclaim Mortanius' tomes."

He then leaned in close and licked the blood off of my lower lip with a slow sweep of his tongue. He pulled back with a dark smirk and then abruptly turned me around. He gave me a small shove and a swat to my rear-end that made me yelp reflexively. The impact to my rear caused my wings to flare with my surprise. I flashed him a mild glare over my shoulder and wing. His smirk widened to show a hint of fang.

"Off with you now my Little One. You have given me something to consider and you yourself have your little rescue mission to plan," he said in a mild tone that belied the heated look in his eyes.

"You cannot say that my efforts are not working," I said to him with my own smirk. "The twins we rescued practically worship you, especially since you saved them _yourself_ the second time 'round."

"By bodily tossing them up onto the ledge that you found them perched upon," he turned away with a huff of breath and he started to look over the city once more. "Kill stealing whelps."

" _Useful_ kill stealing whelps," I responded in a smug tone.

The words were barely out of my mouth when a burst of Telekinetic energy sent me sideways over the parapet. I let out a yelp as I twisted and caught an air current under my wings. I gained height swiftly and turned to loop the air above him. He smirked up at my annoyed face and then flipped me off. I laughed at that and returned the gesture, highly amused that I had introduced 'the bird' to Nosgoth. I then turned to wing my way toward the small baker's shop that Alma and I had taken over as our temporary Railroad HQ.

Over the next week Alma and I worked with her contact to siphon out those that we could from within the walled city. The boy was yet nervous around us, jittery really, but he had a near to indistinct face and was a lean enough build that he could disappear amongst a crowd as people barely paid him any mind. As per the instructions that we had given to him, he began to bring out what few other youngsters were in the city first and foremost. Five in total, beyond our young contact. Each child was malnourished to some extent and more then one of them showed signs of being beaten to the edge of death and also carried the acrid scents of... _unwanted_ attentions. I was painfully reminded of the children that had been kept in Auron's hell-hole. Tiny forms that had been kept for their young blood, though if they had been used for other... things... I had not been forced to witness such depravity.

The few women that we were able to get out of the city before the week that Kain had given us was up were in similar states. Several of them were covered in the scents of multiple men, bruised and bloodied to boot. Alma had to pull me aside at one point when I could no longer contain my low growls of anger in order to give me a firm shake and then a completely unexpected hug. I'd relaxed into the comforting hold by increments but had eventually calmed.

"I know it is a harsh thing to bear witness to my dear," she said as she let go of me and held me out at arms length. "I, too, wish nothing more then to tear into the bastards within the city walls. We must wait for Kain's signal to attack though, so leash that rage tight until it is time for the attack. We have their scents. Know that they will not escape our vengeance."

"I get it, I really do," I said with a soft growl and I rubbed at my face. "I'm just... dealing with a few memories on top of all of... this. I will be fine."

"I understand that deary," she said soothingly and she gave my arm a gentle pat. "But refrain from growling where the poor dears can hear you. It does not help them nor does it help you."

"Right," I let out a soft sigh and then ruffled my wings a little as I rolled my shoulders in an attempt to alleviate my tension.

An hour later found me up in the sky with my Gift active. I circled the city in wide sweeps that kept my shadow out of sight of any of the guards on duty. I watched, as I had the past several nights, to see if the change of the guard happened roughly the same each night and, lo and behold, it had. The guards currently on duty had just started to relax, yawning with their weariness and I Whispered Kain.

~Guard change should happen soon. The ones on duty are starting to fall asleep,~ I told him.

~Good. Alma has already led a few vampires into the city,~ he responded. ~Try to take out the new guards as the shift changes. Be mindful of your shadow my Little One.~

~Of course,~ I said as I started to circle the city yet again.

The guards were spaced far enough apart that it was an easy enough job after they had traded off to dive and grab them one at a time. I coiled my gift around their forms, snapped their necks and then flew back into the air after I had lowered their bodies quietly to the ground. With the five 'fresh' guards dealt with, I signaled to Kain over the Whisper that they were dead. A large cadre of vampires darted forward from the eastern forest moments later, Kain and Alma amongst them, and the lot were quick to scale the now un-watched walls. Swift as lightning and silent as death, they snuck up upon the guards that were going to their rest and cut them down. Despite the initial attack starting off so well, a guardsman in glowing Sarafan armor suddenly burst out of the building that Kain had just passed with a warning shout that drew startled cries from the others within the city.

"'Ware! Vampires!" the human guard cried out.

Kain spun around swiftly and cleaved the man cleanly in twain with the Soul Reaver. Screams and war cries filled the air as dozens of humans suddenly found themselves locked in combat when they left the buildings that they had been in. Kain laughed outright when a group of humans tried to surround him and he used his superior speed to tear through their ranks with abandon. With my vantage in the air I noticed a crossbowman come out from his hiding place in an alleyway before Kain could and I dove swiftly to strike the human from behind, dropping my Gift at the last second as I did so.

The crossbow bolt went wide as I hit the male and I ripped the man's throat open viciously with my fangs. The bolt clipped the wall next to Kain, which caused him to twist around with an angry hiss. I spat out the piece of flesh that I had ripped free and I snapped the man's neck to hasten his death. I nodded to Kain respectfully and received a satisfied smirk in response. I wrapped my Gift around myself once more and leapt back into the air.

Again and again I dove from the skies in order to take out any humans that tried to flank our fighters. Alma tore through the ranks of the guards with her usual viciousness and I shook my head at her violent antics. Her actions did much to strike fear into the hearts of those who still lived though and the air thickened with the heady scents of blood and fear and death. I noticed when a guard suddenly turn from the fight and he began to bash his way into one of the buildings. A woman's scream rent the air when the door gave way and I dove swiftly to land just outside of the house. The harsh, impacting sound of a fist hitting flesh filled the air.

"Slut!" another punching sound filled the air. "Vampire's _whore_! You let them in didn't you?! _Didn't you_?!"

"Please! No!" the woman cried out in a pained voice. " _Stop_!"

I darted into the building, still wrapped within the safety of my Gift and found the guard tearing at the woman's clothes as he punched her again. I let out a dark growl as his scent hit my nose. I closed the door behind me and I let my Gift drop. My growling filled the air with a dangerous thrum of sound. This one. His scent had been on several of the females that we had already gotten out of the city as well as being on one of the children. He spun around, sword drawn and then wrenched the woman up by her hair and put his blade to her neck when he saw me. The scent of his fear and as well as the woman's flooded the room like a heady perfume to my instincts.

"Stay back demon! I'll kill her! Don' think I wont!" he shouted.

I tilted my head to the side slightly as I looked the two over. My wings twitched and flared wide slowly in a clear threat display. I took in a slow breath, mouth open, and I drew in their combined scents in through my nose and also over my tongue. My eyes, which had to have bled to a hunter's white by now, met the muddy brown of the woman's as she whimpered her fear. My head tilted just a little further when her eyes abruptly narrowed and her scent changed. I took another scenting breath and ran my tongue carefully over my fangs. Fear was still the primary scent but there was a subtle change to hers. It was a musky scent now like that of sandalwood, spice... and bitter almonds.

I realized what she meant to do a moment too late. She forced herself forward onto the blade before I could react. The movement successfully trapped the sword between her body and her left arm. She then jabbed her right elbow back hard into the man's sternum. The scent of blood filled the air as the blade cut into her unprotected flesh as a result of her actions. The man let out a surprised grunt and tried to pull his sword free and I used the woman's sacrificing distraction to dart forward and slash claws across his throat. A gout of blood sprayed across the far wall as I gouged his neck open in a wide swath with my claws. I kicked his dying form away from the woman. I caught her collapsing form in my arms and eased her to the ground. The sword had cut her arm open at the wrist and along the upper arm. It has also opened a thick line at her neck that pulsed blood in time with her heartbeat. Arterial blood. I held a hand helplessly over her neck as the blood gushed out and I shook my head helplessly when she blinked up at me.

"I... I can't save you," I said softly.

She shook her head weakly at my words and looked over at the body of the man. A dark look passed across her face, a twisted expression of satisfaction. She relaxed into my arms and let out a gurgling sigh as her eyes fluttered shut. I eased her onto her back and listened as her heartbeat first sped up and then faded and finally stuttered to a complete stop. I shook my head sadly as I stood. I grabbed the man's sword and stabbed it down into the head of the man's dead body before I wrapped my Gift back around myself and slipped silently out of the building. I leapt swiftly back into the air, circled the area and started to dive bomb the few human enemies left that were trying to find hiding places around the area. I recognized more then one scent and the ones that I did recognize found themselves dropped from... rather high up indeed.

~My dear, are you quite alright?~ Alma's concerned voice echoed over the Whisper.

"Yup, just fuckin' peachy keen," I said as dropped my Gift.

I landed right next to her on the roof of a building. I shook the blood of my most recent prey off of my claws. Some blood was NOT passing my lips. She let out a soft sigh and she turned to look at my blood spattered form.

"Must you be crude deary?" I knew that she meant my language and not my bloodied state.

"Not exactly in the mood to be prim and proper-like," I responded coldly.

I hopped up onto the raised wall and then crouched down as I looked out over the city with a small frown. Alma took in a slow breath of air and then frowned in my direction.

"You have the blood of a female upon you," she said softly.

"Yeah," I responded softly and I took a few brief moments to explain what had happened.

"I see," she said thoughtfully. She then walked over and thwapped me upside the head. I yelped at the mildly painful blow and raise my hand to cover the impact point.

"The hell was that for?" I asked as I rubbed the back of my head.

"You went off alone deary," she sniffed. "Do remember that if you find a target like that, you are to let me know so that I may back you up if there is a need."

"Right," I said with a small wince at her stern look. "Should have Whispered you, I know."

"As long as you understand what you did wrong my dear," she said with a delicate sniff as we moved to start the clean up process.

Now that those loyal to the Sarafan had been dealt with, we moved the bodies out of the city and began to tend to the humans left within the city walls. Using what I knew about proper sanitation, I made sure to guide the others in dealing with the bodies in a proper fashion and not just left to rot and promote illness amongst the surviving populace. Most of the humans looked to be grateful for the change in lordship once Kain made it clear from where he stood on one of the rooftops that there were some things he would not tolerate amongst the remaining populace. Once the area was mostly cleared, those who had stayed out of the fighting were gathered together.

As the humans were made to gather at the center of the city, and told about the changes that were to go into effect, one short and fat fool, a mayor of some sorts, refused to comply with Kain's demands and foolishly demanded that we leave the city. From the darkened looks that many a woman, and man, sent his way it was easy to tell that this was the man who had let the Sarafan into the city to have their way without interference in the first place. I wrapped my Gift around myself once more and moved carefully from my hidden spot on the roof and into the crowd. A few of them felt me brush past them and most froze in place rather then pull away, their own hind brains telling them not to move or else the predator next to them would kill them.

Not that I would...

I took a slow, scenting breath as I neared the man and then had to cover my mouth and nose as I moved rapidly away from him. He smelled of new sickness, alcohol, blood, death and the rot of old bodies. I moved toward the back of the crowd and grabbed one of the males at the far edge of the group. He flickered from sight, but none of the other humans noticed. As I had weakened the strength behind my Gift, I could hear his yelp of surprise and I gave him a small shake to silence him lest he grab the crowds attention.

"Hush, I have no intention of hurting you," I hissed into his ear. "Where does that fat fool live?"

"S-second largest building m-m'lady," the man squeaked out softly. "L-look for the banner of the l-lion."

"Good," I said softly. "Not a word now when I let you go now."

"Y-yes m'lady!" he whimpered.

I let go and the man stumbled back into sight. He stayed silent, pale faced and shivering as I left him standing at the back of the crowd. I leapt onto the roof and Whispered to one of the other vampires to find the house in question and check the building for what I had scented upon the mayor. The response came back within moments and I frowned darkly toward the male in question. Kain still stood sneering down at the human as he ranted madly. What I had done had taken less then four minutes and Kain looked be be indulging the man long enough that I knew he was going to use him as an example to the others. Perhaps I could help with that.

I flew swiftly over to the roof that Kain stood upon and I landed next to him even as I dropped my Gift. Several of the humans let out startled sounds at my sudden appearance and even the fat mayor fell silent with a stuttering breath. Kain turned to look at me with a raised brow and he made it seem as if he had been expecting my arrival.

~What is it my Little One?~ he asked over the Whisper.

~Checked the fat one's scent on a hunch. Death and rot and sickness. Had one of the others check his place. Basement of the fat bastard's house is filled with the dead bodies of women and men,~ I said with a mental growl. ~All of the bodies show signs of torture and carry his scent.~

~I see,~ Kain turned to narrow his eyes on the man and the foul thing tried to puff himself up as he started his rant back up again.

"You _demons_!" he yelled as he waved pudgy looking hands and tried to incite the crowd around him. "The Sarafan told us about the Angel that you've enslaved and here they are proven right! You are monsters that seek to enslave our very souls!"

A mad light had filled the man's eyes by the time he finished speaking. He believed what he said, that much was plain. Kain reached out a hand and lightly brushed it against the base of my back as he eased me forward a half step to stand where I was no longer at his side but just in front of him. I quizzically touched my mind to his and his voice Whispered through my mind in response.

~We may as well use this,~ he said with a hint of dark amusement. ~Tell them what you have found out my Little One.~

~Really? We're playing along with that man's madness?~ I asked in a dry tone. ~Encouraging the 'angel' rumors about me?~

~Yes,~ he responded in a satisfied tone.

~Alright then...~

I blinked and then looked out to the crowd. I took a calming breath and held it for a second before I let it out in a silent sigh.

"Do not speak of demons lest you are looking in a mirror," I called out in a firm tone a moment later. "Your own home is filled with the broken and tortured bodies of the very people you were meant to protect. You not only failed in your duty to the people of your city by willingly letting rapists in amongst the populace, but you yourself performed acts of wickedness against your own kin! The rest of you! Back away from him!"

I slashed my hand downward in a cutting gesture. The rest of the humans in the crowd promptly backed away from the mayor and he waved his hands again in an entreating gesture toward me.

"Lady Angel, _please_!" the man cried out in a now desperate tone. I could smell his growing fear from the roof top and it took all I had not to sneer at him. Revealing my fangs would likely be a bad idea right now. "Do not let these demons manipulate you into believing their lies! I have done aught I could to protect this fair city!"

"Liar!" came a voice from the crowd and an older woman hobbled forward to the edge of the crowd with the help of one of the men. "Anyone fair of face long ago disappeared into your home and were never returned to us! I say she speaks true!"

"Silence yourself, you old hag!" the mayor yelled out as he rounded about to try to strike out at her.

Alma was there in an instant and caught his fist in her hand before the blow could land. The crowd of humans began to mutter darkly amongst each other as they glared hatefully at the mayor. One could easily scent the growing rage and the potential for a mob. They started to speak in whispers of returning the damages he had wrought ten-fold. I let out a growl and flared my wings as well as my Aura out over the crowd.

" _Enough_!" I cried out in a commanding tone. "Do not stoop to his level and let his foulness stain you! Calm yourselves!"

Surprisingly, that order did indeed calm most of the humans. I turned partly toward Kain as I looked over the calming crowd and then glanced at where Kain's right hand was wrapped firmly around the hilt of the Soul Reaver and his left rested upon the pommel. I lit in on an idea and I turned to look at the mayor once more.

"There is no mercy to be found for one who rapes and tortures his own people for his amusement. You were meant to protect them, not be their tormentor. Nor would I see your sickness infect them," I reached out to brush my hand lightly over where Kain's own gripped the Reaver. I turned to look at Kain and he raised a brow at me. "A soul such as his should not be allowed to continue on."

"No mercy for one such as he?" Kain asked in a grim and clear voice that rang through the air. We were playing the crowd well, the pair of us.

"The _only_ mercy I would ask for, is mercy for the tormented people of this city," I responded in a voice that rang just as clear, but in a gentler tone. Silk to his Steel.

" _If_ they stay true," Kain said with a smirk. He leapt down to the ground and started to stalk toward the mayor with Reaver in hand.

The mayor squealed out a cry like a fat pig and tried to run from the silver-haired Vampire Lord. Kain was on him in less then a second and the Soul Reaver tore through the human with a ringing hum of power that widened my eyes as the mayor... literally exploded into bits. There was the faintest pulse of light that followed the bloody explosion and the sense of something screaming in pure agony filled the air for a brief moment. The Reaver itself glowed for all but a second before the hungry energy faded. The humans that had ringed the mayor in a wide circle backed up even further, fear clear in their eyes as they stared at Kain. Somehow, unlike the humans around him, he remained untouched by the blood and gore caused by the magical explosion wrought by the blade.

Kain eyed the sword for a long moment in silent contemplation before he slipped it back into its' sheath at his back. He bared his fangs at the crowd in a clear warning as he looked over them. His voice was cold as steel as it filled the air.

"My word is law," he growled out. "Stay loyal, _obedient_ , and you will live and perhaps even live _well_. Prove false to me or to your own and you will suffer a fate far _worse_ then death."

Kain turned and started for the largest building of the city. The crowd parted for him like water as he stalked past the lot with his head held high. I jumped from the roof and moved through the crowd at a more sedate pace. Alma nodded her head at me in a half-bow and smirked at me knowingly. I ignored her, though I felt the blush stain my cheeks, and continued to move after Kain.

* * *

Hope that everyone is enjoying the story!


	28. Needed R & R

Edits as of 5/2016

'nother sex scene in this one that will be clearly marked for where you can skip. the sum of the theme is trust based if you skip through it.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Needed R & R

Kain pushed his way into the largest building, a good sized mansion, and began to look through the rooms thoughtfully as he took a lantern from one of the scouts. From the reports given to us by the scouts, this building had three upper floors and a basement, complete with winery. There was an interconnected tunnel system between this building and at least ten of the other buildings in the city via hidden passages. The scouts were currently going through those underground pathways to ensure structural stability of the entire area. It would do no good to start to set up shop only to find the buildings on the surface collapsing into our new Sanctuary. Even a _vampire_ could die by being crushed so.

The mansion's ground floor had a small ballroom, a large kitchen, a pantry, a set of servant's quarters, a large primary dining room for when one had guests over and a small library. The second floor housed a larger library, a smaller kitchen and dining room for family use and several bedrooms including quarters meant for the head maid, the butler and the other upper tier servants.

The third floor had yet more bedrooms, separated into an east and a west wing by the stairwell that led up to the upper floor. These rooms were more finely built and Kain finally ended his exploration of the mansion at the largest and most opulent of the rooms which was connected to a slightly smaller room. I trailed after him and briefly peaked into the smaller room. I noticed that it had several armories, two large dressing tables, one distinctly masculine in design and another more delicate looking one. Both of the dressing tables had large mirrors connected to them. There were also a few wooden mannequins placed next to the wall. Each had half finished outfits hanging from them. Lastly, two suits of what looked to be ceremonial armor of some sort lay propped up in the far corner.

I turned my attention back to the main room with a thoughtful hum of breath. The room itself was as large as three of the regular bedrooms within the building combined. This was definitely the 'Master bedroom'. There was a dresser on each side of the room, again one done up in a more masculine design and the other was a softer and more feminine style. A circular table with two chairs sat at one corner of the room, a private dining table for two. Then there was a night stand on each side of the bed, both with stylised lanterns resting upon them.

Kain moved around the room and started to light the candles within the various lanterns. The room began to fill with the soft, reflective light and it made the room feel more welcoming. I looked to the side and saw that there were two large, ornate and heavy looking doors that led to a balcony that I knew overlooked the city. Both of doors were currently closed tight and bolted securely in several places.

The bedroom also had one of the largest, low to the ground canopy beds that I'd ever seen on Nosgoth. Something that those back on Gaia would have called a 'California King'. When I pulled the crimson silk bed curtains open and to the side to look over the matching sheets, a glint of reflected candle light caught my eye. I looked up and blinked with surprise at my own reflection. I raised a brow and let out another, thoughtful hum of sound.

"Really? There's a _mirror_ above the bed?" I muttered softly to myself. Such a thing would have been extremely expensive even for a _Noble_ to have had commissioned.

Kain chuckled from nearby, a low and dark rumble of sound, "Indeed? Good to know."

I shivered a bit as the sound of his chuckle sent a jolting thrill down my spine and my wings rose from my shoulders on their own. I shot him a bemused look over my shoulder and raised wing, then drew my wings to rest upon my shoulders once more with a ruffling twitch. He grinned at me and his fangs were briefly exposed in a near-to-playful baring of the sharp points. He set the lantern that he had been carrying onto the night stand that he stood next to. He then glanced around the room again before he looked back at me. He waved a hand at me and raised a brow questioningly.

"Adequate?" he asked in a bland tone.

I blinked, then blushed faintly as I realized that he was asking for my opinion on the room, if not the entire building. That he had asked me for my input... I felt _honored_ and a touch embarrassed. Even with my being in Nosgoth for a while now, I was still unused to such extravagant amenities as what could be found within the room. I brushed my fingers against the bedpost and I looked around the room once more, this time with a little bit more of a critical eye. I looked back at him and tilted my head.

"You... intend to claim the building as your own?" I asked tentatively. I wanted to be sure of his intent.

"Vorador and Janos can make use of the rooms in the east wing unless they choose to remain within Meridian," he responded with a nod of his head. "At which point, the east wing will be used for guests if there is a need."

"The mansion is certainly large enough," I said with a small smile.

He then unsheathed the Soul Reaver and gouged a deep groove into the bedpost at the head of the bed. He leaned the sword against the bed and the base of the hilt fit perfectly against the groove he had carved. He'd clearly gotten into the habit of making sure the blade could be easily reached.

"It is at that," he said to me over his shoulder. "To answer your question though, yes, I do intend this to be _our_ new dwelling."

"Ah, then yes," I said shyly.

My wings twitched and revealed a hint of my nervous energy. I was both pleased and flustered that he had asked me such a thing. I was also gratified that he had subtly corrected me by saying 'our new dwelling'. He was including me more and more during any battle planning as well. It was thrilling, but strange. Outside of my railroad efforts, I was just a scout and his lover.

 _What could he be plotting now?_ I thought.

"It is adequate," I started carefully before I shrugged and blushed. " _More_ than adequate actually..."

"I am glad that you are pleased," he purred as he turned back to me. His eyes flashed hunter's white for a brief moment before he continued to speak in a conversational tone. "Things went well this eve."

I licked my lips and nodded my head in agreement. I sat down on the side of the bed, closest to one of the bedposts near the foot of the large bed, and I spread my wings carefully out behind me. I started to slowly unbraid my hair and then set aside the poison-spiked stripes of leather. I left them to hang around the bedpost next to me.

"Things did go well," I said with a small smile. "We didn't loose any of our own men and from what Alma told me as we gathered the humans, the injuries that were sustained were minimal and will be healed by our mages before dawn's light."

"Good. You handled yourself well during the battle," he purred softly. He moved closer and brushed the back of a claw along the right side of my jaw. "We can use the Lordling's attempts to explain away why he wishes to 'rescue you' against him. You saw yourself how swift the human cattle were in their haste to listen to you, to _obey_ you, when you appeared so suddenly by my side."

"And as I follow you, they will turn more eagerly to you as their Lord," I concluded softly as I tilted my head into his touch.

"Exactly," he said with a dark grin and he eased forward another step. "Let them all see that you are mine, willingly and openly."

*-*/-LEMON! LEMON! DOM/SUB Lessons!-*\\*-*

Kain's legs were pushed in a firm line against my own after that last step and I looked up at him with a nervous twitch of my wings. His eyes again flashed white for a brief moment when I turned my head to kiss at the wrist of the hand that lightly brushed against my cheek. His hand shifted and his thumb rubbed gently over my lower lip as I reached out to rest my hands on his leather covered hips. I flicked my tongue out when his thumb made another slow sweep of my lower lip and slowly drew the clawed digit into my mouth to gently suck on it, mindful of the sharp point. His eyes darkened with hunger and his scent grew stronger with the musk of desire.

I shivered as I took a slow breath of that heady scent and let go of his thumb so that I could lean forward. Only his arms and shoulders had been armored this night, so I had full access to the pale expanse of his toned stomach and chest. I nipped lightly at his stomach with my fangs and drew small beads of blood. I swiftly licked away the potent vitae and let out a soft purr of sound at the darkly sweet taste. He let out a low growl of his own at my nip, a sound that vibrated through the air like the rumble of thunder before the storm. He slowly curled the fingers of his left hand through my hair.

I reached slowly up to undo the ties of his leathers. I let out a surprised hiss of breath as his grip on my hair tightened, then relaxed and then tightened again in slow increments. Another shiver ran through me once the ties fell away and I had pulled the front of his leather pants down enough to free his hardened flesh. The sight of him hard in front of me made my heart speed up and I licked my lips as I gathered up my nerve.

A soft hiss of breath escaped him as I carefully ran my fingertips over him from base to tip, mindful, oh so mindful, of my own claws so that I did not scratch him. I moved my hand away and let my hands rest lightly upon his hips. I leaned forward and tentatively ran my tongue over him in a slow swath that ran over the entire broad tip of his length. I'd not done this before, both nervous and worried each time that I'd previously thought to try that I would nick him with my fangs. Because of that worry, I'd made no move to actually act on the desire, but right now... I wanted to give it a go.

A low rumble escaped him and his grip on my hair tightened enough to almost be painful as he tilted my head up. I winced under the grip but did not fight him as he made me look up at him. His eyes were dark with both his desire and a hint of warning. I nodded my head as I understood his silent warning quite clearly. It had already been my intent to be as careful as possible in my attempts to pleasure him in such a way. His grip eased enough for me to turn my attention back to running my tongue up and down along his hardened flesh in slow, testing sweeps as I tried to judge what he might like by his reactions.

I found that I could indeed judge what he liked best by the way his rumbling, near growling purr changed in pitch and the other noises he made as I continued. Light touches with the tips of my fingers made him let out purring sighs. A firm, squeezing stroke from base to tip of that thick length made him twitch and he let out a low groan as he thrust into my hand. Long, sweeping passes of my tongue over that broad head had him growling softly. When I suckled on the partially intact, thin membranous line along the underside of his length at the base of the head, his growl changed to a bone deep, sub-harmonic thrum that made me shudder. My wings flared in response to that heavy sound and I let out a purring sound myself.

I slowly started to squeeze my hand up and down the length of him as I suckled and swiped my tongue over that one spot. I reached up with my other hand and started to tease the pads of my fingers gently over his testes. I stroked my fingers through the soft curls of hair found there and then carefully cupped that weight in my hand in order to tentatively, gently massage that heavy sac. Kain's thrumming growl changed to a loud, groaning croon of pleasure and his fingers tightened again in my hair for a brief moment before he started to stroke his fingers through my hair.

A lower thrum of sound escaped him when I wrapped my mouth carefully around the tip of him and suckled lightly, shyly at the thick head. I eased back thoughtfully for a moment even as I continued to stroke my fingers up and down that hard length. He was a well-endowed male after all and I knew it would be difficult to take him into my mouth the way that I wanted to without potentially nicking him at some point. He was circumcised at the least, so there was the benefit that I would not have to worry about catching foreskin on fang and yet... maybe _that_ could work?

I moved to take a little more into my mouth and this time I let my upper lip curl and hook over my more dainty fangs as I did so. I might nick _myself_ like this and draw my own blood, but at least I wouldn't cut the sensitive length on accident. I suckled harder now that I felt a little more confident and his low pitched growling became more pronounced. I let my tongue run up and down along the underside of him in probing, testing sweeps that he seemed to appreciate. I continued to stroke the rest of him with one hand and caressed his testes in the palm of my other.

A louder growl escaped him and that hard length twitched against my tongue. I heard the sudden sound of wood creaking next to me and I glanced up out of the corner of my left eye. I felt my eyes widen a bit when I saw that his right hand was clenched tight around the bedpost next to me. His claws had dug small grooves into the wood, a clear sign that he was fighting to maintain control. I looked up at him and saw that his eyes had gone white and they shone blazingly even in bright glow of the lantern's light. He let out another deep, resonating growl and he pushed forward until his legs were on either side of my own to keep me pinned in place. He pressed at the back of my head with his left hand and made me take another inch of that hard length into my mouth.

" _That's_ it, Dear Katrina," he said in a low crooning, commanding tone of voice that caused me to moan around him. "Take in more of me and suck harder now..."

I trembled with a full-bodied shudder at the order. My wings flared out behind me reflexively and I let out a muffled, groaning croon of my own. I breathed in through my nose and I tried to carefully take more of that hardness into my mouth. I suckled a little more forcefully upon that rod, thinking as I did so that it was almost like sucking upon a large ice-pop. You didn't want to loose a single drop of the melting treat on those hot summer days. Only this... _this_ was a warm and hard piece of firm flesh thanks to his recent feedings on enemy blood, instead of a frozen treat from my youth. The taste of him so solid against my tongue was an electrifying sensation as well and I wanted more.

Kain's breath hitched and I looked up in time to see his head fall back as he let out a deep, sub-harmonic rumble of pure pleasure. His fingers stroked more firmly through my hair and he suddenly twisted strands of my hair about his fingers to gain a firmer grip as he started to guide my movements with precise care. I moved my hands to grasp at his hips and I shivered, every instinct _pleased_ that I had caused him to make such sounds.

He bucked forward suddenly, _uncontrollably_ , when I began to suck a little more boldly upon his length. I let out a muffled sound of surprise as he pushed past the back of my tongue and into the depths of my throat. The entire length of him was suddenly buried deep down the back of my throat, hard and twitching, _penetrating_ to the root. My surprise was not that he had shoved forward, it was a natural reaction for him to have to thrust forward after all. It was more because I had not reacted _negatively_ to that rapid movement. I let out another surprised sound and I reflexively tried to swallow around that inflexible, iron hard rod of flesh. Kain let out a low groan of approval at the automatic reaction.

I glanced back up at his face with wide, startled eyes. His hand held me pinned firmly in place with my nose buried against the white curls of hair at his groin. His fingers were tangled near painfully tight in my hair. A low and darksome chuckle escaped him as he slowly looked down at me. His eyes were still that bright, burning white with not a hint of the pupil showing and a reverberating, sub-harmonic growl filled the air.

"I was _not_ expecting that," he purred out in a thoroughly pleased voice. "You have no gag reflex mine own. How... fortuitous. Oh, _yes_..."

As he spoke, I could feel the blush begin to stain my cheeks pink. I tried to move my tongue and found that I could not. With his length buried down the hot passage of my throat, my tongue was pinned firmly in place. I could not even attempt to suck at him at this point either, as it was just too much all at once. I tried to pull back a bit, to get some room to move. Kain's grip tightened in my hair to hold me firmly in place in response to my movements. I found myself both trying to swallow and as well as to breath past the hard flesh that twitched in my throat. His back arched and his hand briefly tightened in my hair, tight enough to make me wince. He let out a rumbling snarl of pleasure at my attempted actions before he pulled back enough that the head of his length lay once more along my tongue. I was able to catch a quick breath through my nose and I shivered as I looked up at him.

"How long can you hold your breath for, my Little One?" he purred darkly as he stroked clawed fingers through my hair.

I blinked up at him and knew my blush had only grown worse in response to his question. I instinctively knew the _why_ behind what he had asked. I found myself far more nervous then I had been before I had started this and my wings twitched and flared behind me. I responded to him the only way I could what with him buried even part way in my mouth the way he was.

~I... t-ten minutes? Thereabouts...?~ I Whispered to him.

Another low, pleased sound escaped him which caused me to shiver and let out a muffled whimpering groan that vibrated around him. The vibrations made his length twitch and jerk in my mouth. He tugged my head back suddenly as he shifted to where only the very tip of him was still held within my mouth. His grip on the bedpost caused another creak of noise and he let out a low, deep growl. At the same time, he sent out a burst of Aura energy over me, something that was just beginning to hint at his Eldar strength. That power briefly caused my thoughts to scatter under the pressure and I groaned in helpless need.

"Deep breath now my Katrina," he ordered in a purring growl.

A whimper escaped me and I panted for breath through my nose. I could feel my claws start to dig into the flesh of his hips as my grip tightened. I could barely focus upon his face through the sudden haze of desire and nervousness that flooded my thoughts.

~Y-you're going to...?~ I couldn't even finish the mental sentence.

" _Yes_ ," he hissed out and he bared his fangs in a clear demand.

I moaned low in my throat in response. The vibrations of the moan caused him to growl and twitch. Kain's hand tightened once more in my hair. I carefully made sure that my upper lip was still hooked over my fangs and then took a deep, desperate breath in through my nose. On the last bit of that inhaling breath, he pushed back into my mouth to the hilt so that my nose was once more pressed against the soft curls at his groin. He let out a groaning growl as he started to rock in and out of my mouth. It was all I could do to hold on tight to his hips as he started to carefully guide me so that I could meet his movements. That thick length plunged into my mouth and rammed down the passage of my throat in controlled, slow and yet deeply powerful thrusts that jarred my senses.

His growls of pleasure were soft at first and then grew louder with his mounting pleasure. He continued to push in and out of my mouth for several minutes in a deliberately measured rhythm. I tried both to keep my fangs covered and to meet his movements on my own and found that I had to rely on his guiding movements lest my fangs slip. Even with his hand guiding me, even with him laying such claim to my throat, I felt a sudden _wild_ sense of dark satisfaction that startled me.

How important _was_ this kind of sex for vampires that I felt such a thing? I would have to ask Alma later. The fact that he was, at the least, _trusting_ me not to nick him with my dangerously sharp fangs was a breathtaking realization on it's own, never mind what _other_ connotations there could be. As it was, I was thoroughly enjoying the sounds that escaped him as he slid slickly over my tongue. I worked my throat around him in another attempt to swallow and he let out a deep, ragged sounding shout of pleasure.

Kain suddenly shifted me back to where I had to pull my hands away from his hips. I had to swiftly brace them against the bed behind me or else risk falling backwards. All the while, he kept up a steady rhythm of motion that dragged that thick rod over my tongue. He braced one knee against the mattress and then tilted my head back even as he kept his slow, claiming pace. His own upper body was now tilted back as well and he kept his balance by holding on tight to the bedpost.

"Look _up_ my Little One," he snarled in a voice roughened with pleasure.

I looked up as he had instructed and could not help the sudden low, growling moan that tried to escape me as he continued to drive himself over my tongue and down my throat. He had shifted us to a perfect angle so that I could see up into the mirror and watch him as he pounded that hard rod of flesh in and out of my mouth. I could easily watch as every inch of him was pushed past my lips. With this new angle, each press down the back of my throat forced me to swallow convulsively around him. Kain's breath hitched in response to each swallowing action that I made and his thrumming growls started to sound like a stuttering engine.

He pulled almost all the way out of my mouth. I watched with widened, lust-glazed eyes as he slowly pressed the entirety of that pulsing length back into my mouth one slow inch at a time. My body trembled violently with the struggle of keeping myself braced lest I fall back and cause him damage. My wings flared and twitched behind me, beneath me in uncontrolled and flexing movements.

My reflection showed that a deep blush had indeed stained my cheeks and that my eyes had also gone hunter's white at some point. I let out another muffled croon at the sight above me, a noise that changed into a small snarl of sound when he started to pull back in full. I reached out with one hand to latch onto his hip. I had no idea what he _might_ have meant to do, but dammit all, I wanted to taste him. I wanted him to spill in my mouth and _taste_ that cold-fire seed upon my tongue.

A throttled sound escaped him and he renewed his thrusting readily enough, this time at a faster pace. I struggled to both keep myself braced and to meet those renewed, pounding thrusts on my own. I closed my eyes with a groan of pleasure and I swallowed as hard as I could manage. I started to try to flick my tongue over him with each backwards movement, when I had the room to at least, and he shuddered above me with another deep throated groan.

His grip tightened in my hair and his thrusts abruptly became less controlled. A deep, sub-harmonic rumble began to build in his chest and the noise filled the air like the sound of a rolling thunderstorm. He pulled his hand away from the bedpost, lest he break it most like, and he curled the fingers of said hand in my hair alongside the other. He began to guide me forcefully with both hands and my own hand tightened on his hip. That thick length pushed harder and faster down my throat in increasingly shallower thrusts.

He curled over me abruptly, one hand pulling away so that he could brace his upper body against the bed while he continued to thrust down my throat. The action forced me back as well, no longer able to brace myself on the one hand and I could barely keep myself braced using my elbow and the bend of my wings. He suddenly thrust as deep as he could into my mouth and let out a sudden roar of pleasure that echoed through the room like a thunderclap. I latched desperately onto his hips with both hands, no longer able to brace myself beneath him after that last, wild thrust. I felt his cold-fire seed spill down my throat in thick pulses as the thick length twitched and spasmed. I struggled to swallow around that twitching length and tried not to choke on that cold-fire fluid.

Kain pulled back unexpectedly and the last spurt of seed seared over my tongue and lips in a heavy pulse. I groaned at the electric taste of him and swallowed heavily before I licked my lips clean. He tugged me up by my hair and arm so that he straddled my hips and then pulled me up into a sitting position beneath him. His lips slammed hard against my own and the kiss he gave me was bruising in strength. His tongue pushed into my mouth with a dominating force and I yielded to him, my own tongue dancing against his own but not pushing back.

I whimpered and panted against him as he pushed me back against the bed. I had to brace myself once again on my elbows in order to prevent my wings from being painfully pinned. Kain's hands deftly found the belt under my armpit that held the pauldron at my left shoulder secure, then the clasps that held it connected to the cuirass. Fingers darted about swiftly as he found, yanked and tugged at the bindings that held my armor in place. The next thing I knew the entire chest piece had thudded loudly against the far wall after he had tossed it aside.

The long-sleeved shirt that I had been wearing was nothing but useless shreds of cloth within seconds. He tore it from me in strips that yet left my vambraces on. He shifted to the side and his hands yanked hard at my pants as he wrenched them down and off of my form. Those too, went flying through the air to land somewhere in the room. He left the knee-high boots and greaves that were wrapped around them on as his hands slid up my legs. He let out a dark, satisfied growl at my appearance and his power-white eyes looked over me hungrily. I let out a yelp when he suddenly lifted me up and then bodily tossed me further up on the large bed. He climbed up onto the mattress after me with a low growl.

Kain moved over me and breathed out a rapid string of words that I couldn't make sense of. His mouth then closed around my breast. His fangs just barely brushed the skin as he suckled hard at my nipple and the pleasure of it all forced a groan from me. A few moments later and two of his fingers pushed into my soaked core. The abruptness of the pleasant invasion caused me to let out a surprised moan. I tensed up though, as I expected to feel the cut of his claws at some point. Instead, I only felt a blunted pressure as his fingers fairly _wriggled_ inside of me. His mind brushed against mine when I let out a confused sounding moan and his mental chuckle echoed through my head. He continued to suck at my breast and his tongue flicked over the pert nipple as he Whispered to me.

~Magic has _many_ uses mine own,~ he purred throatily in my head. ~Up to and including making a barrier to sheath one's claws for more... _sensitive_ endeavors. Relax, my Katrina. Just feel and know how _very_ pleased I am with you right now.~

"Kain," I moaned in a low voice as I looked at him.

I cried out and arched beneath him when his fangs sank into my flesh and he started to feed at my breast. I writhed beneath him at the intense, pulling sensation caused by his feeding at such a sensitive location. He wrapped his free arm around my lower back and helped me to stay braced on my elbows so that my wings remained unpinned. My wings pounded back against the bed in abortive movements and I arched into his touch and that fiercely sweet bite. No longer able to brace myself against the onslaught of pleasure, I let myself fall against the arm that held me propped up. I reached up instead to dig the claws of one hand into his still armored shoulder and then clenched my other fist in his white hair as my legs spread wide for him.

I felt something build within my core just as he started to slide a third finger into me and I let out a sudden yelp as I jerked in his grasp. It was not a sound of pleasure, but of _fear_ as I realized that building sensation that I felt was the beginnings of electrical magics. It started to tingle within me, started to almost dance within me and I panicked despite the lack of pain. I tried to yank free of his firm grasp and his arm tightened around my waist to hold me still. I struggled harder to buck free of him and shoved both hands against his shoulders.

" _NO_!" I all but shouted.

The energy stopped immediately and the third finger pulled free. I stopped struggling against him and just panted for breath now that the energy had stopped. Kain pulled his fangs from my breast with a low growl. He took in a slow breath of my scent and I knew he could smell my sudden fear. He kept his arm tight around my waist as he kept me braced against him and he shifted up in order to bump his forehead lightly against my own. He frowned down into my fear-filled eyes and I could see the confusion in his own. I tried to look away from him, knowing that I had gone pale. He growled again, this time in annoyance, and he nudged me with his head in order to force me to look back at him.

"Look at me," he ordered in a firm tone.

I looked back at him slowly. My wings twitched beneath me against the bed and I swallowed roughly as I met his gaze once more. His eyes narrowed on mine, still white but now flecked with hints of the normal blue-gold. The third finger slid back into me slowly and I let out a soft groan at the pressure that stretched me. Three was alright and only stretched my core as much as his length did. I felt my body clench around him and I panted softly for breath as he rubbed at my inner walls. His head tilted thoughtfully and I again felt that building of magic near his fingertips.

I hissed at him in a vicious warning and tried to buck free of him again in response to that building power. The energy cut off the moment I started to struggle and I let out a faint sound of fear-filled relief when it stopped. Kain eased his fingers in and out of my core slowly, the movements measured and attentive. He nuzzled at the Mark on my neck and sent a faint pulse of ' _safe_ ' and ' _mate_ ' through the Mark to settle me. I relaxed in his arms again in increments.

" _This_ is what you meant when you mentioned electrical magics during your ranting when you returned to us. That filth tried to force you to peak using similar magics," Kain murmured softly into my ear. "I believe Vorador may have been right to say that you need a safe word."

"I... _ngh_ ," I shuddered and trembled in his arms, half in pleasure and half with still remembered fear as he continued to stroke my inner walls with those magically sheathed fingers. "Safe word?"

"You never did ask us to clarify _that_ either, did you?" he rumbled softly as he licked along the shell of my ear. "Pick a word that you would _never_ say during sex. If you ever use it, then I will stop what I am doing in order to figure out what has made you use said word. Use it in cases such as now, as you are _obviously_ not ready for magic based play."

I flushed brightly and turned my head to the side again. He gave me a firm shake.

" _Look_ at me," he ordered again.

I turned my head back to him slowly and I knew that the shame I felt was on my face despite my attempts to hide it. He let out a calming rumble of noise, nipped my lower lip and his fingers then went still within me.

"Do not feel ashamed mine own," he murmured against my lips. "A safe word is a sign of trust. Do you trust me?"

I licked my lips and nodded my head slowly.

"Yes," I responded in a soft voice.

"Do you trust that I _will_ stop if you use the safe word of your choice?" he asked as moved to scratch fangs lightly over my neck.

"Y-yes," I said and I shivered under the light touch of his fangs.

"Choose something then, my Little One," he purred into my ear as he pulled his fingers from my core. His hand came to a rest upon my hip. "My Dear Katrina."

"I... I," I shivered again as I thought of what I could use. Something that I wouldn't say during sex? Several moments later I blinked and realized that I wanted something in... _Latin_. But what?

He continued a slow, sensual assault on my neck and he held me braced against his arm while I thought. I shivered and twitched under the slow nibbling, nicking bites and that gently lapping tongue as I tried to stay focused. Latin... something Latin that would work. _Amare_ wouldn't work, too close to something I'd wanted to say for some time and also something I just couldn't say right now. This was something to be used to help my mind, to give me time to breathe... ah, wait. Breathe.

"'Anima'," I said finally and I squirmed a bit in his grasp. "'Anima' works."

"Hmm, indeed," he nipped my ear lightly. "There is but one thing left to do then. You must learn that you can actually _use_ this word, my Dear Katrina. Too long have you borne pain in tearful silence, stubborn and willful by your own admission in your attempts to deny your tormentor even your screams if you could. Do you understand that if things get to be too much for you, that you now have the choice to use the word that you have just given to me?"

"I... yes?" I blinked at him in confusion.

Kain shook his head at my confused tone and the next thing I knew, I was on my knees with my left arm pinned behind my back. I let out a surprised meep of sound and tried to look at him, but my hair hung like a curtain around me and blocked much of my sight. His fingers pushed back into me from the new angle and I let out a sharp gasp. I squirmed and my wings gave a rough beat at the air that sent the bed curtains rippling with the resultant current of air. The pressure on my arm increased marginally and I let out a soft, startled hiss of noise. It was... _uncomfortable_ , but not painful.

 _What was he doing?_ I thought in surprise.

"Do not suffer pain merely because you have borne it all before," he purred in a low tone.

He leaned over me to nip at the back of my now exposed neck. There was another increase to the pressure upon my arm and I squirmed against that grip even as his fingers began to slide in and out of me in slow, measured movements.

"Does this hurt?" he asked in a serious tone.

"N-no," I groaned softly and my wings gave another rough beat at the air. "Just u-uncomfortable."

"Very well," he purred softly. "It is good to learn one's limits and which lines are not to be crossed."

The pressure increased yet again as my arm was twisted just a little further upward and I let out a faint yelp of noise. It didn't hurt _per se_ , but it _did_ ache. His fingers twisted, curled and twitched within my core in a way that made me whimper in strained pleasure.

"And _now_ , my Little One?" he asked as he nipped my ear. "A human's arm would have already broken by this point."

I twitched at his words and let out a faint hiss as my eyes flew wide. _Broken_ a human's arm? It did not feel like he was exerting that much pressure! I let out another strained cry of sound as those knowledgeable fingers hooked against that sweet spot within me and my wings hit the bed with a powerful enough beat that the bed rocked as they pounded uselessly against the mattress.

"S-still just un- _uncomfortable_ ," I hissed out in a gasping breath of near-pained pleasure.

Kain chuckled softly and then let out a dark, contemplative growl of sound. My arm was twisted further still in his hand. This time it was true pain that flared up along my arm and I bucked against his grip. I choked down my cry of pain out of long ingrained instinct. I _almost_ didn't say anything, _almost_ stayed silent as I panted and tried to breathe past the pain, but a small part of my mind remembered what we had just been discussing.

I needed to _trust_ him...

I needed to _believe_ that the pain could stop...

" _Anima_!" I cried out.

The pressure was gone in an instant. I found myself being pulled against his chest as I gasped for breath. Kain's Aura pulsed over me in a soothing wave and he nipped at my neck with his fangs. He drew faint lines of blood with those sharp points only to lick the wounds clean as they healed. His fingers still kept up a steady rhythm within me and I let out a choked sounding gasp. I was relieved, and somewhat surprised, that the pain had stopped so _swiftly_.

"You see mine own?" he murmured in my ear. "Your trust in me was rewarded, was it not?"

"I-it was," I moaned softly. I twitched and arched against him as the pain faded back into pleasure.

Kain shifted me forward again and this time I was able to brace myself upon my hands. I let out a soft grunt of noise as his fingers hooked within my core in a way that sent a jolt of pleasure through me. His other hand closed on the base of one of my wings and he leaned over to nip along the joint. His hand suddenly tightened on my wing, thumb pressed hard against the middle of the bone, and I let out a gasping breath at the painful pressure.

"Gah! A- _Anima_!" I cried out. " _Not_ the wings! Not like _that_!"

His grip was gone in an instant and his claws started to run soothingly through the feathers at the base of the wing. A low, soothing, growl escaped Kain as he continued his assault on my core. I let out another soft noise of choked relief and leaned my head against the silk covered mattress as I lowered myself onto my elbows and gripped the silk sheets tight in my hands.

"Do you understand how a safe word works now, my Little One?" he asked in a deep voice. "Do you understand that you can truly trust that I _will not_ hurt you beyond the small pains you can handle, can _enjoy_? Do you understand as well that if I do cause you distress during sex, that the pain can be made to stop with just that _one word_?"

"I understand," I gasped out.

He pulled his fingers from me and then eased his hardened length inside. I let out a low groan as he sank in to the hilt, always so deep, so good. He rubbed his hands firmly over my hips and let out a soft, dark chuckle when I shivered beneath him.

"Good," he purred as he pulled me up to where I was braced on my hands again. "Remember to hold still."

"I...? _NGH_!"

I let out a roaring shriek of pained pleasure as his fangs sank into the joint of my wing to feed. One hand closed over my neck and his fingers pressed against his Mark as he started to take me roughly from behind whilst he fed. I dug my claws into the sheets and mattress beneath me as I tried to hold my wings still. His other hand clamped onto my wing to hold it shut and the grip, while firm, was not quite painful as he continued to feed. I all but yowled my pleasure as I rapidly hit that peak and my claws tore through the silk sheets beneath me like tissue paper. I bucked and writhed beneath him, no longer able to hold still in the face of such carnal bliss. His fangs pulled free from my wing swiftly and his hands shifted to grip firmly near the base of my wings along the humerus bone. Kain eased my upper body against the bed with a firm push and then gave a near-to-tentative tug at my wings as he pulled me back against him using that new grip.

I let out a grunt of noise at the first not-quite-painful tug and then let out a high-pitched gasp as he repeated the movement just as he shifted to hit that sweet spot inside my core with a long stroke of his length. I closed my eyes and pushed back against him with a low moan as he started to pound into me at a steady, unrelenting pace. He let my wings go after several minutes and closed his hands back around my hips. His claws dug into my skin, drawing faint amounts of blood and I cried out. He started to thrust harder and faster into my open body even as I spread further for him.

I couldn't help the constant, high keen of pleasure that escaped me at the rough claiming. I rose back up onto my hands as I arched and pushed back against him in order to meet that demanding pace. My wings gave abortive beats against the bed with each harsh thrust forward, almost as if I might take flight at any moment. Kain's right arm suddenly wrapped around my neck as he pulled me up and against him. I gasped as my wings were suddenly pinned between us. He threaded his other arm between one wing and under my arm as his hand closed around my breast and squeezed hard. I let out a yelping cry of pained pleasure at that firm grip and my claws dug into his still-armored arm in reflex as he moved us so that we fell backwards against the bed. The action jarred through me violently and I let out a ragged cry and spread my legs wide as he rammed his length up into me.

"Look up," he hissed into my ear suddenly. " _Look_!"

My eyes flew wide at the hissed command and I looked up to watch our reflections as he continued to pound up into my spread body. I let out a high keen as he pressed fangs to my throat, his eyes not leaving mine as he stared up at my reflected gaze. He shifted his grip enough to yank off one of his vambraces, which went flying to impact against one of the walls, and he placed his wrist at my mouth. My teeth sank into flesh automatically on instinct and, as his fangs finally sank into the flesh of my throat, I let out a muffled moan as I watched both of our gazes bleed white.

Even the ache of my wings being pinned between us faded to nothing as we fed from each other whilst he continued to fill me, to ram up into me. I reached down to rub his own inner thigh firmly with one hand and to caress his sac as the skin drew taunt with the other. My eyes started to flutter closed as I let out a muffled moan. The pleasure of feeding, of being fed from, of holding that heavy sac in my hand, of feeling that hard rod against my thumb as he pushed in and out of me and the bliss of being filled so completely flooded through me. Kain's voice rang through my mind in a commanding roar barely a second after my eyes had closed and I let out a muffled cry between swallows of his power rich blood.

~ _Keep looking!_ ~

My eyes flew wide again and I whimpered at his wrist even as he growled at my throat. His free hand moved to clamp onto my inner thigh as he forced my legs wider still and his thrusts up into me became wilder, sharper then before, as if he was only just holding onto the edges his control. He pulled his fangs free of my neck and he roared his release in my ear as he gave a final, powerful thrust up into my core. His power-white eyes never left my own reflected gaze as he poured cold-fire seed and the power of his Aura into my open body. My eyes lost focus on the reflected view as the multitude of sensations overwhelmed me. I bucked and writhed in his firm, unyielding grasp, impaled so completely upon him and my pleasure peaked as he filled me with that cold-fire seed. I pulled my fangs from his wrist and arched above him as my own cry of release echoed through the room.

*-*/-END LEMON! END LEMON!-*\\*-*

I slumped back against Kain bonelessly. I panted for breath and trembled uncontrollably, each limb shaky with exertion. His eyes slowly bled back to blue-gold and he started to trail his claws over my shivering form whilst he watched our reflected image in the mirror above us. My eyes slowly started to focus again and I let out a faint, shuddering sigh of pleasure as his claws teased over my lightly bruised hips.

"I find myself well pleased that I did not fight my instincts regarding you," he said softly and he lightly nipped at my ear.

"Ah?" I blinked up at his reflected gaze, too worn out to turn my head. "You mean when you Marked me?"

"Even before that," he purred out softly as his hands moved to trail along my inner thighs. "Imagine my surprise when I saw a portal open in the sky for nary a seconds time and a winged form fall and hit the ground. I'd thought at first that it was _Janos_ , somehow escaped from the Hylden realm, but instead I found this young female with wings far different then the Ancient's own. You were unconscious for all of ten minutes before you woke and began to examine your surrounds. You came across your Nikolai arguing, and then fighting, the Sarafan. Instead of turning the other way and leaving him to his fate, a fiery look passed over your face, as if all you needed was just the slightest excuse to fight."

I blushed as he spoke and shifted a bit. He let out a low rumble as he nipped my ear and flicked his tongue over his Mark. I let out a soft moan and shivered. His eyes flashed hunter's white briefly and I went still.

"I found myself curious as to how a female vampire who felt like she was at least one to two centuries old could yet fight like a fledge untrained and unused to her abilities," my eyes flashed with annoyance even as I blushed at his words. He chuckled darkly in my ear. "You cannot deny it, my Little One, you tore through them like a beast that had been long caged and was finally free to express its' rage. _Beautiful_ , I thought to myself, to my own surprise. When your wings seemed to bleed away to nothing as you fell unconscious from your wounds, your prey dead around you, I found myself wanting to know the 'why' and the 'how' of what you were."

Kain's hands trailed back up along my body to rub soothing circles over the rapidly healing bruises on my hips. He shifted his head to scratch fangs over my shoulder briefly before he continued to speak in that pleasure filled, thrumming voice.

"I have gone to Vorador many a time over the years since I embraced my nature," he said. "Both to all but be fostered by the Eldar as he taught me vampiric culture and to glean advice from him as I began my conquest. Again I found myself going to him for advice as to what you might be, this little thing who showed clear signs of being a vampire yet whose heart still beat so strongly with the vibrancy of life as you recovered from your wounds. And yet... when we gave you blood to speed your recovery, we found it had to be done carefully or you would violently reject what was offered to you even in your unconscious state."

I winced slightly when I realized that they'd had to go through such difficulties as they tended to me. If they had tried to force feed me I would not have reacted well at all. Kain gave another nip to my ear, this time slightly scolding in nature.

"Do not apologize for something you do not recall," he rumbled.

"I... as you will," I murmured softly.

"Good girl," he purred as he licked soothingly where he had nipped. "Vorador said you showed obvious signs of one who had been forcibly blood starved over long periods of time in an attempt to break you. That you still struggled in an unconscious state impressed him. Then you woke within days when Vorador claimed that you would remain unconscious for a least a weeks time. Clear signs of one who has long functioned on little rest and power. Yet _another_ reason to be impressed with your willpower."

I could feel my blush deepen and he chuckled against my throat.

"I then flared my Aura," he thrummed. "A testing push at your own to see how responsive you were to your own instincts. You barely noticed it, yet still responded readily to my questions as if desperate for someone to talk to, someone that would not hurt you outright. As you spoke of your past, you fought to keep the pain of what you had been through from your face and make it seem as if it had all been nothing but an unfortunate series of events. Such a stubborn, willful, kind-hearted little thing that had survived tortures and horrors that would have _broken_ lesser minds."

I squirmed again at his words and he ran hands soothingly over my body to still me. His hands moved to my waist and he shifted me off of him so that I could tuck myself in against his side. I shifted next to him and lay my head on his shoulder. He ran claws lightly through my hair and tucked several loose strands behind my ear. I shifted a little more so that I could tuck one wing behind me and then draped the other over our forms. His hand moved down to tease through my feathers once my wing had settled across our bodies.

"Then there was your clever, _challenging_ little request to leave the boy alive even though you knew I was far stronger then you," he chuckled softly. "Learning what I had about you, I had resolved to wait until you knew more about your own nature before even attempting to Mark you as my instincts demanded and then... _then_ I tasted your _blood_."

He shifted onto his side and turned to brace himself up on one arm. I shifted so that my head lay upon the pillow and looked up at him. He pushed my wing away and looked over my form in a slow, lingering, _possessive_ gaze. I blushed under that intense gaze and he brushed the backs of his claws over my arm left arm.

"Your blood _already_ smelled sweet to me as I carried you back to Sanctuary," he said in a low purr. "I had merely thought it was because you were from another realm, your Gaia. But the _taste_ of your blood made it plain that despite all you had been through, you had kept one thing from your tormentor for a yet unknown number of years. Stubborn, willful, kind-hearted, fiery and yet still _innocent_ despite all of it."

My breath hitched as he closed his hand over my neck and tilted my head back with his thumb. I shivered under his intense gaze and licked my lips. He smirked as he looked down at me.

"When I next flared my Aura you responded so readily to my power, my offer of protection, even if you did not truly understand it on a conscious level," he let out a dark chuckle. "And then you demanded that I _back off_ if I meant to have you only the _once_. Such a foolishly brave little one. _My_ Little One."

He leaned forward suddenly and the kiss he gave me was almost gentle even though he still drew blood when he nicked my lower lip with his fangs. He licked away the ruby droplets languidly before he leaned back and rubbed his thumb over the line of my jaw.

" _Beautiful_ , even as you yielded to instincts that you did not yet understand," he said with another smirk.

I smiled shyly for a moment and then frowned up at him, "And when you woke me that one time? When I was concerned about my memories?"

Kain shrugged one shoulder as he continued to stroke my jawline with his thumb, "That was a test meant to force you not to hide from me. You had been projecting your thoughts without meaning to. 'Why can't I remember?' and 'What have I forgotten?'. _Everything_ I will put you through is designed to make you stronger, my Katrina."

One of his claws scratched a slow trail from below my left ear, down my neck and over my belly before his hand came to rest on my hip. He raised up higher onto his arm and leaned, practically towered, over me as he let out a low, purring growl.

"I will have my Queen be as _strong_ as she can possibly be," he said as his eyes flashed from blue-gold to hunter's white and back again as he pushed his Aura against mine. "Do you understand?"

I felt my eyes widen at both the pressure of his Aura and his words. His _Queen_?! _What_...? I gasped as he suddenly increased the pushing pressure of his Aura and I struggled to push my own Aura against his out of instinct as my thoughts scattered. He moved over me completely and I shifted fully onto my back. I tried to brace myself to be at an angle that would leave my wings free or at least not painfully pinned. His hand cupped my chin and he sent another wave of Power to crash against me. I let out a low groan at the onslaught and again pushed back with my own Aura in instinct. His eyes darkened with lust and satisfaction as he smiled at me.

" _Mine_ ," he purred.

"Yes," I groaned out softly.

He leaned forward to catch my lips in a deep kiss. His tongue delved into my mouth and I pushed back against it with my own. That warring kiss continued even after we had nicked each other's tongues with our fangs. The kiss deepened to bruising strength before we pulled apart as I needed to breathe.

"My Lord," I said with a panting purr.

I leaned forward and licked the blood away from the corner of his mouth. His fingers trailed again through my hair and then gripped tight as he pulled my head back. I gasped softly at the forced baring of my throat but did not fight him. He let out a satisfied sound and then licked a trail from my ear down to my exposed throat. He purred darkly against my neck and I groaned as he laved at my skin.

" _My_ Lady," he rumbled softly before his fangs sank back into my neck. I cried out and arched beneath him as bliss overwhelmed my senses once more.

* * *

Please read and review!


	29. Past and Present

Edits as of 05/2016

You two are seriously being mean... This chapter is long as hell because of you two...*author pouts and sighs as a talon is pointed firmly at the computer screen* Fine...

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Past and Present...

*-*/-Eldar Kain/Raziel POV-*\\*-*

Eldar Kain had led Raziel back toward the city of Steinchencroe just in time for the pair to watch as the city was taken over by Kain's younger self. The claiming of the city was brutally efficient. Both males tensed though, when they saw Katrina dart after a Sarafan guard that had targeted a home near the edge of the city and had started to take his rage out on the lone woman within. They relaxed only when she exited the home unarmed and alone. The look of raw grief on her face lasted only for a few moments after she left the building before pure rage passed over her soft features. She disappeared from sight a moment later and Raziel tilted his head.

His Sire nudged his arm at that point with his elbow and Raziel turned his head to look at his Sire. He raised a brow when Eldar Kain pointed up at the sky.

"Watch," Eldar Kain ordered with a satisfied smirk.

Raziel blinked and then looked to the sky as his Eldar had instructed. His eyes widened as a human form suddenly appeared as if from nowhere and the male fell screaming toward the ground. The scream ended abruptly when the male impacted against the ground and a wide splatter of blood and gore suddenly covered the surrounding fighters. The moral amongst the Sarafan guard force plummeted at the sight and the younger Kain's troops took full advantage of the opening that Katrina had caused.

Raziel found himself shaking his head in bemusement when his Sire burst into outright laughter at the gruesome sight. The pair watched the continued carnage from a distance. Once the fighting was over and the human civilians calmed, Raziel noticed the change in his Sire's scent as the older vampire's eyes narrowed on the largest building in the city. He shifted uneasily as he eyed his Sire. A low rumble escaped Eldar Kain when he turned away from the view minutes later. He held out his taloned hand to Raziel.

"Come along," the older vampire ordered. "I have something that I need you to do."

"As you will," Raziel responded calmly as he took his Lord's hand.

Teleportation magic wrapped around them both and then faded moments later. The uneasiness caused by the transportation something that had long ago been mastered by both males. Raziel raised a brow as he realized that they had appeared directly within the Chronoplast.

" _Another_ temporal jump?" he asked. "I was under the impression that we were remaining here for the moment. What has changed?"

"Katrina will be safe enough for some time as she will have Alma at her side during those times that my younger self is not with her. Hopefully there will be no further incidents at all, yet there is always the chance of something happening later this year. What that could be remains to be seen, if it even happens," Eldar Kain rumbled out as he moved to adjust the settings of the delicate time-chamber. "As it is, we have something more pressing to do."

"And what would that be?" Raziel asked in a confused tone.

Eldar Kain snorted softly and glanced back at Raziel with a raised brow. The high-handed bemusement on the Eldar's face made Raziel bristle, if only slightly. His capricious Sire only shot him such a look when Raziel had missed something that was blatantly obvious, but the winged vampire could not think of anything immediately apparent.

"Come now Raziel," Eldar Kain drawled softly when Raziel's face remained impassively blank. "You have not thought _once_ to question why Vorador is _alive_ after having lost his head to Moebius' mob?"

"I..." Raziel blinked and he then slowly face-palmed. He let out a sigh that clearly expressed his annoyance with himself as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "No, it had not crossed my mind to ask about the specifics of Vorador's revival..."

Eldar Kain let out a soft chuckle of amusement as he turned another dial within the chamber. A heavy clanking filled the air for several moments as several various gears shifted within the room. The noise settled moments later and his Sire looked over the various dials for a long moment before he spoke again.

"I had thought that I would need to handle this myself when you initially made your sacrifice," his Sire started to explain, "yet the Guise ability makes me look too much like my younger self for what needs be done. Appearing as an Eldar would also be far too difficult to explain. Your being here, intact as you are, will allow this to be done swiftly and without unneeded questions."

"I do not know how to cast the Guise spell," Raziel reminded his Sire as the older vampire continued to move about the room.

"That will not be a problem," Eldar Kain said firmly another switch flicked and the sound of smaller gears turning filled the air briefly. "We will have the time needed to teach you the spell and it need only fool a human, and an Eldar who is recovering from an unfortunate case of death, for a few minutes."

"A human?" Raziel questioned with a raised brow.

"Yes," Eldar Kain frowned and there was a note of regret in his tone. He flicked one last switch to engage the Chronoplast and the temporal path opened before them. "Magnus."

The pair stepped into the portal and time spun around them dizzily before it settled as they arrived at the appropriate place in Time. Eldar Kain then took a brief amount of time to teach Raziel exactly how to wrap the Guise spell around his form and mask his obvious vampiric features, such as his taloned claws and feet. The spell could do nothing to hide Raziel's wings without aid, so they had to find a cloak to wrap around Raziel's shoulders as well as a bag in which to carry Vorador's head in. With his wings furled, the tips peaking through the cloak were twisted by the magic of the spell to appear as if Raziel wore twin swords sheathed at his back.

Satisfied with the illusion, his Sire then directed him to make his way to the Sarafan Stronghold in order to reclaim the green-skinned Eldar's head. Raziel would then to head straight North from the fortress to the old vampire's mansion lay hidden. There Raziel would find the green-skinned Eldar's human servants that yet survived, concealed within the bowels of the mansion's hidden, and some _not_ -so-hidden, basements.

It was a strange thing to experience, but like Eldar Kain, Raziel had been affected by the strange shifts in time as things were rearranged when he had refused to allow the blow meant to kill Kain. Only in this instant of temporal realignment, most of Raziel's memories included new stories being told during 'history lessons' when he and his Brother's had been fledglings. Magnus had been as Raziel was now during Kain's first attempt at rising to power; Kain's right hand, his Champion.

Raziel's early memories as Kain's Firstborn now included lessons that had involved learning a loyalty to his Lord that would match, if not outright surpass, the loyalty that Magnus had proved to have in the end. Those lessons also included strict instruction to each of the Brother's to not allow one's pride to surpass one's sense. Magnus had foolishly sought, in his pride, to end the war at the time quickly and had paid horrendously for his hubris. Kain's Champion had thus been defeated alone and without any backup and was then sent to endure hell for over two centuries whilst Kain lay recovering from his wounds. Only Kain's hand had restored Magnus' mind and granted the wounded vampire's last request; the compassionate mercy of a swift death to end the torture that the loyal vampire had been forced to endure and to prevent the vampire from falling once more into mindless madness.

The shift in Raziel's memories had only shown that these new stories had solidified his loyalty to his Lord at an even _younger_ age. The fledgling desire to prove himself capable had only _thrived_ under those new stories and had made the eventual, needed, betrayal all the more bitter. For what but the strongest of loves can turn into the most vicious of hatreds and yet still leave one longing for some kind of reconciliation even as one raged against the apparent futility of it all?

Raziel shook off his bitter thoughts. Melancholy would not suit him during his meeting with the human version of his predecessor. What was done, was done. Raziel could no longer follow Kain out of a blind sense of loyalty, duty and love, but that did not mean that he could not yet follow the Eldar with his eyes opened. The dynamics between the two males may have changed, but the end result was the same even though the scars might never fade.

Raziel was Kain's First-born, his Lieutenant, his Right Hand and, sometimes quite literally, his _Sword_. There was no longer any doubt of that.

He wrapped the cold shadows of his Dark Reaver Gift around himself as he neared the stronghold and he landed roughly on the rooftops of the building. Keeping to the shadows, he made his way into the Stronghold's depths. He had to fight back another wave of bitterness as he passed through the same areas where he had slain not only the human versions of his brother's, but his own human self as well. How self righteous he had been until confronted with the true barbarism of his human-self slaying the kind-hearted Janos.

If _anyone_ that had _ever_ existed truly deserved the title of 'Saint', it was Janos.

He shook his head again to clear his thoughts and continued on to the main 'display' chamber where he had slain Rahab and Dumah. Armor and weapons were carefully stored in display cases and showed signs of loving care. At the center of it all, past the guards standing at the sword-styled gates, was a display case that held Vorador's head, the Eldar's face trapped in a rictus scream. Raziel moved swiftly through the shadows to the case and, with a vampire's speed and skill, lifted the glass case and purloined the fallen Eldar's head without being noticed.

Raziel placed the head in the bag given to him and bolted silently out of the Stronghold. He had no desire to raise the alarm any sooner then need be as the humans would need the time to evacuate a revived Vorador. As soon as he reached the open air of the rooftops, he leapt into the sky and took flight. He immediately turned and winged his way toward the mansion. He sent of a quick Whisper to Eldar Kain, having a better sense of where to project his thoughts at a distance to ensure that he communed only with the Eldar, and not the Younger, version of his Sire.

~I have Vorador's head,~ he said. ~The humans were none-the-wiser when I left the Stronghold.~

~Good, make haste mine own, my younger self is currently making his way to Vorador's mansion to peruse the tomes there,~ Eldar Kain laughed softly in Raziel's mind. ~With all this time jumping, the memory of shock at finding the hedonistic vampire alive is still somehow fresh in my mind.~

~I find myself surprised that you do not end up with more headaches then what you do,~ Raziel quipped in an amused tone.

~More that I have merely gotten used to the headaches you cause me,~ came the dry response.

~Surely I can not be responsible for _all_ of them?~ Raziel asked.

~A majority of them,~ his Sire responded with a dark, dry laugh. ~Do you think it has been _easy_ reaching this point even with all of Katrina's assurances that this, my edge of the coin, could be found? All the assurances in the world could not clearly reveal the exact path that needed to be taken my Childe. Even the visit to her Gaia could not reveal the path that needed to be walked. The 'dreamers' who saw my story, Our story, had seen the results of the choices made up to a point and even all of what they wrote was not completely accurate. Indeed, which of us can truly recall our dreams as they fragment and fall away to dust upon waking?~

Raziel went silent for a few moments before he sent of a burst of bitter, yet no less affectionate, sense of resolve and loyalty toward his Sire, ~I will not apologize for being a pain in your neck all these centuries.~

~Must you be vulgar?~ Eldar Kain responded with a more amused mental laugh and a sense of acceptance of the loyalty Raziel had mentally offered.

Raziel laughed softly to himself as he neared the mansion. He circled the large building once from his high vantage point and then moved to land a good distance away. He landed and let out another soft burst of laughter. As a true feeding for a vampire, fangs buried in another's throat to perform a slow draw of blood and not simply tearing open the throat of one's prey and lapping at the resultant gaping wound, was at the least a sensual if not outright sexual experience, Raziel's use of the turn of phrase had _indeed_ bordered on the crude as far as vampiric culture was considered.

Raziel was quick to bury his amusement as he looked around the wet swamp. He toed a large area of water with his taloned foot and smiled a bitter, sad smile. Imbued as he was with his brother Rahab's essence and the essence of the Water Glyph, the water was no more threat to him then to a human. Less in truth, as it had no power to drown him for lack of air. He tucked his wings closed, wrapped his cloak about his shoulders and then wrapped the Guise magic around his body before he let his Dark Reaver Gift fall away. He walked brazenly, openly, toward the mansion as he ignored the water around him as it splashed underfoot.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye but kept moving without turning his head toward the sound. A human would not have seen the movement, thus he would not react. His superior hearing caught the sounds of eight humans following him. He could easily hear as two of them broke off at a run, separating from the rest to report his approach. As he was alone and with no one following him, hopefully he would have the tepid welcome that Eldar Kain had suggested that he expect. He remained wary however, years, nay _centuries_ , of battle ready instincts were on edge at being surrounded so.

A single, young looking human of no more then twenty-five years met Raziel at the large, ornate doors of the mansion. The human was already bald, his blue eyes defiant and strong. The human stood at least a foot taller then Raziel, perhaps an inch or so taller then a younger Kain but not the Eldar. He stood at the ready with his hand resting upon the hilt of the sword at his waist. It was an 'at ease' posture that was never truly 'at ease' and one that Raziel was used to seeing amongst his own men. The posture instead gave off the sense of something that was ready to move at a moments notice. A flick of the human's thumb and the sword snicked loose in the sheath, ready to be pulled free in an instant if need be.

"That is close enough traveler!" the human called out in a commanding tone that almost made Raziel smile even as he came to a respectful-seeming halt. "State your name and your business here!"

"I merely wish to return what was forcefully taken from one of the noblest of beings to walk this land," Raziel said as he employed his silvered tongue.

He then held out his hands in a gesture meant to show that he meant no harm. He had to forceably remind himself to hold his hands out with his palms forward instead of back and his illusion covered talons spread wide instead of curled under and against his palms. Thankfully none of the humans had noticed the small hesitation when he changed how he held his hands out to them in apparent supplication.

Even as he held out his hands, he could clearly hear the other humans as they scuttled about upon the damaged battlements that surrounded the mansion. Arrows were being nocked into bows and the creak noises of crossbow's being made ready were easily noticed to his ears but again he made no move that he had heard said sounds. He did not even spare the flicker of a glance in the directions the sounds came in, for no human would have heard those sounds. Only the human in front of him, whom he recognized from his Sire's descriptions as Magnus himself, seemed to hold his full attention.

"And what would you return traveler?" the human asked in a cold voice.

"If I may be allowed?" Raziel asked with a small indication of the pouch at his waist. He kept his voice mild, kind and unassuming.

It was several wary seconds before Magnus responded, not with words, but with a wave of his hand which was a sign that Raziel could move. _Carefully_. Raziel was slow to take the bag that held Vorador's head from his belt. He then carefully pulled the head from the bag and let the bag itself fall to the ground as he held up his pilfered prize toward the human male. Several gasps filled the air and the sounds of more then one crossbow hitting the ground sounded as well. Those sounds were rapidly followed by the impacting sounds of greaves hitting unyielding stone. Magnus himself looked to be in shock as he looked from the head, to Raziel and then back.

Magnus approached Raziel warily after several long moments of stunned silence. With hands that shook as if the human male were suffering from palsy, he took the head reverently from Raziel's grasp. Raziel let go only once he was sure that the human's trembling grasp would hold true. Magnus took a slow breath and then let it out slowly as his hands steadied around the Eldar's head.

"Traveler... this... is a boon that we cannot repay," Magnus said in a breathy voice. "Mine own grand-father had been one of Vorador's most loyal of clerics before our Lord was taken from us. I was charged with the retrieval of our Lord's head before my father's death. With the strength of those within the Stronghold, I had begun to fear that the task appointed to me might well have to be passed on to my own children. To have his head be returned by one not of our number..."

Raziel acknowledge the human's awe with a bemused sense of causality and a small bow of his head.

"I am only doing my duty to restore one of the best to have walked our world," Raziel said. That he had been the one to restore Janos had been one thing, that he also the key needed to restore Vorador was... amusing to him. "But I would suggest that we restore him swiftly. Those within the Stronghold did not notice my immediate theft, but this is the first place that they will search once they realize that their ill-gotten prize is gone."

Not that they would reach the mansion as fast as Raziel had. They had plenty of time to complete their task.

"Of course. This way please," Magnus said as he turned away and started inside swiftly. "You should be present for this, perhaps Lord Vorador will be able to offer you some boon for this momentous feat."

Raziel followed after the human with a bemused expression. The sounds of at least a dozen or more humans scuttling through the mansion filled the air as they moved deeper into the bowels of the building. They moved through to the basement levels and, after a hidden series of glyph's and metalwork were activated and had revealed a hidden path, they headed deeper still into the secondary basement levels that Eldar Kain had told him about. It was here that Vorador's body was stored, as reverently as Janos Audron's had been and in just as preserved of a state. Magnus moved to place the head against the body whilst several of the other humans moved to gather blood vials that had been stored nearby. With a nod and what seemed to be perfect timing, Magnus aligned the head with the neck and the other humans both poured blood from the vials around the neck wound itself and down Vorador's open mouth.

As with Janos' revival, whatever magic sustained a vampire Eldar took time to reactivate once all of the 'pieces' were reunited. Had the humans truly wanted Vorador to remain dead, they should have burned his head, only then would the body have either rotted away like any other corpse or collapsed into dust. That prideful, trophy taking nature of the Sarafan now worked against the fanatical humans and in the favor of vampire kind and those who would follow them. Raziel watched as several of the humans seemed to loose hope when nothing happened immediately and he found that had to speak into that tense silence.

"Give it time," he said softly, gently to ease their obvious fear of failure.

Magnus spared him a glance but did not move otherwise as he was focused on keeping the Eldar's head in place. Barely another minute later a blue-white glow seemed to wrap around Vorador's neck wound. Raziel was positive that he saw the Eldar Vampire's soul with his spectral enhanced sight as it returned eagerly, almost _possessively_ , to its' body. Vorador's body arched much as Janos' had and the Eldar let out a inhaling roar of noise, not pain, not rage, just shock at the fact that he was once more alive. Vorador jerked up to a sitting position and held a hand to his throat as he took in several harsh, deep breaths that he did not truly need. A blood vial was held out to him almost immediately and he took it without word or glance to the human who had handed him the vial. Instead he focused on downing the restorative draught of blood and magic.

It took a few moments before Vorador could focus enough on those around him and he frowned as he took in the sight of the few, very few, human servants in the large room. Magnus moved to kneel in front of Vorador, hand to his chest, even as Raziel took a few respectful steps back.

"My Lord," Magnus said softly, whole-heartedly. "Welcome back."

"You," Vorador gave a rough cough to clear his throat and then reached out to tilt Magnus' head up. "You look like Brandt."

"My grand-father," Magnus said with a small nod of his head. Raziel was impressed that the human did not flinch back from the sharp talons. "You have been lost to us for near to a century now."

"That much time?" Vorador chuckled bitterly and he let his hand fall away from the human's face. "And still some of you yet remain here?"

"Fifty of us remain, my Lord," Magnus answered. "Myself, Sebastian; get of Perseus and Faustus; get of Auriel currently lead the others in our continued duties."

"And which of you loyal children retrieved my head?" Vorador asked as he stood.

"If only I could say that any one of us were successful in completing an endeavor that we have long striven for," Magnus said with another low bow of his head. "But it was not we who were successful stealing into the Sarafan Stronghold to reclaim you, my Lord. This traveler risked all to restore you and he is not even one of our rank."

Vorador turned to look at Raziel as Magnus indicated the illusion covered vampire. Raziel gave a low bow of his head, doing his best to supplant vampiric instincts that called for the subtle baring of one's throat to an Eldar. Only another vampire would do such a thing, or a human who had long known vampiric cultural norms, and Raziel was playing at being the simple traveler. Vorador eyed Raziel warily for a long moment before he nodded his head.

"It seems I owe you my life traveler," Vorador said slowly as he continued to eye Raziel. "Did you do all this with a particular boon in mind?"

"Merely to set things to rights," Raziel responded with a shake of his head. "I will be leaving shortly and I would suggest that you and yours do the same."

"Indeed," Vorador said with a bitter chuckle. "The first thing the Sarafan will do is come here when they realize that their prize is lost to them."

"As you say," Raziel said as he fought down a smile.

"Allow me the courtesy of escorting you out of the mansion at the least," Vorador said as he took another vial from one of the human servants and downed it.

Vial drained of its' contents, Vorador led Raziel back up toward the main doors. Magnus trailed at their heels at a respectful distance. Raziel slowly started to relax as he realized that Vorador did not seem to recognize him under the Guise spell. Not that the Eldar would recognize him considering that the last time he had talked with the green-skinned Eldar he had been a blue-skinned wraith. A little girl's voice, no more then five, suddenly echoed through the rooms as they approached the main hall. The noise drew Raziel from his musings and he raised a brow at the small form that came darting down the hall. Magnus rushed forward with an embarrassed sound to intercept the small form and rapidly picked the girl up in his arms.

"Br'ther! Br'ther! Lukas t'ld me!" the small form fairly squirmed in the larger man's arms in order to peek over his shoulder at the now thoroughly amused green-skinned Eldar and a bemused Raziel. "He's awake?! L'rd V'rad'r is awake!"

" _Umah_!" Magnus growled out in embarrassed annoyance. The growl was impressive for a human. He struggled to pin the squirming girl in place and barely managed to pin her under one arm for a few moments. "Will you mind your _manners_ , you unruly child?!"

Raziel felt a brief flash of surprise as he looked at the small human child. This girl would grow to be the one to tend to a younger Kain during his wound-induced torpor, injuries that had been caused by the Hylden Lord. She would be the first female that would catch Kain's eye as a possible Mate, until she betrayed, would betray, him and thus died, would die, due to her own foolishness, going off alone to face the Sarafan troops after playing the thief. Raziel frowned when he realized he was developing the beginnings of a headache and found himself suddenly sympathizing with his Sire regarding Timeline induced headaches.

A startled sound from Magnus drew Raziel's attention and he raised a brow when he realized that the little spit-fire girl had managed to accidentally knee her brother during her struggles. Magnus had gone pale as a result and his grip had loosened just enough. Vorador himself let out a soft chuckle at the males pridicament. The girl wiggled free of Magnus' weakened grasp and she raced over in order to come to a halt in front of the taller vampire, only to issue a proper, lady-like curtsy.

"Welc'me back L'rd V'rad'r!" the small thing said with a bright smile as she looked up at the tall Vampire Lord.

Vorador gave her a light pat to the head and gently turned her back toward Magnus.

"Thank you for your kindness child, now attend to your brother," he ordered in a soft tone.

The girl nodded happily and rushed back over to Magnus, only to be carefully shuffled into the waiting arms of another, older human female. The female bowed her head low to Vorador before she darted off with the little girl in hand. Magnus let out a soft sigh and rubbed at his forehead with a long suffering look upon his face.

"That girl will be the death of me," he murmured, soft enough that a human might not hear but still loud enough for vampiric ears to pick up.

"You said she is your sister?" Vorador asked as they started once more for the door.

"Not by blood. We rescued her mother from a group of bandits," Magnus said calmly. "The woman died in childbirth and only remained alive long enough to name her. We have taken care of Umah ever since. We are, all of us, her brothers and sisters."

"You have done well to survive this long together without me here," Vorador said slowly. "I find myself... surprised that you remained."

"We are family, My Lord," Magnus stressed with a firm loyalty in his tone. A loyalty that would one day be transferred to Kain. "We stay together and stay true. For all that we are human, you are our Lord and Father."

Vorador paused at the large doors with a contemplative look on his face. Raziel knew that Magnus, Sebastian, Faustus and Umah would all be turned to vampires at the very least. Perhaps even the entire lot currently within the mansion might find themselves thusly rewarded as well for their continued loyalty and attention to duty whilst their Lord 'slept'. _Something_ had changed in Vorador after his resurrection, Raziel knew, perhaps this was part of that change or at least the start of it? Vorador turned his head to look toward the gates and a small frown came to his lips.

"Wont this be a surprise for the whelp?" Vorador muttered softly to himself. "Come to raid my tomes no doubt."

"My Lord?" Magnus asked with a blink of confusion.

Raziel knew what the Eldar meant however, even if the human male did not. He could feel the energies of the younger version of his Sire as he approached the run down mansion. Raziel had overstayed his welcome without meaning to. Raziel bowed his head to the two in front of him and pulled his cloak up to hood his face.

"I must be on my way," Raziel said as he turned toward the door. "Please excuse me my haste."

Vorador's hand lashed out before Raziel could do more then move a single step and he froze. The Eldar's taloned grasp that now held his own, likewise taloned hand. Though Vorador did not look away from the form approaching in the distance, his talons ran smoothly over Raziel's, easily feeling the Wraith/Vampire's own taloned hands through the visual illusion that surrounded the shorter male. Vorador slowly looked back at Raziel and raised a brow at him as he brushed his mind against Raziel's.

~You are different then the wraith that I first met,~ Vorador said. ~Are you restored in full under this illusion of yours Raziel?~

Raziel winced almost imperceptibly, yet he responded in a calm voice, ~I am. Again, I must go.~

~You restored me,~ Vorador's mental voice was grateful. ~What would you ask of me?~

Raziel let out a soft huff of breath as the Eldar finally let go of his hand. ~If I must ask anything of you then I would ask one thing; Help Kain.~

~Oh? You would have me help the whelp who would be King?~ Vorador raised a brow at Raziel.

~Yes,~ Raziel responded.

~Very well then,~ Vorador crossed his arms and looked back out toward the approaching form.

Raziel took that as his cue to leave and started out of the mansion at a swift pace. It was too late to avoid passing the Younger Kain so Raziel simply moved past his young Sire without a glance. Young Kain frowned as he passed Raziel but otherwise ignored the cloaked figure as his own steps faltered. Young Kain's approach toward the mansion slowed to something more of a wary approach then the previous stride that had shown the confidence of one not expecting any trouble.

Raziel had to smile at that as he headed back out to meet Eldar Kain at the Chronoplast. It was sometimes amusing when something threw his Sire off kilter, even if it was just the Younger version to be so affected by the vagaries of life.

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

I woke with a small start from yet another 'shadow' dream where Auron was stuck stalking around my shielded form. Thanks to the bracelet he could not touch me. The unfamiliar surroundings caused me to panic momentarily and I went deathly still. I blinked at the darkened room without moving my head and tried to settle my racing thoughts. Only Kain's familiar cold-fire presence at my back, with his right arm wrapped tight around my waist while he spooned against my back and my wings firmly pinned between us, helped to settle my nerves regarding our location. Our new room in the mansion he had claimed. I relaxed and let out a soft sigh.

I then squirmed a bit and I yawned quietly. I rubbed at my eyes and let out a soft groan. I may likely have slept for hours, but with Auron plaguing my sleep I had not been able to experience true 'rest'. I still felt exhausted. Kain's cold-warm tongue suddenly trailed up along the right side of my neck. I shivered and gasped softly at the wet touch. Fangs sank into my throat a moment later and I let out a soft moan as he started to feed from me. He had just begun to rock against me and his hand had slowly started to trail down my side whilst he moved to shift the angle that I lay at, when a knock sounded firmly at the door to interrupt us.

"Out with you two," Vorador's voice called out in an amused, and knowing, tone. "You can mark your new territory all you wish later. We have work to do this eve."

Kain snarled softly at my throat but he lifted his fangs away. He licked briefly at the pin-prick wounds as they healed before he braced up on his left arm and glared toward the door. I hid my face in my hands and I knew that I had started to blush brightly despite the drain of blood. Sometimes a vampire's superior sense of smell could be annoying to the extreme.

" _Leave_ old fool," Kain growled at the door. "Or do you need me to coddle your every step as the others set up my new headquarters?"

"As if _I_ needed aid in such endeavors. Such matters have already been organized," Vorador scoffed with an amused tone. "Now, if you wish to leave us open to attack from the North, then that is your business, but I would rather we take the remaining cities nearby before they have a chance to band together against us. Coorhagen is still hunkering down for the moment, but how long will that last if Vasserbunde is successful in their negotiations for aid from the larger city?"

I rolled onto my stomach even as Kain propped himself up on one hand with another dark snarl of breath. I shifted a bit closer and I rose up on my hands. I started to nuzzle at his neck in an instinctive gesture that I somehow knew was meant to sooth. I did not speak aloud to him and instead opted to keep my words to him private through a tightly controlled Whisper.

~You have an empire to build,~ I reminded him in a soft and caressing mental voice. I flicked my tongue out to lightly lick a trail against his neck. ~I am not going anywhere where you cannot find me once your plans have been set into motion. We have the time.~

Kain shifted me abruptly to where I sat straddling his waist and I blinked at him in surprise. I braced my hands on his bare shoulders and he abruptly tugged my head back by my hair. I let out a hissing groan at the movement, but otherwise I remained silent with him pressed hard against my mound as I straddled his waist. I blinked at him and struggled to keep my breathing even and calm. His eyes were dark and hungry as he met my gaze. He spoke again to the green-skinned Eldar and his voice remained a steady, if still angry, tone. He was not well pleased with Vorador's untimely interruption.

"Away with you Vorador," Kain called out. "I will handle the rest of it when I am good and ready to."

"Whelp," Vorador growled out in a tone that was both equally bemused and annoyed as he stalked off.

As the sounds of taloned feet faded, Kain sat up and again sank his fangs into my neck. I let out a low groan at the pleasure that poured through me due to that bite. His free hand teased gently over the base of my wings for several moments before I suddenly found myself freed from his grip and pushed firmly, almost gently, against the bed next to him on my back. I panted softly and blinked up into the mirror above the bed. I was surprised to see that with my wings spread out the way they were, I looked almost like some kind of spiritual being that had been reduced to a thoroughly debauched state. I blushed brightly and looked at Kain rather than continue to look at the mirror's reflection.

He stood a few moments later, a dark smirk upon his lips as he looked over me whilst I worked to slow my breathing. I pushed up so that I was sitting and he chuckled as he moved to gather up his armor. Most of it, including his leather pants, had ended up banging against the same wall and had landed in a rough pile. My own clothes and armor had been strewn about the room willy-nilly and even a quick glance did not show where each piece had gone. It would take time to find all of the pieces. And to find a new top...

"Assist me with my armor," he ordered suddenly.

I looked over at him and noticed that he had just finished putting on his leather pants and boots. I started to cast about for something to slip on before I got off the bed, a shirt or maybe a torn portion of the sheets. He let out a dark rumble of amused noise and I looked back at him with a raised brow.

"As you are now, Dear Katrina," he said with a purr.

"I... a-alright," I murmured shyly.

I blushed a bit, but stood and moved over to help him. I picked up his greaves and belted them into place around his booted shins. Clawed fingers reached down and carded lightly through my hair as I moved. I shivered at the gentle touch even as I tightened the final belt of his greaves into place. I then moved to grab the hardened leather cuisses for his thighs and started to belt those into place. He threaded his fingers back through my hair whilst I worked. He shifted his legs slightly after I buckled the final belt around his waist, testing the bindings and his hand tightened in my hair just slightly.

"Tighten the upper belt for the left cuisses," he ordered in a dark purr.

I felt the faint blush from earlier return as I moved to tighten the strap in question. As the strap was at the inside of his thigh, it put my hands and face very close to his groin. I finished tightening the strap and glanced up at his face. He shifted his left leg again and then let out a purring sound of satisfaction. I started to move so I could gather up his vambraces and pauldrons, but he tugged my up gently by my hair in order to kiss me soundly. I pulled back from the kiss with a small growl a moment later and reached back to swat at the hand that was still tangled in my hair.

"Tease," I hissed at him. I knew damn well what he was doing.

Kain simply let out a dark chuckle as he let my hair go and he watched me with darkened eyes as I swiftly grabbed up the rest of his armor. Once everything was buckled in place to his satisfaction, he again grabbed me in his arms and he gave my rear a firm smack when I tried to squirm free. I yelped at the firm blow and my wings fanned wide as he tugged me in close to his body. His fangs abruptly sank into my throat and I let out a groan as my body slumped bonelessly against his. My wings drooped low to brush and twitch against the ground and I panted for breath under the onslaught of pleasure that his bite sent through me.

He kept his feeding slow and measured, not enough to force me over the edge but just enough to leave me further exhausted and yet needing more. He eased me back to toward the bed after he had pulled his fangs free. I slumped back against the soft mattress with a low groan and curled up on my left side. He brushed the back of one claw along my right cheek and I turned my head enough to nip at that digit whilst I let out a soft grumble of noise. I closed my eyes a moment later as sleep tugged at the edge of my mind.

"I will send Alma to tend to you later," he said with a purr of laughter, amused by my nip more than anything else. "Remain here my Little One."

I peaked one eye open to pin him with a weak glare at the unnecessary order, what with my being drained the way I had been. He let out a louder burst of laughter as he moved to leave the room. There was a small pulse of magic before he left and all of my own armor suddenly gathered near the foot of the large bed. I let out a soft noise of gratitude before I let my eyes fall shut again and I curled up on the bed in a small ball with my right wing draped over me like a blanket. The door closed with a soft click and I listened to the sound of Kain's fading footsteps as he moved down the hall. I felt a small smile of content curl my lips as I drifted off.

I felt a hand shake my arm what felt like hours later. I opened my eyes only to blink up at Alma's smirking visage. She held out a blood vial to me and I took it with a low growl, suddenly very aware that I was hungry. I kept my wings angled just so in order to keep my form covered and then drained the vial quickly. She handed me a new long-sleeved top, designed as the previous one had been to clasp closed at the neck with four hook clasps and then at the base of my back with eight hook clasps. I took the top from her carefully, glad that I would not have to wear just my armor.

I turned my back to her as I slipped the top on. I froze and twitched warily when I felt her hands move to help me with the hooking clasps both at my neck and back. Her hand then moved to brush lightly at the base one wing and I buffeted my wings backwards with enough force to knock her backwards several feet. I turned around swiftly and let out a soft hiss at her as I bared my fangs in warning. She smirked at me in amusement as she stood back up.

" _Do not_ touch my wings," I said to her firmly.

She let out a soft laugh but held her hands out, claws curled against her palms, in near-mocking supplication. I grabbed up my underwear and pants and slipped those on swiftly. I used my wings to conceal as much of my lower body as I could from her view. with my pants fastened and held in place with a belt, I then moved to slip on my steel-toed thigh-high boots. Another special order request that I'd had done recently. Once my boots were on, she moved to assist with belting my greaves into place much as I had done for Kain.

I frowned at the intimacy of the movement and had to fight down the embarrassment I felt as I looked at the far wall. She then helped me with the leather curiass and the pauldron, but I waved her away when it came to putting on my vambraces. I had to put the left one on in a specific way in order to prevent the bracelet that protected my dreams and body from chafing. Vorador had included a kind of hollow rim along the inside of the vambrace and the bracelet tucked into that hollow comfortably if it was put on properly. I then bent over to slip my daggers into their boot-sheaths.

"Ready now deary?" she purred at me as I straightened. "I have a possible donor waiting for you. Better to get fresh blood rather then just a vial."

I perked up at the thought of fresh blood and followed her out of the room. She led me down to the second floor kitchen and to one of the healthier looking females that we had rescued not even a week ago now. The woman, short haired and blue-eyed, curtsied as we approached and smiled at us as she straightened.

"M'ladies, I wanted to thank ye again for savin' us," she said in a soft voice. "Is there aught I can do to repay ye other then servin' as a maid?"

"Of course my dear," Alma purred. She walked over to her and let her hand fall to rest on the woman's shoulder. "Our Lady is feeling a bit peckish. Would you be willing to offer up a pint of blood to ease her hunger? You will be able to have the rest of the day off as long as you remember to drink plenty of fluids and eat some meat."

"Anything rich in iron actually," I murmured softly.

I eyed the woman's throat for a moment before I shook my head to clear it. I was hungrier then I had thought if I was that focused upon feeding. I looked at the pait and found that they were both looking at me in confusion. I had to smile faintly as I explained what I had meant.

"Spinach, red meat, fish, poultry, beans, raisins, nuts and peanut butter," I said in a voice that just above a murmur. "All of those items are iron rich and will help the body recover from a blood donation faster. Have you had water recently?"

"Aye m'Lady," the human woman nodded. "Had my break not ten minutes ago and had a few ladles full of water then."

"Good, that will help," I said and I again glanced at her throat. I noticed that her pulse had spiked due to my intense gaze. "You will want to drink at least... three or four glasses of water or juice if you... donate. No alcohol for at least a full day and night cycle. No donating again for at least a... a month and a half, I believe? Otherwise you will get sick easier."

"You are just _full_ of advice today, aren't you deary?" Alma said in a bemused tone.

"Donations of blood help more then just vampires... where I'm from," I responded with a soft huff of breath.

I did not want to confuse the human girl with my otherworldly origins. It was bad enough that Alma knew and oft pestered me about fashion of all things. Zippers were already becoming a 'thing' amongst Alma and her sisters thanks to the remains of the pants that I had been wearing upon my arrival.

"Interesting," Alma said with a flick of her hair. She turned back to the human woman. "Well deary? Will you help our Lady?"

"Aye m'lady," the woman gave a nervous curtsy. "If'n it please ye."

I let out a soft purring growl at her words and moved closer. Alma pulled back to lean against the wall and looked away in order to keep watch on the area. I tilted the woman's head to the side with one finger. Her hair was short enough not to be in my way and I leaned forward to take in her sweet scent. I pressed my fangs against that soft throat and felt her pulse jump. I slowly sank my fangs into the flesh over the major pulse point and fed slowly. The woman gasped at the sudden onslaught of pleasure that I knew had started to invade her senses and I caught her before she could fall to the ground. My wings shifted to encircle our forms and mantled closed above our heads as I fed gently.

Her blood had a smokey flavor to it and I suddenly found myself wondering if the difference in taste had to do with blood-type. Another thing to figure out when I returned to Gaia for a time. I stopped swallowing when I felt her heart give that first half-stuttering skip that signaled that I had taken just over a pint of her blood and pulled my fangs free from her neck to lap at the wound. Whatever it was in a vampire's saliva worked quickly to help the blood coagulate and seal the wound until she could heal it naturally. My wings fluttered a bit with my satisfaction and I let them fall back to rest once more on my shoulders.

I kept the woman braced in my arms as she came back to herself with a soft whimper of bliss. Her eyes were dulled with pleasure and her scent left no doubt that she had peaked at some point during my feeding. I blushed faintly at the thought. Previous times, my feeding from a human had proved to be merely a sensual thing for them. Even Nikolai had not peaked from my bite, though he'd needed to fight the pleasurable pull. I shared a look with Alma and she laughed softly at the discomfort on my face. She moved to help the human sit down and then called over another servant and gave the man my modified instructions on how to tend to the female.

"I... thank you for the donation," I murmured.

I then cleared my throat lightly, more out of nerves then anything else, and then spun on my feet to walk away. Alma caught up to me moments later and, with a small touch to my arm, guided me to where Kain, Vorador and Janos stood pouring over a map in the larger library. The map had several markers upon it and it was plain that they were planning the next assault. Vorador looked up with a smirk when I entered the room and made my way over to Kain's side.

"Someone fed well," he drawled out in a teasing tone. "We heard the cry from here."

"Indeed," Alma chimed in behind me with a soft chuckle. "I do believe that this was the first time a human reacted like that for her."

I snarled in Alma's direction even as I blushed, "Must you be a constant pain in my neck?!"

Everyone looked at me with varying degrees of incredulity. Even Kain had raised a shocked brow in my direction. I rapidly found myself blushing brighter under their combined stares as my upset melted into confusion. My wings instinctively drew a little tighter around my form as if to shield me.

"...what?" I asked with a growing sense of unease. "Did I say something wrong...?"

Alma huffed from behind me as she stalked close and leaned in to be nose-to-nose with me even as I turned to face her. I had to fight down the meep of confusion that wanted to escape my throat at the enraged look in her eyes. I fought not to back up, as I would bump into Kain if I did so, though my wings tucked in as close as physically possible to my body.

"I am hardly _inept in the bedroom_ deary," she growled out in a near-threatening purr. "Should I prove it to you at some point?"

"I didn't say that!" I yelped out as I held up my hands defensively. "The hell!? I was just... fuck, shit and _damnation_ woman! How in the hell did you take what I said to mean... to mean THAT of all things!?"

Alma eased back a moment later with a thoughtful look upon her face. When I flashed a wary and confused glance in the direction of the males, I saw that they each wore expressions that were now amused. Even Janos looked to be fighting off both incredulity and laughter. I felt my wings droop a bit and looked back and forth between the lot of them.

"Little One," Kain said with a sighing, bemused growl. I looked at him with another confused blink. "What does that phrase mean to you on your Gaia?"

"'Pain in the neck?'" I asked in clarification. He inclined his head and I shrugged. "Same thing as 'pain in the ass' really. I... just meant that she was being exceptionally _annoying_... not... not anything that has to do with... _skills_ in the _bedroom_."

Alma let out a soft sigh and she rubbed at the bridge of her nose. Again the males shared bemused looks and I bristled. My wings ruffled and the feathers puffed up a bit with my growing unease.

"I have neglected to go over what is considered insulting amongst vampiric culture, haven't I?" I looked back to Alma and tilted my head. "Deary, that phrase when said in the tone that you used is something meant to imply that one's skill at a proper, _pleasurable_ , feeding is lacking. It is near abouts the same as saying one's overall skill in the bedroom is poor indeed. It is a very crude insult or, if said in an entirely different tone, a very crude way of saying one intends to be... hmm, _recalcitrant_ , later in the bedroom to the benefit of both partners."

"I... I..." I stuttered for a few moments as I paled. I then blushed deeper than before and my wings twitched, practically vibrated, with my upset. " _Not what I meant_!"

Vorador finally gave up on hiding his amusement and started to roar with laughter. Janos face-palmed and tried to stifle his own amusement at the situation. I suddenly felt like a child who had been caught swearing without knowing what the words spoken actually meant. Sadly, it was not an entirely _inaccurate_ analogy all things considered... and I did not well like the feeling.

"I understand that now deary and forgive the unintended insult," Alma said soothingly.

Kain let out a faint huff of laughter and he reached out to grab onto my belt. He then yanked me closer to his side. I let out a surprised yelp and tried to pull away from him. He issued a scolding nip to my ear and ignored my hiss of displeasure at the reprimanding bite. He glanced at Alma over my shoulder and raised a brow at her. Vorador had finally quieted his laughter, though he still shook his head in amusement and he shared a bemused look with Janos as Kain spoke.

"I would suggest tending to her lessons on vampiric culture more in depth woman," he grumbled.

"Of course, Lord Kain," Alma said with a formal bow of her head and a slight baring of her throat.

"Why didn't you _start_ by teaching me what would be insulting?" I hissed softly at Alma. "I would have liked to avoid putting my foot in my mouth!"

" _Hush_ Katrina," Kain issued another nip to my ear and then turned me to look at the map. His hand remained an idle weight at the base of my back to keep me from moving. "Look at the map and tell me what you see."

I frowned at him and realized that this was another of his lessons in tactics. I turned and looked at the map with a frown as I looked at the areas around Vasserbunde. Two bridges led across the River of Tears to the city, one which led straight north/south over the river and one that led to the west across the tongue of land that was overlooked by Nupraptor's Retreat. I frowned as I looked over the bridges. Too obvious to attack from there it seemed to me, as the humans could easily destroy the bridges and send any of our forces into a watery grave in the process. Instead... I bit my lip lightly and then tapped at the map.

"Decoy troops here and here at the bridges," I said slowly. "Draw the cities attention to the expected attack points to distract them."

I then tapped along that tongue of land and circled a path up and around Nupraptor's Retreat to the canyon path that led toward Coorhagen.

"Send the bulk of the troops instead around this way to attack from the North," I said a little more confidently. "They will think at first that we are troops from Coorhagen sent to help shore up their defenses and will be ill-prepared in defending from that front."

"And where to cross the river?" Kain purred out in a satisfied tone against my ear.

"Here looks to be the thinnest point in the river," I said and I tapped the map again where a small jut of land was marked at the northern part of the middle of the river as it led to the Lake of Tears. "I'd want to scout that area first to see if it is of the same height on both sides of the river for a temporary wooden bridge or, if one side is higher then the other, a rope bridge of some sort. I... am unfamiliar with that area..."

"Very good my Little One," Kain said with a smirk.

He shot a satisfied glance at Vorador. The green-skinned Eldar huffed softly and crossed his arms. I had the distinct feeling that I had just helped Kain argue his point.

"I still say that circling the east side of the river and going over the mountain would be best," Vorador grumbled.

"If we had just vampiric troops maybe," I said with a shrug as I looked over the map. I saw Kain's smirk widen out of the corner of my eye as I spoke. "The cartographer has these mountains drawn at a sharp angle. I'd want to take a scouting look, but first glance makes it seem as if human troops wouldn't be able to follow that same route. Most of our forces right now are willing human warriors, archers and mages, each being led by a vampiric captain and a handful of other vampires to keep them in line. We don't want to break our forces into too many groups and the two decoy forces we'd want to put at the bridges would have to make themselves appear to be more numerous than what they really are while the real fighting force circles around the back route."

Kain let out a pleased rumble at my understanding of the tactical situation. I felt his hand dip to brush over my rear end briefly before he moved a few of the markers around. I felt a blush start to flare and ignored the effects of that touch as I watched Kain move the markers about as I had suggested. I continued to talk to Vorador after I made sure my tone would remain even.

"The route you suggested would leave us with the bulk of the army at the bridges with their thumbs up their arse's instead of at the enemies backs," I said as I twisted my voice a mildly sarcastic tone and I glanced up at Vorador, "'big brother'."

A low growl escaped the Eldar and I ducked my head down even as I flashed a grin in Kain's direction. Kain chuckled darkly and he finished placing the markers at the very spots that I had indicated.

"As I said earlier Vorador," Kain purred out in a dark tone. "Even one still _learning_ the art of war can recognize the obvious attack route we need to take based upon the forces that we have available to us. When will you learn that I know what is best for MY army?"

"You have been defeated once before Kain," Vorador growled out and he turned his attention to the white-haired vampire next to me. "Do not think that you are invincible just because you rose from the jaws of defeat to fell the previous Sarafan Lord."

"Ah, but in learning what I could about the Nexus Stone, did I not defeat the Hylden Sarafan Lord soundly once that knowledge was in hand?" Kain growled out in a low voice. "These humans have no new tricks to use against me or my troops."

"We know not what that Path Stone from Gaia might be capable of," Vorador growled out in annoyance.

"The Path Stone simply seems to be a way to link worlds," Janos pipped up suddenly. "And only if you have something that originates from that particular world. I do not believe we have anything to worry about on that front my Childe."

"Sire," Vorador sighed softly as he let his arms uncross and he leaned against the table. "As you say. Very well then Kain, let us see how your tactics fair."

* * *

end chappie


	30. Testing Waters

Edits as of 05/2016

Hope everyone has been enjoying the story thus far! I appreciate all the reviews/views!

Chap has some dom/sub lessons/play/realization of wants.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Thirty: Testing Waters.

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

Alma and I started our scouting run around Vasserbunde city a few days later in order to get an idea of what would need to be done. It was an easy enough matter to sneak us across the bridge using my unique Gift. The city itself was tucked against cliff walls and that was where things got complicated. Like Steinchencroe, the city had new fortifications that had been built up over the long years. The bridges on either side of the city led to gated walls that protected the city where the cliffs natural protections ended. Said gates were heavily guarded both with Sarafan armored guards and those with regular arms. We had to sneak in during one of the changes of the guard and we kept close to the shadows in order to keep my own shadow from being seen.

Alma kept a firm grip on my belt as we moved through the city. I had to pause at one point to reach out and turn her head to look at what I had suddenly noticed. The gated walls were well built and had wide platforms for the guards to walk on and there looked to be several small, maybe fifteen feet in height, trebuchets spaced out along the wall. Around a dozen all told from what I could tell. One of the guards shifted a trebuchet using a gear and lever platform to test mobility as we watched. The revealed angle of the contraption sent a thrill of alarm down my spine.

~Strange,~ she Whispered to me softly as she watched the male guard. ~Those are aimed oddly. They are neither aimed at the bridges nor the river itself...~

~The sky. The trebuchets are aimed at the sky,~ I Whispered back. ~Look at the raised angle. They must know how to watch for Janos and I.~

~Indeed, you will likely as not be grounded during this battle,~ she said grimly. ~Your abilities have proved useful indeed during previous battles.~

~I see no way to easily take them out from here either. Sabotage does not seem to be an option,~ I cursed softly and then continued on.

The first thing that we needed to check on was the city path that led North to Coorhagen. We needed to know if the gates there were as heavily guarded or if the guard there had gotten lax. Thankfully the Northern path indeed had a lax guard force. The guard force at the Northern gate was more of a token force then anything else and would be taken with minimal effort on the part of our troops. I smiled grimly at the sight, satisfied with our findings, and we turned away to start for the slums of the city. It was here that we would find our city contact. I needed to find out if we could set up a viable underground railroad before we made our main attack. My grin faded to a grim frown as I realized that the forces of the city seemed to be far too on guard. Even at a glance I could see that a railroad might not work here, the guards would surely notice a large number of people disappearing.

We waited patiently in the darkness of an alleyway for our contact to show. A small urchin approached our location and, after he had carefully checked to be sure that he hadn't been followed, he pulled out a glass marble and set it onto the barrel that he had stopped next to. Glass marbles were a rare child's toy that was normally only found amongst _noble_ children. Alma used the marble as a way to tell who she had chosen as her contact.

~Keep your Gift up deary,~ Alma said. She let go of my belt a moment later and approached the startled boy.

I stayed silent and hidden as I watched the pair talk quietly. The boy's overall report was grim. Many of those within the slums were quite eager to be free of the forces that had invaded their city years ago but there would be no swift escape in the middle of the night for anyone in Vasserbunde. The Sarafan within the city had found out about my railroads. They had captured, tortured and then killed a Night Lady who had had the means to read and write. The woman had been the sister of one of the other Night Ladies within Provance. Said sister had sent her a letter that spoke of the safety to be found under the vampires rule. That letter had been located by the guards before she could safely burn it. Hell, the poor woman had barely had the chance to _read_ the letter before the men had descended upon her.

"Blast and damnation," Alma cursed softly as the boy finished speaking. "Will you, the other urchins and Night Ladies be able to safely hide when the fighting starts?"

"We can do better then _tha_ ' m'lady," the urchin said as he puffed up his chest in youthful bravado. A small smile came to my lips at his antics. "We urchin's go unnoticed 'lot of the time. If'n ye give us a signal, then we can make sure tha' the guards armors are loose and hinder their movements. Mama Giselle also says to tell ye that the Night Ladies can makes sure tha' their regulars sleeps 'lot longer then wha' they should after a tumble. Couple of the nobles ain't too happy 'bout their homes bein' taken over as barracks neither. They would be able to fight from within the city, not t' mention the bruisers that do their best to protect the Ladies. We can all fight!"

~Katrina deary, would you relay all of this to Kain while I question the boy further?~ Alma asked over the Whisper. ~With your Mark, you are the only one of us that can communicate with him at such a distance.~

~I'm on it,~ I reached out mentally for Kain in a faux-cheerful voice. ~Kain? I've got a game of good news, bad news with Vasserbunde.~

~The bad news?~ he asked with a mental snort of amusement at my attempt at humor.

~An underground railroad is not going to work here...~ I started to explain the bad news of the situation to him regarding the poor woman who had been caught. He let out a mental hum of noise as I finished explaining just what had happened. ~That's not the only thing. They also have several small trebuchets aimed at the sky. Janos and I will not be able to provide assistance from the air while those remain functional. We will need to figure out a way to disable them swiftly during the fighting if you want the pair of us to assist from the air.~

~Indeed,~ Kain let out a mental grumble. ~And the good news my Little One?~

~Thanks to the Railroads, the Urchins, Night Ladies, the Bruisers who protect the Night Ladies and those Nobles forced onto the streets when their homes were taken over are all ready to help cause trouble from within the city,~ I Whispered to him with a mental smirk. I explained what the Urchins and Night Ladies had planned. ~Lot of people here are ready to make their stand at your order as they have heard from others that things will be better for them under vampire rule.~

~You are being smug my Katrina,~ he growled softly in my head both in warning and in amusement.

~Can't help it,~ I responded with a mental shrug. ~The fact that this is working as well as it has been is something that makes me... feel _proud_. I know that there will probably be hiccups here and there, but if the humans live healthier lives under vampiric rule then it will be easier to keep them... _docile_... like you want. The shear lack of proper hygiene and sanitation here still makes me cringe sometimes.~

~You've made that abundantly clear in your endeavors to aid the humans in the Cabal,~ Kain said with amusement.

~Can't say it's not working,~ I said with a smile. ~How many times this past year have the humans that I have tended and taught actually gotten sick? Hmm?~

~Once in the past year instead of once every few months,~ he responded. I could picture him shaking his head. ~Why must...?

~Ah, just a sec...? Alma needs something,~ I said to him.

I focused once more on my companion. He grumbled at the back of my mind in annoyance at the interruption but allowed it. Alma patted the boy on the head and then pocketed the marble but she did not walk back over to my side right away.

~Have you told Kain?~ she asked in a soft mental voice. ~I need to know what to tell the boy.~

~Yes, I've told him. Give me another moment to get his decision,~ I responded. I reached back out to brush my mind against Kain's. ~So is this a go? Shall we use the humans within the city to cause havoc during our attack?~

~Yes. The more distractions caused the better,~ he responded. ~The havoc caused by their actions will only aid us in taking the city.~

~Got it,~ I focused my mind once more on Alma's. ~He said to let the humans help from within.~

~Very well,~ she responded.

She gave the boy instructions on what to tell the others and the boy nodded his understanding. Still the urchin did not leave right away. We both frowned at the boy as he toed the ground with his worn, too big shoes that had to have been either discarded or stolen from a Noble.

"Ah.. um... m'lady, a last thing? T' help?" he said softly.

"What is it child?" Alma asked in a soft tone.

"Is just... well there are stories goin' around, 'bout the vampire Lord's captured Angel, who's not really captured or bound or nothin', see? But... well Mama Giselle said to warn ya's if I saw her, but is just ye here. Can ya let the Angel know that she needs ta stay away?" the boy looked over his shoulder and then pointed at the gate near the South of the city. "The guards, they's been talkin' 'bout the Angel the ways they talks about the Night Ladies they's always hurtin'. They's got nets to catch her and makes her weak. Mama Giselle said that we's needs to stop that from happenin' and to warn the Angel away since she's been doin' such to help. Mama Giselle also said to tell the Angel thank ye for gettin' her daughter, Lorelle, outta Steinchencroe and makin' her a personal maid in their large mansion. She said that the Angel and her Lord can always count on us Urchins and Night Ladies here t' help if'n we can. Jus' give us the word."

"This Lorelle," Alma started slowly as she tilted her head in thought. "Pretty little thing with short hair just below her ears and bright blue eyes?"

"Aye m'lady!" the urchin smiled up at Alma. "She's doin' well then?"

"She is indeed," Alma smiled. I fought down the blush even though it could not be seen what with me hidden from sight the way I was. "She has helped our Lady much already. Now, keep an eye out lad. We will leave the marble here an hour before dusk the night we attack."

"Got it m'lady! I'll be off now!" The Urchin darted off down the road.

Alma walked back over toward where I still was and reached out with her hand. I took her hand in mine and she disappeared from sight as I wrapped my Gift around her. Her mind brushed over mine in a light touch.

~Let us get back to our new Sanctuary,~ she Whispered to me.

I hummed in mental agreement and we slipped out of the city through the route to the North in order to make sure the path that our army would take was clear. There was a hidden path up the cliff wall just next to the dead end path that led South-West. Alma agreed with me that this would be the best path for the men to take. We followed the path and cleared it of a large nest of spiders. We then made a beeline around the forest back toward the River of Tears. We had one last place to scout; along the river where the distance between the banks was shortest. The point that we would use to get out men across. I did not take to the skies, as it was a new moon night and my shadow would be lost in the darkness even to a vampires eyes if I flew too high. As it was, we ran through the woods freely. I had dropped my Gift shortly after we had cleared out the nest of spiders as we no longer needed to move with stealth. We came to a brief halt at the river and we shared a satisfied look at our findings.

We would not have to fight with the perils of a rope bridge as the riverbank on both sides was even enough for that we would be able to build a quickly crafted wooden bridge using the tall trees in the area. This would make getting our troops across the river that much easier a process. I grabbed Alma around the waist and took flight long enough to get us across the river. I then set her on the ground and checked some of the trees in the area. Each looked to be healthy, strong and they would made a good and sturdy bridge. I nodded my head again. We made the remaining trip back to Steinchencroe in silence and just enjoyed the run, each of us satisfied, for the most part, with our findings. Once back at the walled city I used a quick Aura Pulse in order to get a sense of where Kain and the others were. They were in the main library/war room. We made our way up the stairs to meet up with them so that we could make our report.

We entered the room quietly, as Kain had just started to issue orders to four of the captains who currently led his troops. My wings twitched and ruffled at my back before I settled them against my shoulders. I'd only seen each of these men at a distance up until now and I had yet to meet them directly in the time that I had been here. Two of them gave a small bow of their heads in my direction when they saw me, one remained indifferent and the last outright sneered at me. I ignored the sneer, unsure of the cause of the males animosity. Alma and I walked over to Kain's side and we waited for him to acknowledge us. I made our report when he made an idle gesture in my direction. My verbal report was more to the benefit of the others than anything else, as I had already relayed much of our findings directly to Kain via Whisper. The one new bit of information was the ease that we would have in building a bridge to cross the river. Kain nodded his head once I had finished and he tapped at the map idly with one claw.

"The trebuchets will inhibit our aerial support until they have been disabled. We will need to target and destroy them swiftly. In the interim, Janos," Kain pointed to the patch of land near the Southwestern bridge after the blue-skinned Eldar had given Kain his full attention. "I want you to set up your healer's tent here once the bridge is built. Avoid being seen at all if you can help it. Stefon, I want your troops to be stationed widely at the area before this bridge. Keep them spaced out and give the appearance of a larger force. Your task is to get any wounded to Janos and the healers if it becomes necessary and to act as their guard force."

"As you will, Lord Kain," the blonde vampire said as he put his fist to his chest. He was one of the pair that had given me a small bow.

"Leon and Emrys, you two will be with me as we circle around with the bulk of our forces to attack from the North," Kain commanded as he indicated the path that they were to take.

The two red-headed vampires both bowed their heads to Kain. One of them had bowed his head to me and the other was the one who had remained indifferent to my presence. They looked to be brothers in truth before their turning and the few, subtle differences in facial structure had me wondering whether or not they might be twins.

"As you will, my Lord," they said together.

I tilted my head slightly as they spoke. Even their voices were almost, almost, the same pitch and frequency.

"Cillian, Katrina and Alma," Kain tapped the map at the Southern bridge and I turned my attention back to him in full. "The three of you will head the decoy troops here at the Southern bridge. Katrina, after you and Alma leave the signal for those within the city, I want you to fly a few brief passes above the city. Make sure that you can be seen so that you catch the attention of those within. I want you to judge the range of these nets of theirs, but be ready to fall back in an instant. Once you have the range of their nets either land and remain just out of reach or if need be, make another pass or two to taunt them. Their focus should remain on you after such taunting and leave them further open to the attacks that will occur both from within the city and from the North. If all goes well this, we may even push through to claim Coorhagen this very night."

"Understood," I responded.

I looked over the map again and smiled at the precise planning. Kain was right, if everything went smoothly we would indeed be able to take his home city tonight or at least within the next few days. The cities were close enough together for such a feat to be possible. Cillian, the vampire that had sneered at me when I had entered the room, suddenly scoffed and I looked up at him with a surprised blink.

"So I am to watch over your _pet_ and her handler, Lord Kain?" he growled out angrily as his angry gaze met my own and his Aura flared. "Fitting I suppose that she should act as a distraction. She is better for little else."

Everyone in the room went still and I gave a low, sub-harmonic growl as my own Aura flared in response to the challenging press of Cillian's Aura. Kain hadn't raised his head from looking at the map but I could sense the anger as it began to radiate from him. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye but otherwise did not move to say anything. There was something in his gaze that was calculating, waiting. I briefly felt Alma's mind brush against my own as I felt my temper and Aura flare while I wondered if I needed to keep my cool or not.

~He is challenging you and your place here, my dear,~ her voice growled. ~Do not let it stand. This is a time to give in to the call of your instincts, not hold them back.~

 _Follow my instincts, eh?_ I thought

I narrowed my eyes on Cillian at that point and then let my wings flare out wide, along with my Aura. I wrapped my Gift and wings around myself lightning fast. Instead of leaping over the table as he seemed to expect, I ducked silently under the tall table. I then grabbed his leg to yank him off his feet. His Aura flashed in rage as he flickered out and then rapidly back into sight as I let him go. He lashed out with his claws toward his leg as he fell, aiming at where my hand had been but I had already ducked to the side in expectation of such an attack.

I then reached out and grabbed a handful of his hair in my hand. I used the leverage to bash his temple hard enough against the stone floor in order to daze him. It was a blow that would have killed a human instantly. As he had flashed out of sight twice now, everyone had backed away to make room for the ensuing scuffle. Everyone except for Kain that is. The silver-haired male simply straightened and crossed his arms as he watched. I let go of Cillian and then jumped back a few feet. I let my Gift drop and I became visible to the room once more. He raised a hand to his now heavily bleeding temple and he rolled unsteadily to brace himself on hand and knees as he shook his head.

"I am _no one's_ pet," I hissed out. Another sub-harmonic growl began to rumble in my chest.

Cillian snarled and slashed his hand downward. A flood of magic filled the room and put out all of the torches with a burst of wind. I wrapped my Gift around myself and jumped to the side just as things went dark. I felt the breeze of wind as I just barely dodged a blow meant to open my side. My eyes worked swiftly to adjust to the new lighting, or rather the lack there-of. With it being a new-moon night, the starlight that filtered through the open windows was barely enough for even a vampire to see by.

I heard Cillian shift about and could just make out the outline of his head. I watched as he tilted his head to listen and he sniffed at the air. I laughed to myself, though he nor the others could hear me wrapped as I was in my Gift. He had thought my ability would only remove me from sight, but it also cut off the sounds that I made as well as my scent. I leashed my Aura fully so that he would not be able to pinpoint my location that way. I then stood and slowly began stalk my way behind him whilst staying in the deeper shadows of the room.

Cillian had shifted his stance and the dark outline of his form showed that he was falling into what had to be a long familiar battle-stance for him. Alma and her Sister Bride's had been teaching me how to fight via stealth as I seemed more suited to those kind of tactics given my Gift. Kain and Vorador had been teaching me how to survive a long fight with those that might be more suited for brute strength and could defend against a stealthy vampire. Lastly, Janos had taken over teaching me about aerial battles and how to avoid arrows and nets.

I knew by all of those lessons that a stealth blow to incapacitate would be best to end this swiftly and avoid a drawn out fight that I might well loose.

"Show yourself _bitch_! Or are you too much of a _coward_ to fight me?" Cillian growled and his Aura flared again in challenge.

I kept my Aura completly suppressed rather then let it react to his challenge. I did not want to give away my position directly behind him. I lunged forward when he shifted to look around and jabbed two clawed fingers into the base of his neck in order to sever the connection between brain and body. It would have paralyzed a human for the rest of their days without magical intervention. On a vampire, the wound would heal within minutes if said vampire had both fed well prior to the injury and if the wound was left to heal unmolested.

As it was my instincts demanded that further be done. I flared my Aura to fill the room as I caught his falling form with my free arm. I lunged in lightning fast to rip the left side of his throat wide open with my fangs. I dropped my Gift at the same time and I listened with a sense of dark satisfaction as he let out a pained roar that echoed loudly within the room. His Aura flickered against mine briefly, weakly. I spat out the large chunk of flesh that I had torn free and then pushed as hard as I could with my Aura. I flared my wings and snarled waringly in his ear.

Light again filled the room as Vorador used his magic to re-light the torches and braziers in the room. I had to suppress a hiss of annoyance and I blinked my eyes rapidly to adjust them to the sudden brightness. My claws curled in Cillian's neck and the twitch of my claws caused his body to give a spasmodic series of uncontrolled jerks. Cillian again tried to flare his Aura against mine despite his injury. I noticed that we were right next to the wall. I twisted our forms around so that I could bash his temple against the stonework with a wet sounding 'Thwack' of noise and I flared my Aura once more in a demanding call for him to submit. I felt his own Aura give a pained and stuttering pulse of sullen submission as it flickered out. I looked over his battered form and watched as his neck started to heal along the edges of the gaping wound that I'd left. It suddenly felt as if my instincts were some great winged beast that had tilted its' head at the sight of that slowly healing wound.

I somehow just _knew_ that I could do something more to him at this point. I had been the victorious party in our fight, but... I was unsure of what that nebulous ' _something_ ' might be. My instincts caused me to let out an almost bored rumble of noise at the thought of dealing with him any further though, outside of making sure he continued to mind his place of course. I abruptly shoved him away from me. His form slumped in a paralyzed heap against the ground.

I walked back over toward the others as I tried to work out the odd sense of disgust that I was feeling. I flicked my claws clean and then pulled a cloth from one of my cargo-pants pockets in order to wipe the rest of the blood away from both my claws and mouth. I did not want to taste any more of his blood then what I had already. I eyed the blood soaked silk cloth and let out another bored rumble of noise. I tossed the now ruined cloth into one of the braziers before I walked back over to stand at Kain's side. The other Captain's, as well as Vorador, Alma and Janos, kept a strange, respectful silence as I came to a halt next to Kain.

Kain raised a brow at me and looked me over with a critical seeming eye. A dark and pleased look flashed in his eyes briefly when I met his gaze. He then shifted his stance to where his hands were braced once more against the table. He looked toward his fallen captain and his expression darkened.

"You have the right to do far worse to him for such an insult, my Katrina. Especially after putting him in his place so swiftly," he said in a low and angry rumble of sound as he glared at Cillian's form.

Kain's own Aura gave a small, warning pulse in the fallen vampire's direction when it sounded like Cillian had tried to make a move to stand. Cillian seemed to wisely remain where he was on the ground from the sound of it. I flicked my braid back over my shoulder and turned to idly preen the inner feathers of my left wing.

"Not particularly interested in wasting any further time on him," I responded in a calm and cold tone of voice.

~Do realize deary that you can do as you please with Cillian for his actions in challenging you the way that he did,~ Alma Whispered to me in an instructing tone and she moved up to stand beside me once more. ~You are his Lady as much as Kain is his Lord. You could issue a public punishment or have him submit to your will in any way that you wished. Even Kain would not be upset with you if you decided to sate your desires upon your vassals flesh. Though Kain is your Lord and as such he might well demand the right to _watch_ if you chose to do such a thing to your vassal.~

I raised my head in order to look at her with a small frown. Part of me, the human part, was disgusted at the suggestion that I... well, 'sate my desires upon my vassals flesh' was just another way of saying that I had won the right to rape Cillian, to beat him or even to torture him if I wanted to. Sometimes vampiric cultural norms just seemed way off to me but... at the same time the Vampiric part of me _knew_ that she spoke the truth. I had indeed won the animalistic right to prove my dominance, even if it meant carving said dominance into his flesh or taking my pleasure of him.

 _However_...

My instincts still rumbled strongly at the back of my mind. I reached out mentally to prod at them as I glanced at Cillian's now deathly still form. At that moment, more then anything else, I just simply did not wish to _look_ at him. His eyes were averted from mine, which pleased me, and I noticed a fine tremble wrack his body. He was afraid, of me more then anything else it seemed, and he was not happy about it by the bitter tang of his scent. Again my mind seemed flooded with the mental image of some large winged beast tilting its' head.

As I looked him over I felt a strong sense of boredom settle over me. Beneath that was a sense of disgust at the thought of dominating him in as Alma had suggested. I turned to look at Kain rather then look back at Alma. I tilted my head at him as I thought about the situation at hand. The rest of those in the room continued to maintain that odd, respectful silence as they watched us. Stefon, Leon and Emrys eyed their follow captain warily. Whatever else happened in the future, it was plain to see in their eyes that Cillian had lost some of their respect due to his foolish challenge.

~I... am not interested in 'taking a pound of flesh' from him,~ I Whispered finally to Kain.

~You have every right to issue his punishment, my Dear Katrina. He is my servant and thus he is yours as well. Your vampiric instincts _truly_ have no interest in doing such a thing to him?~ Kain asked me with a tilt of his own head and he narrowed his eyes upon me. He reached out to settle his hand upon my hip and his fingers tightened in a firm grip that made me shiver. ~I know that you would not torture him nor damage him outside of a fight, what with all you have been through, but he _must_ submit to your will if you so desire. What do you feel mine own? What do your instincts tell you to do when you think of dominating him? What do you think about making his proud form submit to you? To make him perform for your delectation as punishment for his transgression?~

~Boredom,~ I answered honestly and I let my hand fall to brush briefly against his own. ~I only wanted to defeat him, nothing more. I won and... well... that's that. I am... bored of him now. I know to be mindful of him to make sure that there is no further rebellion but... I do not want to even _look_ at him right now. It is like he is beneath my notice now that the fight is over.~

~Interesting,~ Kain rumbled through my mind with a thoughtful hum and he raised a brow at me. ~I want you to focus on your instincts, my Little One. The desire for victory. The need to hunt and to feed. Battle-lust and battle-rage. All of these can be found within you. But where is your desire to _dominate_? To _control_? Focus, as it should be somewhere. It is in your vampiric nature to desire obedience or submission that is willing or otherwise in some fashion.~

~And if it is not?~ I asked hesitantly. ~I _am_ only a half-blood...~

~It _is_ there, my Katrina,~ he purred softly in my mind, a rumble of darksome reassurance. ~It merely depends on the vampire as to where such desire will rear its' head in said vampire's life. I would know where it is for you. Now concentrate mine own, focus upon your instincts.~

I frowned again and then closed my eyes. I focused once more on my vampiric instincts as he had instructed me to. That mental image in my mind shifted about, growled and then rumbled in my mind. It was almost as if that part of me had started to gnaw uselessly upon a large stone. I had no desire to force myself upon an unwilling partner, it did not matter to me that vampiric culture might say otherwise due to my victory. My instincts gave a strong rumble of agreement at that thought and I relaxed slightly. That mental 'stone' cracked suddenly and I saw a small flash, an almost image that would not quite take full shape.

I asked myself; 'Willing partner?' and my instincts seemed to hum a soft and happy note.

Control... even if it was naught but the brief _illusion_ of control...?

That almost image flashed solid through my mind. A number of embarrassing conversations with Alma and her Sister Bride's regarding certain 'toys' that could be used on males, or females, suddenly echoed through my mind. Honestly, you could not be around any _two_ of those women without the conversation devolving to such things at some point. As I had been here for over two years now, I had been privy to a number of conversations that had led to my being teased for my youth and inexperience with such things.

Of those conversations, one in particular stood out the strongest.

It had been a conversation regarding a 'Lady's Favor' and where such an item, such as a silk scarf, could be worn by their champion without anyone realizing it.

The thought of Kain going into battle with a 'Favor' from me wrapped around him to keep him bound, _confined_... of him being affected by battle lust, which affected many a male body much as true lust did? It seemed a subtle kind of domination play but... oh, how my instincts rumbled and _purred_ at the mere thought of him going into battle with my 'favor' wrapped about him, keeping him confined so.

The mere _thought_ of how he would react once freed from such a binding made me shiver. My hips might well end up bruised for days despite my healing factor if... if... _if..._

I blinked rapidly as my eyes opened and I let out a soft, hungry sounding hiss of breath. I knew that my scent had to have spiked suddenly with lust at that last thought. I fought down the blush that threatened to stain my cheeks through shear force of will alone, though I knew that I had still flushed a faint pink. I worked quickly in order to keep my face blank considering the additional company in the room and my own unease around the unfamiliar males. I was quick to shake my head at Kain when he tilted his head thoughtfully at me and I Whispered to him rather than speak aloud.

~Thought of something... not here though? I will tell you later... when we are alone. I have... um, I have no idea how you'd react to... yeah...~ my mental voice easily revealed my sudden shyness even as I worked to keep my expression calm.

~Somehow, I _do_ believe that this will be amusing,~ he let out a soft and dark mental chuckle that shivered down my spine and made my wings twitch upwards. ~Let us finish here and then we will adjourn for a few hours before making our own final preparations for the battle ahead.~

Kain turned his attention back to Cillian. He let out a low growl at the vampire that still lay prone and submissive on the ground. The male's wounds had healed over but he had remained placid in the puddle of blood that had grown around him.

"On your feet and get over here," Kain snarled out.

Cillian was swift to obey Kain's command and he circled around the table to approach us with wary steps. He fell easily to one knee before Kain and bared his throat to his Lord. Again I found that I simply did not want to look at Cillian and I felt my lip curl with disgust. I turned my attention back to the map and the markers currently placed around it and instead looked to see what could potentially happen in the battle ahead just as Kain had taught me. Kain's voice was a dark growl at my side and I focused on the conversation without turning my head.

"When this mission is through, you will avail yourself of Vorador's Bride's for the next three months," I blinked and noticed out of the corner of my eye that Cillian actually paled further at Kain's words, which was a feat in and of itself for a vampire suffering blood loss. That was a strange reaction... and an even stranger punishment. "If this mission goes well, and I receive no reports of further insubordinate outbursts from you, then you will be allowed once more to reclaim your post as my Captain. Fail me again or disobey your handlers and you will suffer greatly for your disobedience."

"I hear and obey," Cillian said and he bowed his head low. "I apologize for my transgression My Lord Kain, My Lady Katr-"

"My name does _not_ pass those lips," I hissed at him, cutting him off as my vampiric instincts reared and my Aura flared. I kept up my examination of the map on the table and did not spare a glance in his direction even as I spoke. Instinct took over as I spoke and a part of me felt surprised by the words that escaped my lips. "You have no right to speak it any longer. You will acknowledge me by saying 'My Lady', by averting your fool eyes and by baring your thrice-be-damned throat when you see me. Unless it is mission related, I do not wish to even _hear_ _your voice_."

Kain let out a dark sound of approval once I had finished speaking. I saw him wave his hand dismissively at Cillian out of the corner of my eye.

"You heard her. Now go and complete your preparations for the battle ahead," Kain growled softly. "Stay out of her way."

Cillian bowed his head a little lower and then stood swiftly in order to flee from the room. As he left, my wings twitched and shuddered and raised from my shoulders, the feathers ruffling and puffing up slightly as a result. I settled them back against my shoulders a moment later. I spared a glance at the three Captains that remained witin the room and raised a questioning brow at them. Each of them bowed their heads respectfully and looked away from my own gaze with a subtle baring of their necks. I relaxed slowly when I realized that no one else was going to issue a challenge. Kain then dismissed them so that they could prepare their troops for the battle ahead. I glanced toward Janos, Vorador and Alma once they were gone and I felt like I could finally relax again now that the other males had left the room.

Janos looked to be relieved at the simple fact that the confrontation was well and truly over, whilst Vorador had a look of dark pride in his eyes as he smirked at me. Alma also had a faint, sultry little smirk on her lips, but then her gaze was on the door, not on me. I raised a brow at her and started to ask her a question when Vorador caught my attention with a wave of his hand. I blinked at him, brow still raised questioningly.

"That was well handled Sister," Vorador said in response to my questioning expression. He let out a dark chuckle.

"It was _indeed_ well handled," Kain said with a dark purr and his hand tightened on my hip. I gasped softly at the increase pressure and looked at him. "You took him down swiftly and efficiently and he is a seasoned warrior with well over a hundred years worth of fighting under his belt. Your lessons are showing fruition."

I felt a burst of pride fill me at his words and my wings rose from my shoulders in a small, mantling display before I could control the action. Kain smirked at the movement of my wings and lightly brushed the back of his hand against the inner part of one wing. With the other males gone, I did not bother to fight the blush this time around and Kain's smirk widened to show a hint of fang.

"And _we_ get a new toy out of the entire mess," Alma said with a dark purr of her own and she turned her gaze from the door to look at Vorador. "I am going to go tell my Sisters the good news. Will you be joining us after the battle is over to assist us with the taming of our newest toy Vorador dear?"

"I do believe that I will. The whelp needs to re-learn his place," Vorador responded.

He then let out a dangerous sounding purr that made me shift slightly closer to Kain before I was even conscious of the fact that I had moved. 'Big Bro' was NOT a happy camper and it showed in his eyes, if not his expression. Kain chuckled softly as the pair left the room. Janos moved to hover nearby as he started to look over me over critically for any sign of injury. I raised a brow at him and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"Sire, I am _fine_ ," I said in a soothing tone to my Chosen Sire. "He did not even manage to land a blow on me."

"Allow me a moment to make sure of that for myself, my Childe," Janos responded in an exasperated tone.

He then tugged me a few steps away from Kain and had me turn this way and that. I rolled my eyes and let out a huff of breath even as Janos continued to check me over for non-existent injuries, to the point of even checking over my wings. Kain shook his head at the Eldar's actions and allowed it for only a few moments before he hooked a clawed finger in my belt and pulled me back to his side. He then flicked his claws at Janos in a gesture that caused the Eldar to let out a soft warning hiss and he flared his wings.

" _Enough_ ," Kain said with a grumble. "You do not need to be such a mother-hen. You can clearly see that she took no hurt from the scuffle."

Janos' wings ruffled and then settled a moment later. He let out a soft sigh and he shook his head with a small sile. He then gave my left wing a soft, gentle pat.

"You did well, my Childe," Janos said. "Just be careful in the future."

"I am fine," I responded with another smile. "Now shoo. Go and check on Nikolai before we start out for the battle ahead."

Janos returned my smile before he nodded his head and then turned to leave. Kain gave my belt another, directing tug. He then started out of the room and down the hall. I moved to keep pace with him as we started back up the stairs. Instead of returning directly to our new room as I had expected, he led me to a second room that was next to ours. The room was one of the bathing rooms. Within was a large, ornate stone bath that was waist high. The design was very similar to a Jacuzzi from Gaia, only without all the fancy jets and such and made of stone rather then plastic and wood.

There was a change of clothes both for myself and for Kain laid on a nearby table. I happily noted that the clothes set aside for myself included a new set of cargo-styled pants dyed a dark blue. It took a bit of time for any clothes to be made when one wanted darker clothing, it took multiple steps to get the cloth to such a dark hue. I eyed Kain's clothes and raised a brow when I realized that there was a chest plate amongst the pile. He did not normally where chest armor, seeing the armor meant that he expected the battle ahead of us to be a bit more risky then normal.

A glance into the bath showed that it had already been filled with magically preserved blood and oils. I tilted my head at the sight and raised a brow.

*-*/-Mild Smexy Stuff! You are Warned!-*\\*-*

"They set up a blood bath for us that fast?" I asked in a surprised voice.

"Indeed," Kain purred out in a low tone.

He moved over to my side and began to help me out of my armor. He started first with my vambraces and let them fall to the ground in a heap once the belts were undone. I reached up whilst he worked on undoing the straps of my curiass and stroked my fingers through his hair for a few moments, just luxuriating in the feel of the silken strands. After those few moments of indulgence, I moved my hand down in order to work on undoing the straps of his own vambraces. I let those fall to the ground and then started on the straps of his low-to-the-shoulder leather pauldrons. Once my curiass was removed and set aside, he started to remove my top. He refrained from tearing my top to bits this time and undid the hooking clasps properly. My wings twitched with my pleasure as he did so, as I did not like loosing my clothing in such a fashion.

It always felt... _wasteful_ , but I knew that he enjoyed the forcefulness of it when he bared my body in such a way. There was always a level of controlled wildness in such movements and it always sent a small thrill down my spine.

I dropped down to one knee to start undoing the belt straps of the cuisses on his thighs. Once undone, I set those aside before then starting in on the belts of his greaves. His claws brushed lightly over my head and he carefully tugged my braid up so that he could undo the leather thong that held the thick strands in place. His fingers then deftly undid the braid and pulled free the strips of poison-spiked leather. He took a moment to comb his claws through my hair as I finished working on his greaves. I let out a soft, sighing purr at the gentle touch and leaned into his hand once the last bit of his armor had been removed. His touch always felt good and right, even when I knelt before him like this. His hand gave a small tug at my hair and I stood smoothly. His lips brushed against my own in a light, nipping kiss. We then pulled away from each other long enough to divest ourselves of our pants. Thankfully my style of leg-wear made it easy to get my pants off without needing to remove my boots, but that also meant that I still had to sit down to undo the buckles that held my greaves in place and then remove my boots.

I caught him watching me as I tugged the boots off and exposed my legs. I flushed under his intense stare upon my legs, though I did not look away from him when his eyes met my own. He smiled, a dark and lazy, leonine grin, before he slipped into the warm, red fluid. I slipped into the bath a few moments later and dunked myself under the warm fluid for a brief moment in order to enjoy the soothing heat. I popped back up with a contented sound a few minutes later. The blood baths always smelled and tasted of the coppery sweetness of blood, coconut oil, an oil that always reminded me of pineapples but did not quite smell or taste exactly the same. That particular oil caused the fluid to have a cleansing, acidic tingle against the skin. Lastly, there was just a hint of lavender underneath it all to help sooth and calm one's nerves. I stayed low in the fluid and let it tickle at my chin as I stretched my wings out in that warm fluid. I just wanted to luxuriate in the pleasant warmth for a little while.

I felt the fluid in front of me shift and ripple. I wiped fluid near my eyes away with my thumb and then blinked them open. Kain now stood in front of me with a dark, hungry look in his eyes. I licked my lips and I found myself tracking droplets of blood as they left pink-red trails over the pale skin of his chest. I straightened so that I was standing and reached out to trace one such track left by the blood near his neck. He soft rumble escaped him at my touch. He then leaned in close and licked along my cheek to clean away some of the bloody fluid that coated my own skin in a thin layer. He tongue trailed along my jawline and over my ear briefly before he shifted to place a light kiss on the skin where his Mark lay hidden. That light brush of lips against his Mark sent a thrill of pleasure shooting down my spine and I let out a low moan of sound. His voice was a low rumble in my ear when he finally spoke.

"Now, _what_ did you suddenly think of that had you so nervous about how I might or might not react my Little One?" he asked as he reached up to again comb his claws through my hair.

"I..." I stopped.

My words failed me as I fought down a blush. I tried to nuzzle against his neck in an effort to distract him. His grip tightened firmly in my hair as he forced my head away from his throat. I let out a soft hiss at the firm grip but did not fight him. I then let out a nervous sounding sigh since my attempt to distract him had failed. I squirmed a bit and his grip in my hair eased up.

"Tell me," he commanded in a soft, yet firm tone.

"Um... 'F-favors'," I managed say softly.

I shifted nervously against him and stared at his toned chest. His left arm wrapped around my waist and held me in place even as my wings twitched with my agitation. I frowned when I realized that he was making sure that I could not bolt.

"Mm?" he rumbled soothingly.

He then flicked his tongue out to trail along the shell of my ear. I shivered at the cold-warm trail his tongue made, a small counterpoint to the warmth around us. I just could not quite force things into words however, so I opted to reach out with my right hand to cup his partially hardened length in my grasp. I let out another soft hiss when his hand tightened once more in my hair. He most likely thought that my action was another attempt to distract him. Instead of backing off like I had with my attempted nuzzling, I pushed my hand more firmly against that half-hard rod. I then shifted my fingers around so that I could encircle his testes as well. I now held as much of him as I could cupped within my hand. A low, warning growl escaped him and he used his grip upon my hair to pull my head back. The action both forced me to look at him and bare my throat to him.

" _Katrina_ ," he growled warningly.

I couldn't help the faint, keening meep that escaped me at the warning growl he'd made. It did not help that he had only used my name without the little endearments of either 'my' or 'dear'. It was a verbal sign that he was upset with me. I gulped and repeated the one word that I had managed to get out regarding my... desire... but I did not release him.

"'Favor'," I murmured shyly.

I tightened my grip just a little and I was careful to be mindful of my claws. His flesh twitched within my grasp and he hardened further still. I managed to force a few more words out even as I rubbed the palm of my hand against that thick rod a little more firmly.

"Um... Worn... here...?" I asked.

I swallowed nervously when he tilted his head. A part of me wanted to look away, but my instincts reared in my head and I could not seem to look away from his eyes. I spread my wings out and moved them forward in order to wrap them around him in a small effort to bring him closer to me. The bend of my wings came to rest tentatively against his shoulders and then shifted to wrap around him a little more firmly when he did not move to push them away. I shivered as my wings curled over the planes of his back and the inner feathers brushed against his bare skin. I kept my gaze locked on his own and I knew my eyes had started to show a tinge of white.

His shaft twitched again in my hand, hardening further still. I shifted my grip just enough to keep his now near-to-fully-hard length pinned down and I bit my lower lip lightly to contain the soft moan that wanted to escape me at the sensation of him pinned so within my grasp. It was a thrilling sensation to hold his length pinned so. His own eyes flashed white for a brief moment and he let go of my hair. He reached up to brush the claws of his hand lightly over the edge of the wing that rested upon his right shoulder. He abruptly let out a dark chuckle and then leaned in close in order to lick and nip at my lower lip.

"I believe I now understand what it is you desire. You want _this_ ," he purred in a low voice against my lips even as he pushed that thickened rod of flesh harder against my hand, "confined? _Bound_?"

I nodded my head shyly, yet I still did not break my gaze from his own. My instincts fairly screamed at me to keep meeting his gaze. My hand tightened reflexively around his length, just a small increase of pressure, and I started to rub the pads of my fingers firmly against his sac. A rumbling purr began to thrum through the air and his lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

"Hmm," his claws started to trail through my feathers in a grooming touch and I shivered as my eyes fell half shut. "Now?"

"Before..." I breathed out slowly. A shuddering, purring sigh escaped me as that touch moved to brush over the inner bend of my wing. "Before we leave for battle."

His hand tightened around my waist and he again twitched within my grasp. I shifted my other hand down so that I could cup him more easily in both of my hands. I squeezed again, gently and the action made him grunt softly and thrust against my grip. He chuckled as he again leaned in to nip my lower lip and this time the nip drew a small amount of blood. He was quick to lick away the blood and I shivered. My wings twitched and drew tighter around him, pulling him just that little bit closer. He pulled back from my lips with a purr.

"You like the _subtle_ domination plays then," he tilted his head and slid his hand away from my wing to trail his claws lightly down the planes of my stomach. "It makes you _slick_ , does it my Little One? To imagine me bound so as I fight? As I am affected by battle-lust whilst bringing low our foes?"

I let out a low groan and his hand dipped lower. The pads of his fingertips passed teasingly light over my folds. I nodded my head, a little rapidly, as I watched him through half-lidded eyes.

"You do realize just what would happen once the battle is won?" he purred in a low, dark tone as he pushed that hard length against my hands. "How I would make you _wail_ and _shriek_ your pleasure to the skies in retribution for keeping me so confined?"

"Yes," I hissed out.

I shuddered at the thought and I had to pull my hands away lest I squeeze him too tightly without meaning to. I reached up to thread my hands in his white hair and pressed up along the front of his body in order to kiss him. That hard rod twitched against my stomach and I arched against him with a soft whimper that was muffled by the kiss. His hand moved away from my folds so that he could wrap both of his arms tight around my waist.

~So eager at the mere _thought_ , my Little One,~ he Whispered with a tone of amusement in my mind even as he returned the kiss with a bruising strength. His tongue dove demandingly into my mouth to push and stroke over my own. His arms tightened further still around my waist and his claws trailed scratching lines up and down my sides. ~Perhaps I should demand something of you in return?~

I pulled back from the kiss with a small gasp as he left a sharper trail that drew blood and I blinked at him with lust clouded sight. I shifted my wings around him, tried to pull him closer still even with my arms around his neck. My fingers threaded tight in his hair and my body pressed along the length of his as I ground against him.

"What... what would you demand?" I asked in a tone that was both hesitant and excited.

He chuckled and there was a small flash of magic when he shifted his right hand away from my back. He shrugged his right shoulder to push at my left wing and I pulled said wing back to my side. He raised his hand to show me what he had pulled out of his magical storage space. It was a pair of dark blue-tinted metal balls. Each was about an inch in diameter and had an intricate stylisation of his mark carved in red. He held his hand a touch closer and I reached to take one of the balls with a bit of confusion. The ball seemed to shudder when I grabbed it and I heard a small tinkling sound when I turned it over in my fingers. It was hollow with what sounded like a smaller ball within it. I looked up at him with a raised brow and he let out a low laugh as he closed his hand around the ball. He then shifted said hand under the red fluid that surrounded us.

" _These_ are kegel balls," he purred. I let out a surprised sound when I felt the cold metal orb push against my entrance and I squirmed slightly. His other hand tightened on my waist and prevented me from pulling back. "I commissioned these with the intent to use them on you at some point. I had not expected the chance to arise so soon, not with how amusingly shy you can be."

I let out a disgruntled hiss that turned into a sharp gasp when that cold ball of metal was pushed into me. I squirmed as it sank into me and then froze with a low groan when I felt the ball shift about within me as I moved.

" _Oh_! That..." I blinked rapidly a few times and then squirmed my lower body again tentatively. Again the ball shifted with my movement. "That's... _different_."

"Uncomfortable?" he asked softly. There was a serious note in his tone and he watched me critically for any signs of discomfort.

"No, just..." I shook my head and wrapped my left wing back over his shoulder. "Different."

"You will need tighter pants to wear," he purred darkly.

He slid a finger inside me in order to shift the ball around. I twitched and squirmed in his grasp at the strange rolling sensation that caused. He pulled his finger from me and grabbed the other ball from my hand. He then pushed it inside me next to the other. I let out a low groan at the double, rolling sensation of movement within.

"We would not want these falling out mid-battle to be lost, now would we?" he smirked and I blushed at his words.

Kain shrugged his shoulders free of my wings and pushed me back a few steps. I twitched at the movement and let out a hissing breath when the balls again shifted within me. A dark grin curled his lips and he reached past me to pick up one of the hair cleansing bottles. He put the bottle in my hands and then moved to sit back. He rested his arms on the lip of the bath and looked at me with a raised brow.

"Tend to me," he rumbled.

I realized that he had no intent to finish anything right now. I couldn't help the faint, frustrated sound that escaped me at the thought. I opened the bottle though and moved over to his side to begin scrubbing the cleansing oils through his hair. Kain let out a satisfied sound whilst I worked at his hair. He idly reached out to trail his claws down my belly and then lower still so that he could again dip his fingers within me. I let out a low moan when he shifted those balls within me with his fingers. My eyes fell shut and my fingers stilled in his hair. My eyes shot back open a moment later when he pulled his hand back and I let out another frustrated hiss.

" _Focus_ , my Dear Katrina," he purred with a smirk. "You cannot let these distract you."

"Damned _tease_ ," I growled at him and I resumed my ministrations. He laughed darkly at my words and leaned into my touch.

The door opened a few minutes later and my wings closed about my form on instinct to conceal myself from view. I ducked behind him, glad that I had just finished rinsing his hair clean as I was not comfortable being seen by others in such a state. Kain chuckled at my movement and I glanced over his shoulder to see who had entered. Alma sauntered into the room to lay a set of folded leather pants, a smaller set of leather and metal plate cuisses' and a small wooden box next to the bath.

"Here you are deary. Need to look your fighting best this eve," she purred at me with a wink. She then turned and walked out of the room.

I moved over to the edge of the bath and frowned over the rim at the new pile of items. I then let out a meep when Kain pulled me onto his lap. He started to clean my own hair and then my wings with careful motions that had me sighing in pleasure from the sensual touch within moments. He worked in silence for a time and then spoke once he had finished cleaning my wings.

"Get dressed, my Little One," he purred. "And then open the box."

I nodded my head and moved carefully out of the bath. I touched a small rune as I slipped from the red fluid and the rune acted as a draw point for the fluid that was still on my skin, pulling the excess away. A second rune next to the first would magically cleanse the fluid of impurities once Kain had left the bath. I padded over to where the leather pants had been set and I moved the cuisses to the side in order to pick up the pants. It took a bit of wiggling, and a few points where I had to still myself due to the constant shifting of those balls within me, but I managed to get the dark brown pants on. I frowned at how tight they felt once I had knotted the leather ties and then tugged at the waist of the pants. Kain's hand closed over mine suddenly and I twitched in surprise at the touch. I had not heard him exit the bath.

"They are fine. The leather will relax the longer you wear them until it is a supple weight against your skin," he purred and he ran a hand over my now leather covered rear-end. "The box."

I let out a huff of breath and then picked the bow up. I opened it and blinked at what was within. The box was filled with a number of folded silk scarves. I let out a soft sound as looked over the various colors and designs. I ran fingers against the slick cloth and then shivered when he nuzzled my neck.

"Pick one that suits you," he whispered into my ear with a soft purr.

I looked over the silk scarves and dug through them as I eyed the different colors cristically. I finally settled on a long, thin scarf that was a soft emerald green. It matched my eyes. The faintest smile touched his lips and, after I had set the box aside, he guided my hands in carefully but firmly coiling the silk cloth around his length and sac until he was concealed from sight. It looked like he was wearing a silk athletic cup once done. He let out a hum of approval after I had finished tying the ends together. He smirked, showing a hint of fang as he looked me over. He abruptly turned and moved to put his own clothes on.

"Finish getting dressed and armored Dear Katrina," he said in a low growl. "It is time to hunt."

* * *

Please enjoy!


	31. Victory in the West

Edits as of 05/2016

* * *

Chapter Thirty-one: Victory in the West

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

The hour that lead up to our departure was spent in a kind of pleasure ridden hell after I had donned my armor and the back-sheath that held my sword. Kain looked to be quite pleased with himself when he left me with Alma. Mainly due to the fact that movement of _any_ sort set the kegel balls trembling and shivering within in my core. My scent spiked randomly because of it and his expression had rapidly turned smug. Because of those blasted balls, Alma and her Sisters were provided no end of amusement whenever they were near me as they, too, caught my scent.

If my assistance was not needed in order to help get the human troops organized properly, I would likely have bolted to find somewhere far away from the entire lot of them and their not-quite-good natured ribbing. As it was, I soldiered on through the constant, inconvenient, and yes... quite _pleasurable_ , assault and fought to keep myself from blushing whilst I made sure that our group of humans were properly outfitted and ready for the battle ahead. It helped that the longer I moved about, the more I got used to the strange rolling sensation within my core.

New as I was to the art of war, I had still learned swiftly and out of necessity what needed to be done for larger attack forces. Kain had wanted me to learn as much as I could about running an army early on. As such, much of the tactics based games that we played included questions on just how I would arm, armor and provision my troops. I'd worked to be an apt pupil, not only for him but for myself as I wanted to not only survive on Nosgoth, but thrive. _Especially_ after the startling revelation that he intended for me to be his _Queen_.

Part of those nightly lessons had taught me that I needed to make sure that, not only were the humans geared up properly, but to also ensure that the skins that the humans carried were filled with something other then _water_. Or alcohol. Some of the humans liked to sneak alcohol skins into their packs, which was just an accident waiting to happen. Instead the skins were to be filled with magically preserved and enhanced fruit juice, normally apples or other fruits that provided hydration. The preservation and enhancement magics were mainly to keep the juice from spoiling, or fermenting, but also helped to provide extra hydration similar to the electrolyte drinks on Gaia.

As our forces were primarily filled with humans at this time, a ratio of two-thirds human to one-third vampire with the intent to turn the best of the human warriors if they proved loyal, skilled and true, we needed to limit their access to water on the battlefield. This was to protect our vampiric troops in the case that someone got it in their heads to attack their vampiric commanders whilst still keeping the humans hydrated through the march. It did not happen often, most humans were living and living well under vampire rule, but on occasion we got a few humans who were yet loyal to the Sarafan and had only joined us in an attempt to attack from within.

Not that such an action _ever_ worked out well for them...

I noticed Janos, Stefon, Leon and Emrys as they milled about and tended to the forces under their respective commands. Of Kain, I only caught a few glimpses as he stalked through the rank and file. He looked to be eager to begin the attack and that eagerness for battle transferred over to the troops. Cillian also kept to his instructions as he tended to his lot and stayed out of my way during the preparations just as he had been ordered. Of Vorador there was no sign as he would be remaining behind with a large cadre of his Brides in order to keep watch over the current batch of fledglings within our new Sanctuary.

Once everyone was geared up and ready to move out, the army made its' way Northwest through the forest toward the river. Several vampire scouts had gone ahead of the army to carefully and quietly knock down a series of trees to build the makeshift bridge that we needed in order to cross the river. We were thus able to cross the river in a timely manner despite one small mishap where a human in full armor had slipped off of said bridge. Being the only one with vampiric strength and an immunity to water, I was the only one who could drag the human male out of the water before he drowned. He would have been trapped under the cold water by the weight of his own armor. Not a pleasant end by any means.

I tossed the male onto the far bank with a huff and then moved to look him over with a soft growl. I wanted to make sure that he hadn't broken anything during his idiotic fall. Leon and Emrys made their way over to check on the commotion that had resulted from the rescue. They both had a mirrored frown upon their lips and they kept a careful distance due to the constant drip of water from the human's form.

"Are you certain that you needed to rescue someone foolish enough to fall into a river whilst wearing full plate?" Leon asked me in a quiet voice.

"Right now every warrior counts," I said. I then yanked the man onto his feet and pushed him back toward the rest. The human fell into line alongside the men that were assigned to the pair with a sullen yet grateful expression upon his face. I looked back at the twins. "It looks like he's one of yours. Make sure he's disciplined later for his carelessness. Nothing that would cause lasting damage, he may well fall ill after that little swim as it is."

"As you will, My Lady," Emrys answered for the pair. They then moved off to organize the rest of the troops as they too crossed the makeshift bridge.

Thankfully, the rest of the procession went smoothly as the bulk of the army finished crossing the bridge to follow after Kain, Leon, Emrys and Stefon. Kain spared me a faint nod as the groups split up and I returned the nod. Alma moved to my side and we gathered our smaller portion of warriors. There were a disproportionate number of standard bearers, but that was the plan. The goal was to space everyone in a way that would create the visual illusion of a larger force then what we actually had available to us. My portion of the army needed to wait within the woods for the time being. We would not move out toward the bridge until Kain and his men were just about ready to attack the city itself.

~Alert the humans in the city Katrina. We will be in position within the hour,~ Kain ordered using the Whisper.

~On it,~ I responded.

I looked at Alma and held out my hand to her. Once her hand was in mine, I wrapped my Gift around us both and we darted for the city gates together. It was past midnight at this point, but we had hours yet before dawn in order to take the city without putting any of our weaker vampires at risk from the dangerous sunlight that would drain and damage them over time. We were able to sneak into the city readily enough and we left the glass marble in the alleyway where we had met the urchin. We then darted back out of the city as carefully and quickly as possible. The whole of the process took twenty minutes all told, especially considering how careful we had to be to get in and then back out of the city.

Once back with our group, I let go of Alma's hand and then jumped into the air. I kept my Gift up and circled the troops watchfully whilst I waited for them to get into place at the bridge. My group settled into formation readily enough and I saw Stefon's group move into place and spread out near the second bridge as well. The guards of the city noticed each group and started to jeer and taunt our respective forces once the men had come to a halt near the bridges. The fact that we made no immediate move to cross caused them to jeer all the louder at our apparent cowardice.

I dipped in the air and dove close by the gate. I dropped my Gift just as I started my dive and flickered back into sight. The jeers suddenly turned into shouts of near to excitement and I had to back wing swiftly out of range when a net was flung almost immediately in my direction. The net was attached to a long rope that could then be used to drag whatever was caught within it into the city itself. I had to dive and weave in the air a second time when another net was fired in my general direction.

I continued to weave back and forth in the air in a taunting pattern whilst I avoided the nets. I edged back further and further in order to judge just how far the nets could actually be launched. Thus far, it seemed that the nets could only just reach the opposite end of the riverbank. I swooped down and landed on a boulder close to our group of troops. I crouched close to the boulder, ready to leap backwards if I needed to. The next net hit the ground roughly five feet in front of my position. I stood from my crouch and flipped off the human guards of the city. I watched as the nets were drawn back over the city walls whilst they worked to re-calibrate the small trebuchets. Alma made her way back to my side and let out a thoughtful hum of noise as she came to a halt next to the boulder that I stood upon.

"Perhaps we should all back away a few feet to be safe deary? It would not do for one of us to be dragged into the waters if they are able to set those nets to fly any further," Alma suggested thoughtfully at my side.

I eyed the human guards of the city as they worked and then turned with a disgruntled huff to look at Cillian. He kept his gaze low as I spoke to him.

"Back the troops up ten feet," I barked out at him. "Make sure they do not break the lines."

"As you command, My Lady," Cillian responded. He carefully kept his face blank and continued to keep his eyes down as he spoke.

He then turned and darted down the line to pass along my order. The line of warriors backed up the required distance and then fell still once more. I turned back around to watch the guards of Vasserbunde carefully as they worked on resetting the angle of the trebuchets. Alma started to reach for me and I gave a soft hiss of warning. I shifted my legs to a wider and steadier stance upon the boulder. Her hand fell back to her side but she looked ready to grab me in an instant if there proved to be a need. I shifted my feet just a little further apart, ready to dive off of the boulder in a second if need be, but I otherwise held my ground as the guards fired off another net in my direction.

The net fell short of my boulder by only a foot and the one that followed it a minute later fell short by almost four feet. They had reached the limits of the trebuchets ability to launch their nets. I laughed aloud at that, partly in relief and partly in satisfaction. I spread my wings wide in a taunting gesture whilst I crossed my arms over my chest. I was half tempted to flip them off too, but the gesture would have been lost on them. Alma relaxed when she saw that their efforts were in vain and she leaned casually against the boulder that I stood upon. She crossed her own arms over her more ample bosom and eyed the angrily jeering crowd of guards that had gathered across the way.

"Not much longer," Alma purred softly. "The other forces should nearly be upon the Northern gate."

"Once the trebuchets are disabled, I'll fly over and get those gates lowered," I said to her.

"A good idea deary, especially considering how distracted they will be," she responded with a nod. "Merely be careful once you fly over."

"Of course," I said with a small smile.

Barely five minutes later the sounds of desperate shouting filled the air and a group of guards at the gate darted away with panicked expressions. I tilted my head and I watched the sudden tense activity of those that remained upon the wall. The jeering had stopped completely and half of the men that had remained on the wall were watching us while the rest were warily watching the battle that now raged within the city itself. The ringing sounds of steel clashing against steel filled the air and my wings twitched with my eagerness to fly.

The sounds of battle grew louder still and I sent out a pulse of Aura energy to try to get a sense of what was going on beyond the wall. I nodded to myself when I sensed several dozens of vampires fighting within the city proper. Several of them were making a beeline for the gates that held the trebuchets. Moments later and I smiled grimly when several forms leapt onto the wall and started to cut into the ranks of human guards. It took several more moments before the vampiric warriors on the wall were able to tear into the trebuchets. They threw the broken pieces over the wall and into the river below before they were forced to focus their attentions back on the cities main forces.

~Kain, the trebuchets are down!~ I called out over the Whisper and I crouched low. ~I am going to get the gates lowered while we have the chance!~

~Fly swiftly then my Katrina,~ Kain commanded in a voice that was darkened with battle-hunger.

I leapt into the air with a powerful beat of my wings and launched myself over the bridge. I drop-kicked a lone human off of the wall and into the arms of a small group that had turned to run up the stairs to defend said wall when they realized that the others had been slain. I ducked to avoid an arrow and drew my sword. I then lunged forward to cut down the archer that had fired at me. The man fell with a gurgle and I turned to cut down yet another guardsman. I dropped down from the walkway onto the ground next to the lever that opened the gate.

I had to dodge to the side when a human missing his chest armor came roaring toward me with a great sword. I lashed out with my foot to trip him and then stabbed my sword upwards into his unprotected chest as he fell forward. I twisted my sword free of the man's corpse and then turned to look the lever over. It was a simple designed and I shrugged. I gave the handle a sharp kick and then smirked to myself as the chain rapidly began to unwind. The chain rattled loudly and the gate fell open with a booming, wooden thud of noise against the ground.

~Alma, call the charge!~ I called out to the other woman.

I heard Alma's war cry a second later and I leapt back into the air in order to wing my way toward the second gate. I had to duck and weave about in the air in order to to dodge another set of arrows launched my way. I had not wrapped my Gift back around myself as Alma yet needed to see me in order to make her way to my side as swiftly as she could. My being visible was also another distraction for the enemies in the city. Many of the men would see my shadow or catch sight of my form and turn in my direction. They would then be cut down due to that brief moment of inattentiveness. Several of the archers that had been firing at me abruptly found themselves dealing with either our vampiric or human troops within moments of firing a second volley in my direction.

I let out a huff of satisfaction when they went down and used the distraction to land near the lever that controlled the second gate. I dropped to my stomach an instant later when a larger then normal human in heavy Glyph-armor burst forth from the nearby building. The male wielded a huge battle hammer, a hammer that had swung through the air right where my head had been a mere second ago. The sudden movement caused my body to clench and I let out a startled hiss of breath, both at the flash of fear that filled me due to what might have been a fatal strike and at the rolling sensation within me. I pushed myself up and leapt back, aided by a violent beat of my wings, in order to get out of the range the male's second swing. The hammer slammed against the ground with a crash of noise where my arm and shoulder had been.

 _That... would have_ hurt _..._ I thought with a gulp. I grit my teeth a moment later and forced myself to focus.

I went to wrap my Gift back around myself as I back peddled swiftly out of the male's range. The sparring battles with Vorador had long taught me that I would need to either get in close or keep a good distance when fighting foes who wielded war hammers. I let out a pained cry when something hit my right wing and that pain caused me to loose my focus upon my Gift. I hissed in rage when I realized what had happened. The armored human had pulled a small crossbow from the belt on his waist either as the hammer had been falling or just after it had hit the ground. He had then fired a bolt in what was a flight-disabling blow. The bolt had hit me right at the bend of the said wing. The ants-under-skin tingle that I associated with Hylden Runes ran through me and I scrambled backwards further still as I swiftly yanked the bolt free from my wing.

I reached mentally for my Gift and felt it wrap over me in a loose weave. I jumped up and scrambled onto a nearby rooftop. I winced when I heard my claws and boots scrape sharply against the stone. I moved swiftly away from the edge of the roof. Just in time too, as the massive hammer slammed viciously against the roof's edge and into the building itself. The forceful impact collapsed a large portion of the building's wall and I had to scramble to avoid being caught in the collapsing portion of the roof. I tested my wing as I backed closer to the center of the building's roof and winced at the slowed healing sensation along the joint.

~Alma!~ I called out across the Whisper. ~To me! Swiftly! I am near the other gate, but be careful when approaching! There's a huge human wearing Glyph-armor. He is wielding a massive fucking hammer and a crossbow that is armed with Hylden-runed bolts. Bastard got off a lucky shot and my wing needs time to heal before I can fly again!~

~I am on my way!~ she responded. ~Stay out of range of the hammer like my Lord Husband taught you deary. One good blow from a hammer is all it can take to knock even a _vampire_ senseless!~

Another powerful blow from the hammer caused further damage to the building that I was on. I felt the entire structure shudder when one of the support beams was taken out by his next blow. The building would not stay standing for much longer. I turned and leapt onto another building just before the one that I had been on collapsed. I attempted to harry the large human from the rooftops. I would jump to the ground to get close to him and then strike out with my blade at the exposed joints in his armor. I then leapt up and scrambled up onto another rooftop as he flailed about in the hopes of catching me with one of his wide strikes.

After one such series of moves, I damn near ran into Alma and then had to barrel into her anyway in order to get us both out of the way. The hammer smashed into the edge of the roof where we had been with a loud crunch and we ended up rolling off of the roof into the alleyway behind the house. We landed with a heavy thud my concentration on my Gift broke when my forehead impacted hard against Alma's pauldron. I shook my head violent. As I pushed myself up, Alma let out a small groan beneath me.

"Deary, now is not the time for a _grope_ , though I might appreciate the gesture at another time," she said with a near to pained sound.

I let out a soft meep of noise as I realized my left hand was on her chest. I pulled back and got to my feet with another wince. I could still hear the large human as he swung his hammer about and sent human and vampire warriors flying by the yelps, screams and crunching sounds that followed the whistling noise of the hammer being swung. I let out a soft snarl when I tested my wing again and winced at the flash of pain that yet seared through the joint despite the removal of the bolt. I drew my wings back within my body to better help the injury heal and then turned to help Alma to her feet. We shared a determined look before we leapt back up onto the roof and back into battle with the large human.

The male was fast despite the heavy armor that he wore, but he was not fast enough to prevent Alma and I from delivering concise and swift attacks that he could not keep up with. Together we were able to target the unprotected joints of his armor in order to hinder his movements. The bend of his elbows and his knees were the most vulnerable points. When one of Alma's blows took out his left leg and forced him to his knee, I leapt up and forward. I dodged the sweep of the hammer and stabbed my sword at the bastards face. He brought his arm up to block the blow with the targe attached to his vambrace, his attention solely upon me. Alma used his distraction to grab the male from behind by his helmeted head and she gave it a vicious twist. The resultant snap echoed violently through the air and his body fell with a heavy thud to the ground.

I panted softly for breath and ignored the cheers that filled the air as the heavily armor human was defeated. I looked around to see how many injured we had even as Alma bent to examine the substantial hammer that the male had been wielding with a critical eye. Alma had no true talent with blacksmithing like Vorador did, but she knew enough of the basics to recognize a high quality weapon. I couldn't help the faint smile at the knowledge that she would likely present the weapon to Vorador as a gift, but the smile didn't last when I saw just how much damage that one human had caused.

Several vampires lay off to the side of the area. Many held wounded limbs close and some looked to be out cold, possibly even dead. Several humans lay dead around the area as well, bodies broken... heads smashed open like melons. They had tried to help overwhelm the heavily built guard, only to have their bodies crushed by one massive, sweeping blow. We needed our healers for those who had managed to survive and we needed them fast. I rushed over to the gate lever and gave it a harsh kick. Like the other gate, it fell open with a loud, satisfying bang. I reached out through the Whisper toward the waiting troops on the other side of the bridge.

~Stefon!~ I called out. ~We have wounded! We need them withdrawn from the field. Swiftly now!~

~At once My Lady,~ Stefon responded promptly.

I waited long enough for Stefon and a few of his troops to cross the bridge. I watched as they started to move the wounded, those who could safely be moved at the least, back toward Janos' healers tents. A good number of vampiric guards moved to protect the area as many of the humans who had survived the battle with the Glyph-armored guard could not be moved safely and the healers would have to remain with them. I signaled to Alma and we started toward the main part of the city so that we could help with the main battle. We both came to a stunned halt when we reached one of the main streets. A group of guards sans breeches and armor had suddenly run screaming across our path. They were followed shortly by the pair of Alma's Sister's that had joined us for the battle.

"Come back here boys!" one cried out in a teasing, yet vicious sounding tone.

"We just want to play!" the other laughed and her sharp teeth shone bright in the torchlight.

I let out a disbelieving bark of laughter at the sight and I looked to Alma with a raised brow. She smirked and shook her head at her Sister Bride's antics and we shared a soft laugh. We then darted further into the city and tore through the remaining ranks of the city guard as we went. Several times through the fight we saw Urchins throwing cutlery and stones from rooftops at the guards. On occasion we saw the Bruisers as they grappled with unarmored guards. They would knock the guards into the waiting swords of several bedraggled looking Nobles that had obviously seen better days. The Night Ladies and Urchins mostly looked to be doing much as Stefon's group was. They were getting the wounded out of the streets to places where they could be treated if at all possible.

The bulk of the fighting was centered in the cities main square. In a melee such as this, my Gift would be more of a hindrance then a help thus I kept it down as we darted into the fray before us. Battle instinct took over for me at that point, everything that I had been taught thus far came to the fore. Alma and I tore a swath through the enemy forces in front of us. I twisted and spun about as I cleaved my sword through the air. My sword cut through armored and unarmored foe alike as I moved. Even though battle-lust had started to fill me and had begun to narrow my focus, I could still easily tell friend from foe by the standard that our troops wore. Kain's mark was like a beacon upon those standards.

I dodged back to avoid a blow meant to open my stomach and slammed into someone else's back hard. My Aura flared at the harsh impact as I instinctually tried to sense if I had run into another vampire or a human. I relaxed when I felt the answering flare of Kain's Aura. I could sense his battle-hunger pulsing through his Aura as it fairly teased over my own like the sharp-dangerous caress of his claws along my skin. I let out a pleased rumble of noise at both the metaphysical and physical contact and then lunged back into the fray to take down the human that was in front of me.

We fairly danced with each other whilst carving a swath through the enemy forces that tried to surround us. We spun, weaved and practically twined about each other in a way that made my vampiric instincts fairly sing with joy. A feral grin twisted my lips and I let out a fierce cry as I cut down yet another of our foes. The Soul Reaver began to hum its' high-pitched and grim song of death as it swung through the air. Kain's deep, darksome laughter filled the air in a dark counterpoint and the cities forces fell like so much meat before our own.

Finally the amount of warriors that dared to face Kain and I trickled down to nothing. I took the time available to catch my breath. I panted softly for breath and shook my head to clear away the haze caused by the Battle-lust. I straightened from my battle-ready crouch once I had calmed my breathing and surveyed the carnage that lay around us. Kain waved his hand at a few vampires and issued several silent orders over the Whisper as he pointed toward the few remaining city forces that were making a beeline for the gate that led toward Coorhagen. I nodded to myself when I realized he was issuing orders to cut the men off before they could reach the city to the North and warn those there that Vasserbunde had fallen.

He then turned his attention to me and a small frown crossed his lips when he looked me over critically. I glanced down at myself and let out a soft chuckle at the state I was in. I was pretty much covered from head to toe in blood. Nearly all of the blood that coated my form was enemy blood though. Indeed, other than my wing, only one other human had managed a lucky blow to my jaw. The blow had split my lip open thanks to the human's gauntleted fist, but the wound had healed over in swift order.

"Your wings?" Kain asked simply when he had finished looking me over.

"I got hit by a runed crossbow bolt, near the joint of my right wing," I answered. I tapped my right shoulder lightly. "I drew them in to heal rather then risk further injury to them during the fighting. They should be healed in full shortly."

"Hn," he rolled his shoulders and then looked around at our forces as they started to gather up. "The battle here took less time than I had expected, even with the considerable distraction caused by those within the city. There are several hours left yet before daybreak falls upon us. We will push on to take Coorhagen."

"Shall I organize Stefon's group and my own to clean up here while you push on ahead then?" I asked.

I flicked blood and bits off of my sword. I gave it a cursory cleaning with a cloth before I sheathed it and then tossed the cloth into one of the fire-pits that lit up the city square. I looked back at Kain and saw that he was still looking thoughtfully around the area.

"No," Kain finally responded and he shook his head firmly as he glanced to the North. "Stefon's forces will be enough for the clean up here and can easily handle the humans that remained out of the fighting. Gather the forces that you and Alma were with and then meet me at the North gate within fifteen minutes. We will proceed at that time."

"On it," I responded with a nod.

I turned and looked around for Alma. I saw her feeding upon one of our fallen foes and walked over to her side. I had to side-step around a few corpses in order to reach her. She looked up at me as I approached her and she pulled her face back from the neck of the male that she had been feeding on. She wiped at her mouth with her thumb and then licked the digit clean with a slow and delicate sweep of her tongue whilst she looked my bloodied form over. She smirked at me when I let out a soft sigh at her blatant, flirtatious look and dropped the drained corpse to the ground.

Alma then picked up, and held out, another body in my direction. The Battle-lust had actually left me quite hungry. I licked my lips and took the male form by the back of the neck. I looked it over with a critical eye. There was minor damage all over the partially armored form, but death wound was clearly seen; a gaping hole in his chest where a vampire's hand had likely punched through from behind. I looked back up at Alma a moment later and waved a hand toward the others.

"Go grab Cillian and round up our troops," I said to her. "We are advancing on Coorhagen in ten with Kain's troops."

"Mmm, it's good to attack before they realize that Vasserbunde has fallen," she nodded her head. "Feed and regain your strength. I will gather the men."

I nodded and then lifted the body up to sink my fangs into the forms throat. Even without an active heartbeat to assist my feeding, I had the body drained within moments of the life-giving, ruby fluid. I let the body drop to the ground and then extended my wings back out with a sense of satisfaction. I rolled my shoulders and then gave a few firm beats with my wings. The force of those wing-beats sent light weighted objects in front of me skittering across the ground. I nodded my head in satisfaction a moment later. My right wing still felt a touch stiff but I could tell that it was once again strong enough to hold my weight in the air.

I took a brief moment to test my Gift and wrapped it around my form. I clapped my hands together harshly and then looked around the area. I let out a soft sigh of relief when no one reacted to the noise that only I could perceive. I dropped my Gift and then leapt high into the air in order to wing my way to the Northern part of the city. I circled the gathering troops once and then landed next to Kain where he stood regally at the center portion of the Northern gates wooden ramparts. Leon and Emrys stood several feet away from their Lord. Their own forces looked eager to press on as they stood at attention near the gate. Alma and then Cillian jumped up onto the ramparts and approached us mere moments after I had landed. Our own men settled swiftly into place amongst the rest of the troops. Alma gave a half bow of her head to Kain and I as she approached my side. Cillian dropped to one knee before us and placed his hand to his chest.

"Our troops have finished gathering, My Lord and Lady," he reported in a stiff voice. "We are now ready to press on at your command."

"Hn," Kain let out a soft grunt and looked over our forces with a calculating eye.

His hands clenched and un-clenched around the hilt of the Reaver as it rested tip first against the wooden planks in front of him. He rolled his shoulders and then took a step forward. He shifted the Reaver so that he held it in his right hand and swept it in wide gesture over the troops. His voice carried over the din of noise caused by the men and the troops fell silent almost as soon as he began to speak. Every eye was upon him, including my own.

"You have all seen now both here and in Steinchencroe," he started in an authoritative and dominating voice, "how _swift_ the Sarafan are to abandon those who have sworn to them their allegiance, their homes and their very _lives_. The same Sarafan that claim to follow a _Holy_ cause, a cause in which they claim that their greatest duty is to _protect_ the populace from the 'Great Threat' that is the Vampire. Instead of their promised protection, they have spread _fear, pain_ and _terror_ with their fists and their swords. These so-called 'Great Protectors' have murdered hundreds of innocents in the name of their cause. Homes have been stolen from those who were loyal, displacing those within. Families with babes _have been put to the sword_ at the order of a mad man. And they claim that humans should fear _vampires_ so? Have we slain those who have not taken up sword against us? Have we stolen homes from the loyal? Have we slain babes in their _swaddling clothes?_ "

Angry muttering filled the air and I glanced around the area. I blinked in a small amount of surprise when I noticed that many of the humans who had either helped us take the city, and even those who had remained holed up in their homes, had started to peek out from the alleyways and the windows of the buildings in order to listen to Kain's speech. I noticed more then one woman peering out of a window's shutters, with their children held protectively against their sides or against their bosoms.

"Oh, how the Sarafan play their Game and they have played it well _indeed_ ," Kain said as he shook his head and let out a tsk of sound. "Ask yourselves this; Who has been proven to be the predominant menace? The 'Great Threat'? Or the 'Great Protectors' themselves?"

The crowd of humans in the alleyways had grown larger the longer Kain spoke. He was playing the crowd well.

"Look around you!" Kain called out in a sudden and forceful roar that silenced the mutterings as swiftly as a lightning clap. "There were no long sieges or engagements in our battles. There were no _blockades_ to bar our path forward as there should have been. There were no _hidden forces_ to bedevil us from the shadows and harry our progress. No, instead two cities are freed from the Sarafan's hangman noose within a week of each other because the Sarafan are _cowards_ and have fled before our might! _Our_ cause! Those who have remained to keep that noose tight around the neck of the city are nothing but _mewling_ _whelps_ to fall before us. They are _Weak_. They are _False_. They _Protect_ nothing but their own _hides_."

A roar of voices filled the air. Swords were banged harshly against shields. Vampire and human eyes alike were lit up with a need for vengeance and blood. Kain held up his left hand and the army fell silent once more.

"Not only that, a third city lays primed for the claiming this very eve. A city not a mile from our current position," Kain swept his left arm back in broad gesture as he indicated the path North that led to Coorhagen. "Dawn is yet hours away. The night is still young. Your blades have barely been stained with Sarafan blood, the blood of these False Protectors. Tell me, do you yet long to _fight_? To bring their Game to an end?"

Another massive cacophony of noise filled the air and, as I looked around, I noticed that more then a few of the Bruisers and Noblemen of the city had moved forward from the back streets to stand alongside our own troops. A few of the vampires amongst our men took stock of those that tried to join the crowd. They either handed those humans weapons and shields and allowed them to stand amongst the army or sent them back to the arms of the Night Ladies that stood at the edges of the streets so that they could be tended to by the healers because they were too wounded to fight. Kain held up his hand once more and again the crowd fell silent. A ferocious, feral smile that bared wickedly sharp fangs flashed across his lips.

"I see before me an army that is ready to claim the last city of the West from Sarafan hands," he purred out in a fiendish tone that carried over the large crowd. "I see in you, huntsman all, a need to draw this pitiful chase to a close. It is time to _hunt_. It is time to _kill_."

A low growl escaped him and he turned to stalk to the northern-most edge of the rampart. He looked over his shoulder and slashed the Reaver's blade forward to point toward Coorhagen.

"Cry Havoc and let slip the Dogs of War!" he roared.

The din of the army was near to deafening as every individual now in our army let out a roaring battle cry. The army started marching through the gate at a fast clip. Leon, Emrys and Cillian each jumped from the ramparts to keep their respective troops in line whilst they marched forward along the canyon toward the Northern-most city. Alma jumped down to join her Sisters when they darted ahead of the group. I knew that they were going ahead to make sure that way along the main path toward Coorhagen was clear of any traps. Kain again jabbed the tip of the Reaver into the wooden beams in front of him and he smiled darkly as he watched their progress. I moved up to stand beside him and I stretched my wings out behind me. I ruffled them briefly and then drew them close to rest upon my shoulders.

"Act 3, Scene 1, line 273 of 'Julius Caesar'," I said softly as I watched the army march ahead.

"Indeed," Kain said in with a low, purring growl that made me shiver and caused my body to clench.

"I've a sudden wonder if you have Poe here," I murmured in a low voice after I'd taken a slow breath to calm myself.

I spared a glance at him and then looked back over the army as the troops continued to exit the city. I knew that we would not have to move from our own position for a few minutes yet. It would take time for our men to file out of the city

"Edgar Allen Poe?" he asked with a clarifying note in his tone.

"Yes," I responded and I flashed a small smile his way. He chuckled softly.

"I take it you like his poem 'The Raven'?" he asked as he sheathed the Soul Reaver at his back once more in a smooth and practiced gesture.

"'The Raven' is the most well known of his works on Gaia and I like it well enough," I said with a shrug. I shook my head a moment later. "But to answer your question; no. The one I have always liked best is 'A Dream Within a Dream'."

"Ah," he said and he tilted his head as he looked at me.

I spoke softly and half-closed my eyes. The poem, like many others, had been memorized in my youth what with my love of books. Those poems had then been repeated in my mind, along with many of the songs that I had heard while growing up. Songs that I had sung to myself, poems that I had recited to myself, all to get me through those long days trapped within Auron's hell hole.

"' _Take this kiss upon the brow!_

 _And, in parting from you now,_

 _Thus much let me avow:_

 _You are not wrong who deem_

 _That my days have been a dream;_

 _Yet if hope has flown away_

 _In a night, or in a day,_

 _In a vision, or in none,_

 _Is it therefore the less gone?_

 _All that we see or seem_

 _Is but a dream within a dream_.'"

I felt silent and opened my eyes with a small sigh. His rumbling baritone picked up where I left off and I turned to look at him when he started to say the rest of the poem.

"' _I stand amid the roar_

 _Of a surf-tormented shore,_

 _And I hold within my hand_

 _Grains of the golden sand-_

 _How few! Yet how they creep_

 _Through my fingers to the deep,_

 _While I weep-while I weep!_

 _O God! Can I not grasp_

 _Them with a tighter clasp?_

 _O God! Can I not save_

 _One from the pitiless wave?_

 _Is all that we see or seem_

 _But a dream within a dream?_ '"

I let out a low purr that rumbled in my chest when he had finished speaking and my wings raised enough to ruffle and fluff up as I shivered. They settled on my shoulders a moment later and I let out a small, happy little sigh of breath. I reached up to comb the claws of one hand lightly through his hair and I smiled up at him.

"One of these days, I am going to find a book of his works and demand that you read to me," I murmured softly. "I could listen to your voice for hours on end."

Kain snorted softly even as he grinned at me, "Vorador would accuse you of feeding my narcissistic vanity in demanding that I do naught but speak for such a time. He oft accuses me of loving the sound of my own voice as it is."

I couldn't help the soft snort that escaped me at his words.

" _He_ is one to talk!" I said with a laugh. "How many times have we found him waxing poetic about this or that facet of vampiric life to the new fledglings? Or trying to talk my _own_ ear off regarding the merits or inadequacies of a particular author when he finds me reading. He's spoiled more then one book or series of books for me that way you know... bastard."

"Was _that_ why you threw yet another book at his head not two weeks ago?" Kain asked with an amused rumble of noise.

"Yes," I responded with a low growl of remembered annoyance. "I was getting rather attached to that series too. I was on the third book and then he goes and spoils it by telling me that a main character _dies_ in the sixth book. Then he says that the _seventh_ book reveals that said main character's killer was following his own orders in carrying out the deed in order to _help_ the main hero of the story."

Kain smirked and his shoulders shook faintly with his amusement. I shot him an annoyed look and flicked my braid over my shoulder.

"And I didn't just throw the _one_ book at his head," I continued with a prim sniff that made him chuckle aloud. "I found and chucked _all seven_ of the books at his skull for his temerity. You just saw the last one as it flew."

As he continued to laugh, his arm coiled swiftly around my waist and he drew me in close. He then nipped at my neck, right over his Mark. My body twitched, clenched tight around the kegel balls within me, and my anger cooled to be rapidly replaced with a growing heat. I had to bite back the moan that wanted to escape my lips and I battled against the heat that started to pool low in my belly. I squirmed in his grip for a moment, not really in an effort to struggle free, but more so that I could gain enough room so that I could nibble at his own neck. He pulled back before I could do more then scrape my fangs against his skin in a light brush and he shifted his grip on me.

"Enough talk, my Katrina. The army is far enough afield now. Up with you and scout ahead. Be mine eyes in the sky," he ordered with a purr, though his grip did not slacken.

"You'll need to le- _HEY_!" I let out an annoyed yelp when I was abruptly tossed straight up.

I had to beat my wings rapidly to maintain, and then gain, height. I heard his dark laughter below me and I let out a soft growl. I circled the air above him briefly before I turned and winged my way North. I flew a bit higher then usual, but my vampiric sight was still superior even at such a height. I could still see the army clearly by the torches that they carried and yet I remained high enough that no one could reach me even with my Gift inactive as it was. I was also sure to stay high enough that I would be mistaken as a large, and low to the ground, bird. I flew a little ahead of the group to where the canyon ended, and the massive forest that surrounded Coorhagen began, in order to get an idea of what was going on with the Northern city.

I did not much like that we had not tried to start a railroad for the city, but with them being so close to Vasserbunde, there was really no time to do so. The moment they heard of Vasserbunde's fall, they would begin to fortify themselves further still. As it was, the city looked to be mostly asleep with a large, but tired looking, guard force stationed around the edges of the city. There were no walls around the large city. Instead there were several guard posts, some on raised platforms, some not. They were stationed at openings of each street. The buildings had been built so close together that many of the stone homes acted as walls in and of themselves. There were even a few guards stationed on several rooftops. I circled the city a second time before I winged back toward the army.

~Kain?~ I Whispered. ~The city looks to be asleep. No one was able to get out a warning to them.~

~Very good,~ Kain purred softly in my mind, his voice filled with dark satisfaction. ~That will make taking the city even easier.~

~I... isn't there...?~ I frowned as I circled the army and thought. ~Maybe I am remembering things wrong, but aren't there supposed to be underground passages here like there are in Steinchencroe? Should we use those during our attack?~

~Several of those passages either collapsed long ago or are no longer safe for vampiric passage due to the underground streams,~ Kain responded. ~A good idea my Dear Katrina, but a moot one at this point.~

~We... could also try to hide our standards and pretend to be reinforcements from Vasserbunde in order to get our army into the city before attacking,~ I said hesitantly as I looked over the situation strategically, just as he and the others had been teaching me.

~Clever girl,~ he purred in my mind. ~You are learning well, but again, no. We will continue with a frontal assault and take them unawares as they are now.~

I recalled the open side streets at the east and west of the city as I made another loop around the troops. Those would be good points for a pincer attack.

~But there is also...~ I started.

~ _Katrina_ ,~ Kain said and his tone had changed to a dark rumble of warning. ~Enough. _Still your mind_. Now is _not_ the time to reason out new tactics unless the situation changes drastically upon our attack.~

~I... as you will,~ I responded with another small frown. I spoke again a moment later. ~Will I remain in the air as your eyes during the fighting?~

~No,~ he responded in a tone that no longer held that dangerous note of warning. ~Come to me and land. You will be fighting at my side. Let the troops continue to see you in action. I would have them all know your growing strength.~

~Alright,~ I acknowledged. I turned and dived toward his position near the front of the column.

I back-winged to help slow myself and landed next to him. The landing itself was a little rough due to the fact that things shifted as I touched down. I let out a grunt of noise as I straightened up and I ignored the knowing smirk that he flashed my way. I grumbled and straightened my top needlessly. I would have nudged him with my wing had we been alone, but the sheer amount of people around us made me leery about attempting such a thing.

He drew the Soul Reaver as soon as the city was within sight. I pulled my own sword free and a moment later we darted forward in tandem. The other vampires in the army moved up to flank us and the humans began their slower charge. Using our superior speed, we were upon the human guards within moments like arrows that had been launched from the bow. We cut down more then a handful of Sarafan guards before one of them managed to successfully get out a single, bleating note of warning upon the battle horn that he had pulled from his waist.

More horns sounded when the others were woken by that broken off, warning call. Even then, the forces of the city were slow to respond in an organized manner to our attack. When our human troops poured into the city, dying screams and battle cries began to fill the air. As we moved deeper into the city, I saw several people come out of their homes to fight and dozens more ducked right back into their houses to avoid the battle if they could. A woman holding a child tried to dash for the forest and I darted forward to grab her arm, being mindful of my own strength. I then kicked open a door and shove both her and the youngling inside the home where yet another family cowered in fear. The older man in the building, a grandfather from the look of his gray beard, weakly held up his sword toward me with hands that shook noticeably.

"Stay inside and barricade the door if you want to survive the night," I said to them in a firm voice as I ignored the older man. "We are here for the Sarafan, not innocent blood."

Their faces were still filled with fear but my words caused the old man to lower his blade with a soft wheeze. He fell forward, drained by the energy he had needed to maintain his weakened battle stance. Two young girls caught the older man before he could hit the ground while a third, older woman moved to start shoving a shelf toward the doorway. One of the younger girls moved to help the older woman and I shut the door behind me when I heard the scrape of the shelf being moved. I turned to cut down a guard that tried to charge me and carved my way through the rest of the sleep roused guards back toward Kain's side. He shot me a bemused look and then glanced at the house that I had forced the woman and her child into. I let out a huff of breath at his look.

I heard the whistle of a sword aimed high and ducked low to avoid a blow meant for my head. I shifted my body to the right and then snapped out my wing in a swift blow to catch the human that attacked me in the throat with the bony edge of my wing as his blow had left him wide open. I heard a snapping sound and the human fell backwards and he clawed at his own neck whilst he struggled to gasp for breath. I had crushed his throat. I started in for the kill and a gout of blood suddenly erupted from his neck in a wave toward Kain. The body fell to the ground less then a second later and I turned toward Kain with a small, angry growl.

"That was _my_ kill," I grumbled at him. I then turned and kicked another human with enough force that the armored body actually dented the stone wall that he was flung into as a result of my kick.

"Perhaps you should move faster then, my Katrina," he responded with a smirk. He turned suddenly to sweep the Soul Reaver through three humans at once.

I let out another angry growl and from there it became a competition to see how many enemies each of us could kill and how quickly. Even as he continued to steal my kills, I started to steal a few of his in retaliation. His eyes flashed hunter's white the first time that I took one of his kills, I had yanked the human out of range of the Soul Reaver and onto my own blade. He tilted his head at me and growled low. A dark promise of later retribution if I continued my actions could easily seen in his gaze. My wings twitched with my nervousness at such a look, but I felt a flash of vicious stubbornness as I continued to meet his gaze.

I flashed him a small, defiant smirk instead of looking away and then I tucked my wings back into my body with a flurry of feathers. I darted between his battle-stance spread legs in order to attack the legs of a warrior that had been trying to approach him from behind. As the human fell, I lashed upwards with my claws and opened the male's neck in a wide-sweeping blow that sent arterial blood spraying in a wide arch.

I was already drenched in blood as it was, what was a little more?

From there, our competition only got bloodier. The humans in the city actually started to avoid going any where near us and instead focused their attentions on fighting other vampires or humans in our army rather then risk being involved in our grim game. Near the end of the battle, Alma actually tossed an armored human our direction to see which of us could get to him first. I'd started forward to strike but an arch of lightning flew past me and forced me off course. The human then jerked in the air and fell sizzling to the ground. I let out a huff of breath and watched the body as it continued to twitch. I then stood and looked around for further prey, the battle-lust still strong in my mind.

Another huff of noise escaped me when I realized that the last of the enemy forces were falling rapidly to our own human troops. I swung my blade in a snapping movement in order to flick off the blood that had coated it. I let out a growl and cleaned off the blade with another cloth and then sheathed my blade. Kain let out a chuckle whilst he watched me before he then sheathed the Soul Reaver at his back once more. Alma approached the pair of us and issued a small bow before she turned a smile upon me.

"Nicely done deary, but you were still only fifty-six kills to Kain's sixty-nine in that little bout," she said with a voice that fairly purred with the satisfaction of a successful hunt. "And that is not counting the kills back in Vasserbunde."

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to hide my sudden desire to laugh at how many kills Kain had. Even then, I felt a faint flash of disappointment that I hadn't been able to beat his kill count. They both raised a brow at me, likely having sensed my sudden amusement through my Aura or even my scent. I knew that I had been able to keep from smiling at the least. Kain then turned to face Leon, Emrys and Cillian as they all approached. Leon and Emrys bowed their heads and put their hands to their chests whilst Cillian lowered to one knee and bowed his own head.

"The city is now ours Lord Kain," Leon said.

"The damage to the city is minimal as well, My Lord," Emrys continued. "Most of the civilians remained in their homes whilst the battled raged around them. Only a handful of them got caught in the fighting trying to flee and those that _were_ cut down were slain by the cities own guard force."

I couldn't help the small growl that escaped me at that news and I glanced at Kain with a raised brow. He nodded his head minutely at my silent, questioning look and I turned back to his... _our_... Captains.

"What about those that remained within the buildings?" I asked. "When we took Steinchencroe, more then a few guardsmen tried to duck inside to slay those who had tried to stay out of the fighting out of a sense of spite."

"We were watching for such a thing Lady Katrina," Leon responded as he bowed his head to me. "We placed small contingents by any buildings that housed non-combatants in order to prevent such a thing from happening here."

"Most of the city populace remain docile within their homes even though the fighting has quieted," Cillian reported softly and he kept his head bowed. "We can gather them in the central square if you so desire."

"Not just yet," Kain said firmly while he looked around the area. "Let us... ' _tidy up_ ' a bit first. Feast upon the blood of the fallen and then have the human troops deal with the bodies as they have been taught by Katrina. We need no sickness spreading amongst the humans and a little more time waiting safely ensconced within their homes while the area is cleaned up will not harm them. It will also instill a stronger sense of obedience in them when we finally let them out."

"As you wish, my Lord," the trio said together. They each bowed their heads low and started to gather the vampiric members of our army to feed and recover strength.

"Katrina," Kain purred out in a soft voice that had gone suddenly dark.

I froze at his tone and looked toward him slowly. I raised a questioning eyebrow and my wings twitched nervously.

"Yes...?" I asked hesitantly.

"Feed and then run with Alma back toward our new Sanctuary," he growled in a low tone. He brushed a claw-tip down the side of my neck my neck. "At some point she will separate from you."

He tilted my head up and forced me to bare my throat. I swallowed roughly and he smirked wide enough to show a glint of fang.

"From there my Dear Katrina, run... or fly if you must," he leaned in and his lips brushed teasingly light against my own. "But know this; _I will be hunting you_."

A full bodied shudder ran through me when he pulled back and started to stalk toward the troops in order to keep them in line. I looked at Alma with widened eyes and knew that I had started to blush. She laughed at the look on my face and then led me toward a few bodies so that I could feed.

"Well my dear, it seems that you are in for some trouble this evening," she cooed at me.

I could only think of the 'favor' that I had wrapped around him earlier that evening and what might be in store for me. I let out an agreeing, shuddering, sound of noise. She laughed, a low throaty sound and she gave my arm a knowing pat. She held up a form for me to feed from. I looked over the body, noting that it was another clean kill and then shuddered when I abruptly realized that I needed to feed and feed well before we left.

With that knowledge in mind, I bit into the neck of the form she'd held out to me and I feed as deeply as I could.

* * *

Hope you enjoy!


	32. New Moon Hunt

Edits 06/2016

Think of 'Ninja' style running (Sesshomaru from Inuyasha or any of the ninja's from Naruto) for the vampires btw, I always have. ^.^

Sexy time warnings for this chapter, rough play and a bit of blood play. Will be marked for those who wish to skip.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-two: New Moon Hunt

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

After I had fed and feed well, I undid my braid and let my hair fall loose around my shoulders. I rolled up the spiked strips of leather and stored them away in my bag. I would braid them into my hair again later, but for now I wanted my hair to flow free. If Kain was going to be hunting me, then strands of hair caught by any tree branches might well help me in laying a false trail later on. Once I was ready to go, Alma and I started to run South back toward Steinchencroe. Whilst we ran, I started to try to think of what might be the best stratagem to use tonight; a straight run for Sanctuary or bolting in a different direction to find a hiding spot elsewhere if at all possible? Perhaps... I leapt over a fallen tree and then came to a halt. I turned to look at Alma and she stopped next to me with a small frown of confusion.

"May I ask you something?" I asked in a soft voice. I pushed my hair back over my shoulder nervously.

"Is something wrong deary?" she asked in concern.

"Not wrong _per se,_ " I responded with a twitch of my wings. "It's just that... Kain and I have done the whole... _chase_ thing... many a time before and yet... Something feels different this eve and I cannot seem put my finger on why. It seems more... _intense_ , maybe? I mean... I find myself wondering... should I just trying to avoid him for as long as possible while I try to get back to the city proper like usual or should I veer off course completely? Bolt for higher ground perhaps? Find a place to conceal myself? Or maybe even just stand my ground and fight him head on? My instincts feel... rather jumbled right now and it is strange."

"You are wondering about his current, wild-seeming mood," she said with a knowing nod. She flashed me a wicked smile. I blushed, but nodded my head in acknowledgement of her words. "He has been amazingly gentle with you, you know. It is rather surprising, especially given how wild and volatile sex between two vampires can be."

"I... had guessed as much already. The mere fact that we can heal from damage that no human could hope to survive made me realize that. There is also... well," I rubbed a hand idly over my hips.

I had started rubbing at the spots where I oft ended up with bruises due to how near-painfully tight his grip could get on occasion. Bruises that normally healed within an hour. Bruises that I... _missed_... once gone, as my instincts were pleased that I caused such a fierce and wild passion in him. I often wondered just how it would feel if he ever simply _let go_. A part of me even longed for him to lose that carefully refined control of his, control that he sometimes seemed to hold onto only by the skin of his teeth. I wanted to know just how intense would it be and yet... I feared to experience it...

How much would my body actually be able to handle with my being only a half-blood?

"He has been..." I let out a soft purr and shivered. I shook myself and focused upon Alma again. "He has been absolutely wonderful about things."

"Ah," she smiled at me.

It was a gentle, knowing smile that caused me to blush. I flashed her a small, shy grin at her. She gave my arm a friendly pat, though her fingers lingered a little longer then they should have upon my arm. The touch caused me to shiver. My wings twitched and flared in warning. I raised a brow at her and she laughed. Her hand fell away from my arm and she flashed me another wink.

"Tonight," she started in a soothing, yet sultry tone, "even if your instincts feel... jumbled as you say, you should follow them. Let them guide you even if it means you end up, hmmm, let us say 'sparring'. You may well turn the hunter into the hunted if you are lucky. There is no 'wrong' thing to do this night deary, not when the hunt begins in earnest."

"Hmm... 'Seek the wolf in thyself'," I murmured. My instincts gave a low hum at the back of my mind at the thought and I looked around the area thoughtfully.

"Aptly, if oddly, put deary," she said. She tilted her head. "Is that a quote from a play on your Gaia?"

"Hm? _Oh_. No, it's from a song actually," I shook my head and then jumped up onto a large, low hanging branch. I started to press on and continued to jump from branch to branch as I thought. I called back at her a few minutes later. "Are you going to give me any warning or will you just disappear on me?"

"I will give you a warning deary," she responded with a laugh. She kept up with me easily, though she stayed down upon the ground. "While it might be more amusing to _not_ warn you, you could use the extra time. Perhaps you might even take him by surprise. Now wouldn't that be an entertaining thing to watch?"

Her voice changed to a low, sultry purr with that last sentence and it startled me. I slipped mid-landing on the next branch because of the distraction it had caused. I managed to catch myself mid-slip with one hand and used the momentum of my fall in order to swing toward the next, lower branch.

"I uhhh... I really would rather that you _not_ stick around..." I said in a slightly strained voice.

"Not feeling exhibitionistic deary?" she asked with a full-throated laugh. "I would try to seek out an isolated area in that case, lest someone stumble upon the pair of you."

"Good advice," I choked out. I could practically feel the heat of my blush spreading over my cheeks.

We continued at a sedate pace and passed Vasserbunde a short time later. I flashed a wave at Janos' confused face when we darted past the healers tents but did not stop to speak with him when he attempted to flag me down. We had just crossed the impromptu bridge that had been made along the River of Tears, when Alma's mind brushed against my own.

~He will be leaving Coorhagen in two minutes deary,~ she said in a soft purr. ~You may want to start planning now, if you have not already done so.~

~I hear you. Um... do you have to continue following me at this point?~ I asked with a small frown. I dropped down from the trees and came to a brief halt on the ground. ~Or can I break from you? I think I am going to either take wing or backtrack and leave a false trail somewhere...~

Alma and her Sisters had been teaching me how to hunt and, equally important, how to hide. All at Kain's order. The betrayal of his former allies, the 'Traitor Vampires' as he oft called them... if he even deigned to speak of them at all, had taught Kain well that sometimes discretion could be the better part of valor. To be prepared for the potential threat of other vampires as our enemies, he had made sure that I was learning how to conceal my own trail if there was ever a need. It might seem a bit paranoid, but he had already been betrayed before by those who had sworn their allegiance to him. Once bitten, twice shy and all that...

~That... it is risky to go airborne deary,~ Alma responded thoughtfully and she too came to a halt. She flicked her hair over her shoulder. ~It would indeed throw him off the scent, for a little while at the least... _however_... I would not take flight first thing were I you. It is not easy to track you once you are in the air and if something were to go wrong...~

~...I would be leaving myself unguarded, with no way for you or the others to track me properly,~ I finished with a nod. ~I understand what you are saying. I'll stick to the ground for a while yet and try to find a good spot to leave a false trail. What will you tell him?~

~Why, I would merely say that you bolted when I felt kind enough to issue fair warning of his impending approach,~ she responded with an amused hum of noise. ~He'll rage at me a bit over the Whisper for giving you the extra time... but will do nothing but pick up his pace so that he can try to locate your trail. He was intending to cause you a brief sense of disorientation by having me suddenly disappear from your side. A second of panic that he could have used against you in order to lock onto your scent and track you down swiftly.~

~Ah, that... makes sense...~ I tilted my head and then jumped back into the trees. I bolted back the way we had already come in order to backtrack over my scent. ~See ya!~

~Good luck deary,~ she purred in response.

I leapt and twisted from branch to branch as I backtracked through the woods. I tried to remember each move that I had made thus far so that my new trail overlapped as much as possible. I touched down on the bridge for the briefest of moments. I then jumped as far as I could into the trees on the far end of the Northern bank. I caught a thick branch and used it to swing forward several feet before I dropped to the ground and just started to run to the West. I scented at the air carefully and I found, and then followed, the same path that Kain and his Captain's had taken. I hoped to loose my own scent amongst those of the army, at least long enough to gain myself some more time.

I had just started to turn North when I felt the strong pulse of Kain's Aura in the far distance. There was a clear sense of angry frustration, of lust-filled hunger and of a hunter's narrowing focus laced throughout his Aura. The most prevalent of the emotions that I sensed, was that lust-filled hunger and it made me shiver. I wondered briefly at the full range of my Aura sensing Gift, but I shook the thought off and put on a burst of speed. Now that he was actively hunting me, I did not have the time for such idle musings.

That pulse of energy from Kain reminded me that I needed to tamp down on my own Aura lest he find me using it. I knew as well, that I would not be able use the Aura Pulse to try to get a bead on him or else I would give away my own position. Most vampires had that innate ability and could also sense it when it was used. I did not even dare to use my Gift to hide my scent that way. Just as Alma had said, if something went wrong it would be no easy thing to locate me if I used my Gift. I noticed the scent of fresh water in the air and broke from the armies trail in order to find the source. I could loose my scent amongst the cleansing liquid, if it was a large enough body of water.

I found, and followed, a good sized stream up to a mid-sized waterfall. There I found a hidden alcove behind the running water. I checked over the alcove, getting my hair and shoulders wet in the process. I nodded in satisfaction. The alcove was just big enough that I, and perhaps two others if pressed, could hide easily. Instead of ducking inside right away, I leapt from the water toward the trees. I let both my hair and cheek catch harshly against a tree branch in order to leave my scent behind, as if I had been running full tilt. I did not go too far from the stream, only a mile or so. I was unsure of how long it would take for Kain to catch up with me.

Satisfied with how far my false trail led from my chosen hiding spot, I caught a branch with my hand and pulled myself up so I could crouch upon the thick branch. I trailed my finger through the blood upon my cheek. I then flicked the blood that had collected on my finger toward the ground several feet further ahead. It would look as if it were an idle drop that had fallen at some point as I ran. I nodded to myself and then took wing long enough to land in the stream itself with a soft splash. I ducked into the hidden alcove swiftly and tucked myself into the deep shadows of the small shelter. I quietly started to wring the water out of my hair and worked to slow my breathing in order to calm my heart.

Minutes later, I heard Kain's voice in the distance as he cursed. He had found the stream and lost my scent. I clamped down tight both upon my Aura and my amusement. I instead focused my attention on slowing my heartbeat. The sound of the waterfall was loud, but I was unsure if it was loud enough to conceal the tell-tale sounds of my very much living pulse. A full-blooded vampire's hearing would be able to pick it up if I was not careful, especially a hunter of Kain's age and skill. A full-blooded vampire could halt their heartbeat, even still their body completely if need be to conceal themselves but... I would never have that ability. The most I had ever been able to do was hold my breath and slow my pulse to a crawl. Yet even _that_ slow beat could give away my position if I was not attentive.

I could barely hear his soft footsteps when he started to approach where I had injured myself upon the branches. I remained crouched close to the wet ground and tried to focus my vision past the curtain of water in the direction that he was in, but with it being such a dark night, and the waterfall acting as a fluid curtain, I could not even see the outline of his form. As it was, I could faintly hear his movements over the din of the waterfall when he started to scent the air. He growled low and I closed my eyes tight. I cursed myself and hoped that my eyes had not flashed hunter's white at some point over the past few minutes. The inhumanly bright glow could give away my position just as readily as sound. He started to move away, further down the false trail that I had laid out for him. Still... I did not dare to move. I did not even _breathe_.

I stayed where I was until I felt my body strain with the need for air. Only then did I slowly let out the breath that I had been holding. I took in an equally slow inhale and eased forward. I listened closely to the breeze that filled the air and rustled the branches of the trees. I tried to focus on the noises in the area beyond the rushing water. I kept my eyes shut tight and tilted my head as I tried to listen for any further sound from Kain. I started to ease forward yet another slow inch and then froze abruptly. I felt flash of cold realization and felt my pulse pick back up.

 _Silence_.

There was nothing but the sound of the wind as it blew through the trees. Even as I had made my way through the forest, there had still been the sounds of night-active animals whilst they moved about; hunting, eating, digging, running... the night had been _alive_ and full of their constant song.

Now...

Now _everything_ was deathly silent.

The animals that had been in the area had fled... and they had not yet returned to their homes and feeding grounds. It was not safe for them to do so. Instinct still screamed that there was a predator in the vicinity, hunting, _searching_. I licked my lips nervously and frantically tried to think, to strategize. If only I could tell how close he was to my current position, then I would have a better idea of what I could do next.

 _Why had he not moved on?_ I thought to myself in annoyance and I lightly bit into my lower lip. _It was a_ good _false trail!_

I had to bite down a curse when I finally worked out _why_ he would still be nearby. My hair had been drenched by the waterfall. The false trail that I had left for him had only gone so far and the last part of said trail had only included my blood, not a continuous trail of water damp ground that would have been left behind had I truly left the river and continued on. He knew by that flaw that I was still somewhere in the general area and that I had not taken flight as the trail seemed to hint at. It would have been better for me to have actually taken flight to wing back toward the waterfall's alcove instead of flinging the blood ahead as I had.

A _single_ mistake meant that Kain knew that I was still in the area! _Damnation_!

I eased lower to the ground and strained my ears as I listened for any further sound whilst I thought. The water of the stream was only shin deep for me and would offer no true way to help me escape. I opened my eyes and glanced behind me to see if there was any sign of a path that might lead elsewhere. It was dark, but my vampiric sight did pick up a patch of deeper shadows in the far corner. I moved over to probe quietly at the area with my fingertips. There was an opening... that I would only be able to fit into sans wings. A path that might narrow at any point, though if I was lucky it might stay wide enough that I would not get stuck. If I was very, _very_ lucky, it might well lead me to an avenue of escape.

I glanced back at the curtain of water and licked my lips. If I bolted back out through the water now, I would be caught within a few seconds, perhaps within a minute or two. Only the water itself might allow me the brief chance to escape thanks to its' caustic nature against vampires but... well, for one, I did not want risk getting caught by Kain that fast and two, I did not want to cause him real injury. Water burns took a _long_ time to heal.

Tiny little cave opening it was then...

I turned back to the small opening and drew my wings back into my body. I took a slow breath and pushed into the small tunnel. From there I went into a low crawl, or military crawl, and I moved deeper into the small tunnel. If it started to get too tight then I would just have to back out and try my luck at darting for the skies. I kept feeling ahead of me as I moved in order to test the width of the tunnel and continued a few feet at a time. I had to contain a sigh of relief when I felt the tunnel begin to widen. Eventually, I found that I could move in a kind of crouched crawl. I contained another sound of relief when I noticed starlight ahead of me. The tunnel widened further still and I found that I could finally stand once more.

It had been about twenty minutes since I had ducked into the tunnel and I found that I was almost dry. I brushed off a few flecks of dried dirt that clung to the front of my body and then pushed forward carefully whilst I scented at the fresh air. I relaxed a moment later when I found that the air was clear of Kain's musky-sweet scent. I grinned and felt a small flash of satisfaction. So far, I was winning this little game of ours. This was the longest that I had gone without getting caught. I'd have to thank Alma for the extra time later.

I reached around the tunnel to judge the width and then extended my wings when I found that I had enough room for them. I eased forward to the opening of the tunnel and looked around carefully through the hanging vines that covered the opening. I took in another slow scent of the air through my nose and over my tongue, scenting... tasting for him in the night air.

Still clear.

Yet I did not leave the safety of the cave right away. I listened closely for several long moments and could just hear the faint sounds of the night animals as they milled about nearby. I let out a slow breath of relief at their simple noises. I crouched low and prepared to leap up into the sky. I waited a few more moments until a heavy wind shook the trees violently and then leapt up into the air as swiftly and silently as I could. I wanted to mask the sound of my wings behind the noise generated by the shaking trees.

I used the thermals rather then fill the air with wing-beats as I worked to gain height and I turned toward Steinchencroe. For a long moment I thought I had successfully lost Kain and that I might well reach the city itself before he caught up to me, a win for me even if he caught me within the city limits. I twitched and dipped in mid-flight when I suddenly recognized the sounds of several dozen bats in flight. I had forgotten about his damned _Bat Form!_

"Fuck, shit and _damnation_ ," I hissed out.

In all of our previous 'hunts', Kain had not access to his Bat Form. Now that his Gift had returned to him, the skies no longer held the potential of a reprieve for me. My wings beat rapidly as I worked to gain in height swiftly. All pretense of stealth was gone at this point. I back-winged over the colony of bats just as they started to surround me and practically pelted into me in an effort to distract me. I dove for the tree tops in a desperate bid to loose him. I weaved and twisted around the branches of the tall tree tops in a zig-zagging pattern. That worked for all of a few seconds before a heavy weight unexpectedly slammed into my back. I yelped at the impact and was forced toward the ground by that heavy weight.

I tried to twist free, tried to spin and throw Kain off of me as we fell. His hands clamped tight around the bend of my wings and he forced them closed. He then tucked himself in against my back and angled us so that I would take the brunt of any impact. I snarled and crossed my arms over my face as we fell. We slammed through several branches and our speed was slowed by the multiple impacts. We fell into a small, hidden glade and hit the ground. The rolling sensation in my core intensified when we struck and skidded to a halt. I let out a faint sound of pained pleasure at the movement within me even as my body worked to heal the damage that had been caused to my arms and side by the harsh impact. A clawed hand started to close upon my neck and I snapped my wings backwards in a harsh shove. Kain's form was sent flying off of me and he let out a loud grunt at the buffeting blow.

I scrambled to a crouch and the sound of steel digging into the ground suddenly rang through the air. I spun about to face him and tensed. Kain had used the Soul Reaver to halt his forced flight backwards. He straightened slowly and rolled his shoulders. He looked me over with eyes that glowed that bright, hunter's white. Not a hint of his normal blue-gold gaze could be seen. I rose carefully, my wings flared in challenge and I watched him warily. More to say that I watched his movements to see if he would draw the Reaver from the ground. If he drew it free I would bolt on instinct, even if he just meant to sheath it again at his back. _One_ , I knew better than to fight him when he was wielding the Reaver. Even trying to avoid a _single_ swing of that blade would cause enough of a distraction for him to catch me. I would be focused more upon the blade itself rather then the wielder. _Two_ , if he moved to sheath the sword, such an action might well be just enough of a distraction for _him_ to give _me_ the few precious seconds needed to escape and continue our little game.

Kain's claws tapped lightly, thoughtfully against the hilt of the Soul Reaver for a moment. His lips twitched into a smirk and he took a slow step toward me. His fingertips trailed teasingly over the blade's hilt and he left it embedded in the ground. He took yet another step forward and I felt a small amount of tension leave my shoulders. I could last longer in a hand-to-hand fight with Kain and might well be able to land a strong enough blow to disable him long enough for me to bolt. I bared my fangs and fell into a defensive crouch in preparation for a fight. He let out a low, dark laugh at my defiant posture and took another step toward my position. That dangerously sweet laugh of his, filled with dark promise, made my body tense, clench and my stance faltered for less then a second.

He lunged forward and took advantage of that hairsbreadth of an opening to lash out at my legs. Kain's blow swept me off my feet and I let out a small yelp. I twisted as I fell and lashed out with one of my wings in a blow meant to catch him in the throat. He ducked under the blow lightning fast and his hand closed on the humerus bone of my extended wing. He used that grip to yank me closer to him and his other hand closed around the back of my neck. I let out a snarl of sound and tried to struggle free but Kain used that double-grip in order to slam me back into the ground. The jarring impact left me momentarily dizzied, dazed and I shook my head.

By the time Kain's hand moved away from my neck though, I had recovered just enough to act. I burst into a flurry of action and withdrew my wings which left him holding onto naught but a handful of feathers. I rolled and then lunged for him in order to tackle him to the ground. I twisted as we fell and drove my elbow into his stomach. He let out an 'oomph' of noise at the impact and then rolled us so that he was on top of me. I rolled with the movement and managed to get a foot between us and against his stomach. I used the angle and momentum to send him flying off of me and into the treeline. He let out a dark snarl as he hit one of the trees at the edge of the small glade and I rolled back to my feet and bolted for the treeline in the opposite direction.

Kain recovered quickly, likely having expected what I would do, and he slammed into my back just before I could reach the treeline. He grabbed my left forearm tight in his hand and tugged me backwards. Said arm was then twisted behind me in a near-to-painful hold and he forced me on to my stomach against the ground. The heel of his other hand slammed against my upper back in a trained-to-near-instinct hold meant to keep me pinned in place. My eyes flew wide and I went as still as I possibly could. This was not in reaction to the _hold_ , but because the heel of his hand was barely even an _inch_ below the pressure point that would have forced my wings out and would also leave me paralyzed in agony. I could not help the instinctual sound that escaped me, a submissive and fearful keen at the intended, or perhaps un-intended, threat that said pressure entailed for me.

Kain let out a low growl that was equal parts satisfaction and question at the noise that I made. His Aura settled over me slowly, like a heavy blanket being draped over my form. My own Aura flickered out briefly in response, a brush of yielding intent. I tried to tilt my head enough to expose my throat without causing the pressure at my back to increase, but I found that I could barely move. Any movement at all seemed to risk forcing more of his hand against my back. If he mistook a movement as an attempt to pull free, he might well push his entire hand against my back and _that_...

I panted for breath at the thought and let out another soft keen of submissive noise instead of trying to move any further. I could just see him out of the corner of my eye. I watched as he tilted his head and he frowned down at me. Kain's expression was still hungry, but now there was calculated concern in his gaze as well. His eyes abruptly flickered down to where his right hand was and I could see the sudden flash of realization. He recognized what he had come perilously close to hitting when he had pinned me down. His hand shifted several inches lower, still keeping me pinned firmly in place, but I was no longer in any immediate danger of that pressure point being prodded by accident.

I let out a soft, relieved sigh when he moved his hand and I was able to relax underneath him. I tilted my head up and to the side to bare my throat to him. He let out a soft growl of approval and he leaned forward to scrape his fangs against the skin of my exposed neck. His grip on my arm abruptly tightened, long enough to make me gasp at the strain, before he let go of my arm and moved his hand from my back. He grabbed a handful of hair near the base of my neck and tugged me up onto my knees. I let out a yip of noise at the tight grip and grabbed at his wrist, but moved to follow the tugging pull until I was raised up upon my knees facing him with my head forced back.

*-*/-SEXY TIME! DOM/SUB PLAY! BLOOD PLAY! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!-*\\*-*

A low growl escaped him and he tugged the belt of his leather pants off, though he did not toss it to the side. Another harsh tug at my hair forced me to my feet and, once I was standing, he slammed his mouth against mine in a kiss that was all teeth and tongue. I tried to return that fierce kiss only to have my lower lip caught harshly between his fangs a second later. I yelped in pain and he let out a low warning growl that I instinctually knew meant ' _be still_ '. I froze and panted softly for breath. He let go of my lower lip and then licked away the blood that had been drawn by his fangs. He leaned forward and bit my ear, one fang pierced flesh all the way through and the sharp pain caused me to let out another yelp. He laved at that wound as it healed and then growled low in my ear.

" _Unbind_ _me_ , my Katrina," his voice was a rough and deep rumble, laced with hunger and lust. "Reap the rewards of this night."

A panting keen of noise escaped me at his order and I reached out with shaking hands to tug the front of his leathers down enough to reveal his silk constrained length. He loosened his grip upon my hair enough for me to look down so that I could see what I was doing. I shivered when I saw that his length straining against the silk binding that was wrapped around it. I tugged at the knot with shaking fingers as carefully as I could so that I did not tear the delicate silk. The long, thin scarf fell away with the slick-wet whisper of cloth against skin. A low sound escaped Kain as his length, hard and throbbing, was finally freed from its' silk entrapment and it sprung up to full attention. I started to reach for him and he let go of my hair. My hands were abruptly and roughly yanked up above my head a mere second before I could touch the hard shaft.

I let out a surprised sound at the harsh movement and squirmed in a brief effort to free my hands. He let out a growl of warning. I immediately went still and bared my neck to him in response to that sound. He let out a satisfied rumble and then looped his leather belt around my wrists. He knotted the leather so that my hands were bound together firmly and I felt my eyes widen. Kain dragged me forward a few steps and forced me to my knees with a harsh tug of the belt. He then twisted me around and forced me down onto my back. I let out a confused grunt when my shoulders hit the ground and I looked up at him with wide eyes.

I couldn't help the faint yelp of noise that escaped me when he unexpectedly freed the Soul Reaver from the ground and then impaled the metal buckle of his belt with the tip of the blade. I gave a tentative tug at the bindings and a level of nervous apprehension began to fill me at being tied up so. I knew that I could easily break the knotted leather belt around my wrists despite the resilience enchantments that had been cast upon it and that alone helped me keep a measure of calm. Still... I started to try to pull free and his hand rapidly closed around my throat. I let out a meep at the firm grip and the nicking pressure of his claws along the skin of my neck. Kain chuckled and he forced me to look at him even as he trailed his claws over the line of my jaw.

" _No_ ," he purred in a low voice. "Remain still, my Katrina. There is no escape now that I have caught you."

"Kain... what...?" I started to ask in a shuddery voice.

He had never bound me like this and it was nerve wracking. His thumb pushed lightly against my lips to silence me and I shivered under the light touch.

" _Hush_ now, My Lady," he rumbled and he flashed me a dark smile that was all fang. "You remember your safe word?"

I nodded my head as much as I could, what with his hand wrapped 'round my neck. I shuddered as a sense of excitement laced with fear passed through me. My lower body clenched around the balls still buried within my core and he let out a pleased sound when my scent spiked with nervous desire. Kain started to yank roughly at the belts that held my own armor in place and he stripped me down. Each tug jerked my body in a way that made the kegel balls tremble and shudder within me. I let out a low moan of need when he yanked the cuirass off of me and I arched under his touch when he squeezed my cloth covered breasts firmly, almost painfully in his hands. I let out an angry snarl of breath when he abruptly tore off my shirt with a vicious tug.

His hand latched tight over my left breast and he growled a low, sub-harmonic warning. I went still and swallowed roughly. He leaned over me and sank his fangs harshly into the flesh of my right breast. I yelped at the mixture of pain and pleasure that filled me, at the searing sensation that swept over me, through me. I writhed beneath him when his hand roughly squeezed and massaged my left breast whilst he fed. I bucked up against him and tried to grind my mound against his own, yet armored, thigh. A pleased sound escaped him at my movements and he pulled out of my reach a moment later. Kain licked my blood from his lips whilst I blinked up at him dazedly and he smirked down at me with a satisfied look in his eyes.

He let go of my breast and started to yank off the belt around my waist that helped hold the cuisses at my thighs in place. My cuisses, greaves and boots all went flying to into the nearby trees and hit the trunks with harsh thuds. Next, my leather pants were wrenched down and off of my body and those too, were tossed randomly to the side. He forced my legs wide and I let out a cry when his claws started to dig into the sensitive flesh of my thighs. The pain disappeared a moment later when he leaned down to sink his fangs into the flesh of my inner left thigh. I let out a strangled cry and arched into that pleasure-filled bite. He started to feed from me, a slow draw that lanced through me like a lightning bolt. My eyes fluttered shut and I started to pant as the pleasure began to build.

I bucked and writhed beneath him whilst he continued to feed oh, so slowly at my thigh. I squirmed and jerked as much as his firm grip would allow for. My body curled upward and I cried out as the pleasurable pull of his feeding pushed me closer and closer to an explosive peak. I heard a sudden rip above my head when my movements pulled the leather belt taunt. The leather belt abruptly tore free from the impaled buckle when I curled higher still, to the point that I was almost sitting up. Kain's fangs pulled free from my thigh a half second later, bare moments before I would have peaked. He moved swiftly to grab my wrists in one of his larger hands and he pinned me back down against the ground. I let out a high keen of frustration and loss and struggled against his grip.

 _So close!_ I thought wildly. _So damned_ close! _Why_?!

The position we were now in had his length resting just against my lower stomach. I bucked up against him and tried to rub my bared mound against his hardened flesh. He let out a dark, hungry sounding chuckle at my movements and then pulled just out of reach of my questing body. His free hand closed upon my hip and prevented me from arching higher in my attempts to follow his body upwards. A tingle of magic coiled around my wrists and when he pulled his hand away, I found that I could not move my hands from where they had been pinned. A startled hiss escaped me and I glanced upwards. I noticed a soft glow wrapped 'round my wrists and I realized that he had pinned them in place with Telekinetic magics.

I looked back at him with wide eyes and I struggled uselessly against the magical hold. Kain let out another dark chuckle that caused me to shiver. I let out a soft, frantic sound and squirmed beneath him. He grabbed onto my right leg suddenly and hooked my limb over his left shoulder. The claws of his left hand started to dig into my inner thigh and drew blood. I let out a sharp gasp of pain at the tight grip and I struggled against the restricting hold. As he held my leg pinned in place against his shoulder, his right hand closed tight upon my left hip and he forced the lower part of my wriggling form still.

He abruptly drove himself forward in an impaling thrust that caused me to arch beneath him as if I had been shot. I threw my head back with a surprised and near pained cry at the spearing penetration. He began to push relentlessly deeper into my unprepared core and I could feel my body stretch and strain to make room for him. My eyes flew wide and frantic, high-pitched keening noises escaped me between my harsh gasps for breath. I could feel the kegel balls within me shift about whilst my body struggled to make room for his penetrating length. I bucked and strained against him even as his claws sank deeper still into my thigh and hip to keep me from pulling away from him.

He pushed forward slowly and relentless as he speared my core with that thick shaft. I let out a strangled cry when that last inch finally slipped in. The head of Kain's length was suddenly pressed hard and firm against the deepest part of my core. He always hit deep; bumping, pushing, _pounding_ at my cervix with every deep thrust but now everything was just... _just_...

" _Gehyahh_! Full! _Too_ _much_!" I yowled and I writhed as much as I could.

He pulled almost all the way out until just the head of that rod remained within me. He held that position for a long moment as I twitched and bucked beneath him, equally trying to pull away and trying to force him back inside. A low, pleasure filled snarl escaped him and he slammed back into me with another, equally brutal thrust and the head of his shaft rammed hard against my cervix. I let out a wailing cry and my body curled upwards, inwards as I strained against the magical bindings 'round my wrists. My body fell back against the ground with a thud of sound and I shuddered around that thick shaft.

My lower body was trapped firmly in his tight grasp. I found myself unable to escape from that hard, spearing rod of flesh that now twitched within me. I whimpered at the sensation of being so full. I could feel every inch of him in sharp relief as my body clenched and seized around his shaft. I could feel the kegel balls, shoved to either side of him, and they stretched me further still. Again he pulled back, only to ram himself back into me a few tense moments later. A high-pitched whimper escaped me when the balls were jostled around forcefully. I shook my head back and forth in negation.

"I... I _can't_... Nnn _gah_!" I cried out.

My voice gave out entirely when he shifted forward to where his armored chest was pushed against my bared breasts. The change of angle intensified the sensation of being full, being stretched, as my leg was still pinned in place over his shoulder. My eyes flew wide and I let out a choked gasp. He leaned in to bite at my lower lip and he was swift to lap up the blood that he had drawn. My body clenched and quivered around his invading length. I could feel my thoughts fracture beneath the continued onslaught of pleasure coupled with pain.

"Oh, but you _can_ , my Dear Katrina," he rumbled against my lips. His voice was a dark whisper of promise against my lips and the dulcet, rumbling tone caused me to let out another fervent cry of wordless noise. "And you _will_."

Kain's left hand shifted from my right thigh to grasp at my hip. He pulled back once more and then drove right back in. He started up a battering rhythm and began to plunder my core with harsh, powerful thrusts. I arched and struggled beneath him. Screaming cries escaped me between every breath I took due to the harsh pace that he set. Each thrust caused the kegel balls to shudder, shift and move violently about within me. I let out a groaning cry when one thrust slid smoothly over that sweet spot within me and I started to arch into those claiming thrusts when his length continued to slide over that one spot. My body jerked violently and my legs began to grip tight around his waist and shoulder in an attempt to pull him closer still. Heat started to pool low in my belly and I began to make begging noises as I started to meet his demanding pace. I felt myself rapidly beginning to crest under that aggressive assault on my core and he moved faster still. I threw my head back and yowled as the pleasure heightened further still at the increased pace.

A dark, husky growl of satisfaction escaped him and he roughly pulled out _just_ before I could peak. I let out a strained and desperately high wail of noise at the sudden feeling of emptiness. My eyes flew open and I shot him a wild look. Kain flashed a smile at me that was all fang. He then moved down to lick a cold-hot trail up from my clit, over my stomach and he stopped at my breasts. I tried to push against him and my legs strained with effort as I tried to wrap them back around his waist and force him close, to force him back _in_. Kain's hands remained a firm, inexorable grip at my hips though and he kept me pinned in place and continued to _deny_ me the completion that I wanted.

His tongue swirled a teasing pattern over each of my nipples. I snarled at him in frustration as he started to focus his attentions solely upon my breasts with nicking, scraping brushes of his fangs and slow, sweet-suckling kisses. His blue-gold gaze rose to meet my own and he slowly scraped sharp teeth over one pert nipple in a way that made me tremble. I let out a growling keen of need that made him grin darkly up at me. He rose up and kept me pinned in place for several minutes, long enough for the heat in my belly to cool. I let out another frustrated, snarling cry when I finally managed to find my voice again.

"Kain!" I growled and I squirmed in his grasp. " _Dammit_!"

"Is something wrong my Dear Katrina?" he purred out the question in a teasing tone.

He shifted his body and my own just enough so that his hard shaft rubbed along my wet slit. I groaned and tried to arch against that deceptively light touch, yet he continued to hold me still.

"Kain! _Please_!" I cried out. I squirmed and tried to buck my body against his. "I _need_...!"

He let out a low purr of pleasure and then trailed sharp claws down my stomach. I hissed in pain when several small cuts were opened in my flesh. The cuts healed rapidly and left five thin lines of blood along the smooth planes of my stomach. He leaned over me and began to lick away the blood with slow sweeps of his tongue that almost... _tickled_ against my stomach. A slick, soft counter-point to the previous pain. He repeated the cutting movement and the pain of it made me cry out. I whimpered softly as he licked away the new trails of blood with slow, sensual passes of his tongue. Each time he cut the skin it was at a new location upon my belly, along my sides, along my hips. The healed skin was far more sensitive to the sweeping touches of his tongue that followed after each cutting movement and I let out a soft whine of breath at the mixed signals that flashed through me as a result of his actions. Just when the pain began to become too much for me, _just_ as I started to struggle away and opened my mouth to scream out my Word, Kain stopped. He let his hands fall to rest feather light against my sides. He allowed me the time to recover and a constant soft, soothing rumble filled the air as I worked to catch my breath. I whimpered softly and let my head loll to the side to where my cheek was pressed against the cool grass.

Minutes later, once I had recovered, two of his claws started to trail feather light down my body and over my mound to brush against my yet slick folds. I couldn't help the small, fearful hiss when he teased the sharp tips against that sensitive flesh. I turned my head and looked at him with a frantic sound. Kain let out a soothing rumble of noise at my worried expression. A few whispered words later and those sharp points were sheathed, blunted by magic. He then plunged said fingers into my core and began to tease at my inner walls. I let out a low groan and began to writhe when he started to shift the kegel balls around within me. His fingers twisted, curled and he started to dig one of the balls out of me. I let out a high pitched gasp when the ball he'd caught started to slip out. He moved his thumb against my opening to prevent the ball from slipping free completely and he held it right at my entrance. Thick fingers and that metal ball stretched my opening in a way that left me panting heavily for breath.

Kain leaned down and blew a cold breath over my lust-warmed skin. I let out a low whimper at the chill and shivered. He started to lick and lave at my clit whilst he continued to tease the ball at my opening. He would push it all the way back in, only to dig it out once more so that he could hold it as a stretching, _straining_ pressure at my entrance. His tongue was a constant, laving pressure against my clit and again the pleasure started to build within me. My head fell back against the ground and I groaned and cried out at the velvet touch of his tongue against my clit. Good, it felt so good. My legs winged wide and I bared myself to him further still. I wantonly pushed up against his mouth in a mute request for more as I again came close to release.

And once more... he _stopped_. He yanked the ball free from my body and pulled away an _instant_ before I could peak.

I let out a screaming, _roaring_ , cry of frustration at the loss of his touch. I looked up at him with wide, wild eyes that had likely gone hunter's white long ago. He leaned back out of my reach and his face twisted into a dark, satisfied expression as he took in my trembling, need-filled form with his own power-whitened eyes. He licked his lips slowly and then waved his hand in an imperious gesture. I yipped in surprise when his telekinetic hold on my wrists twisted as a result and I found myself abruptly forced onto my stomach. The grass tickled against my sensitized flesh and I whimpered as I writhed against the ground.

His hands closed tight around my hips a moment later and he forced me up onto my knees. I shuddered when I felt another pulse of magic tingle over my skin, this time centered around my waist and upper thighs. Kain's magic now held me pinned in place on my knees and I found myself unable to move my lower body. He pushed the hard, hot flesh of his length right against my slick folds and he started to tease his claws over the hyper sensitive skin of my stomach, my sides and then around to my back. I tugged at the telekinetic hold on my wrists and snarled my irritation at being bound so, at being denied so! He let out another low, darksome laugh at my struggles.

"Out with your wings my Katrina," he ordered in a deep, rumbling voice.

His claws trailed lightly up and down along my spine in teasing passes. I shuddered and tensed when his claws paused briefly over that one spot along my spine but relaxed when he continued to trail his fingers over my skin.

"Kain," I gasped out. I let out a low groan as the dangerously light touch upon my back trailed again over that spot along my spine and I had to swallow roughly before I could continue. " _Dammit_ all! Why do you keep _stopping_!? I... I _need_...!"

"Your wings. _Now_ my Katrina," he ordered and his hands slid downwards. His dug claws painfully into my hips and the sharp pain caused me to let out a startled hiss of breath. "Or you will find no relief this night. I will simply _take_ my own pleasure from your body and leave you wanting."

I let out a low keen at the threat. He meant it too. All he would have to do was take my mouth, especially now that I had gotten a little more comfortable with oral activities. He could then leave me wanting when he was done. I extended my wings out for him as he had ordered, as I desperately wanted him to fill me, to take me and bring me to completion. I felt almost half mad with my desire. I let my forehead fall to rest against the grass-covered ground and a low groan of need sounded at the back of my throat. Kain's claws started to dig and scratch lightly through the patch of white feathers at the base of my wings and I trembled under the deceptively soft touch. I let out another need-filled keen of noise.

My breath hitched when he pushed the kegel ball that he'd removed earlier back inside of me. I let out another low groan when he sank fingers in alongside the two metal balls. His fingers twitched and moved so damnably slow within me and he started to groom my feathers in an equally slow and sensual attack. It felt like he continued that gentle assault over the course of an entire hour. It left me whimpering one word over and over by the time his fingers settled against my side.

"Please. Please... _please_!" I cried out softly and I dug deep grooves into the ground with my claws.

Kain's fingers pulled free from my now soaked core. He trailed his fingers, slick with my fluids, up along my spine. I shivered as the cool night air chilled the wet trail that he left upon my skin and I whimpered softly. My wings arched upward, mantled wide in a wanton display even as they trembled uncontrollably. An approving thrum of noise escaped him and his hands moved to trail over the edges of my wings. His hands closed over the edges of my wings and he gently guided them to where they were furled closed against my back.

"Hold them still," he ordered with a soft, purring growl.

I swallowed roughly and nodded my head, unable to speak. He slid his hands from my wings and I fought to hold them still like he had ordered. His hands trailed down over my sides and hips, then up along my stomach as he curled over me. His body pinned my wings between us and I shuddered at the touch of the cold metal of his armor when it pressed along my back. I let out a soft hiss of breath and arched my body backwards against him as much as I could despite that sharp chill. I tilted my head to the side to bare my throat to him and let out a low groan of need. I could feel him, hard and throbbing, just against my entrance but I couldn't force him inside of me because I couldn't _move_.

Kain's hands teased gently over my breasts. His claws lightly pinched and pricked over my nipples as he teased the hardened peaks. He pinched my nipples between his fingers and tugged at them in a way that made me sob for breath at the painful pleasure. He laughed softly, his breath warm against the back of my neck and he pushed my hair aside so that he could lick at my neck and along my right ear. Sharp fangs teased over his Mark and my breath hitched in my throat when a wave of pleasure lanced through me.

" _Mine_ ," he growled in my ear, his voice a low and satisfied rumble of sound. " _My_ Little One. Mine Queen. Do you _need_ it? Hmm? Do you need me to _fill_ you?"

"Yes," I responded. I let out a high and fervent gasp. "Please, Kain, _please_! I _need_ it! I need you in me! _Please_ , my Lord! _My King_! Ah, fill me! _Take me_ , _please_!"

"Ah, mine own. You need it so?" he chuckled darkly. He suddenly snarled in my ear. "Then take all of it!"

He abruptly sank his fangs into the flesh of my throat right over my racing pulse and he rammed his hardened length brutally into my core. His hands tightened painfully around my breasts and I yowled due to the tight grip. I bucked back against him as he impaled me to the hilt, as he sheathed himself inside me. I felt the telekinetic magic that had restrained me thus far fall away. I rose up so that I was on my hands and knees and pushed back to meet his demanding, coring thrusts as he started to fill me. It was sharper from this angle, so much sharper with those kegel balls buried within me that it _hurt_ , but the pain was nothing compared to the pleasure of him filling me, claiming me.

He moved his hands from my breasts to my hips as he continued to plow into me. He had shifted in such a way that my wings were freed and they snapped out wide when one of his thrusts forced the head of his shaft viciously hard against my cervix. My wings started to pound a frenzied, staccato drum-beat against the ground. My cries pitched higher and higher whilst he continued to feed at my throat. My voice gave out completely with a choked noise as I finally reached that desperately sought peak of pleasure and my eyes flew wide as I shuddered violently beneath him. My inner walls convulsed and seized around that hard shaft, around the balls that were constantly being knocked around within me. A muffled snarl escaped him as he reached back up to grab my breasts tight in his hands once more. I panted for breath and let out half-choked cries of pleasure when he started to squeeze and pull at my breasts. That thick shaft pumped harder still in and out of my slicked core.

My hands latched onto his wrists when he abruptly leaned back to where he was sitting up and he pulled me against him so that I was sitting upon his lap whilst he continued to thrust up into me. Kain's hands were tight around my breasts and he squeezed them roughly in his grasp. His sharp claws dug into my skin as he started to thrust hard, harder, hard enough that for a moment I thought that I might _break_ upon him and I wailed at the sensation. His fangs sank deeper still into my throat and he let out a muffled, roaring snarl of sound. I frantically reached down between our bodies and closed my hand gently around his testes even as my other hand shot down to squeeze and rub at his inner thigh. I shuddered and whimpered at the sensation of his sac drawing up tight beneath my fingers as he came and I felt the flood of his cold-fire seed spill into me. My body clenched tight 'round him in response, milking his shaft as he emptied himself violently within me. I let out a low groan and I rubbed my shaky hand gently over that taunt skin.

Kain's grip upon my breasts eased somewhat and he slowed his demanding pace. He paused his movements long enough to shift us so that he was able to lean back against one of the trees with me still held impaled upon his lap. His fangs slipped free from my neck and he licked at the puncture wounds as they slowly healed. I slumped bonelessly back against his still armored chest whilst my body shivered and trembled uncontrollably. He tugged one of his vambraces off, followed by the cloth underneath it and he held his wrist up to my mouth. It took my pleasure addled mind a second to register what he was offering to me. I slowly sank fangs into his wrist a moment later and his blood poured over my tongue in a wave of pleasant power.

I let out a muffled, weakened purr and fed at his wrist whilst he nuzzled at my neck. He started to rock up into me again and this time his thrusts were slow, measured movements up into my stretched core. His right hand ran soothingly over the bruised flesh of my breasts, sides and waist whilst I fed and recovered. I continued to trail shaky fingers over his sac and thigh. I shifted my grip so I could feel that thick rod of flesh as he eased in and out of my stretched body. I shuddered at the feeling of his length as he sank into me, of my folds gripping tight 'round his thick shaft as he pulled back out.

I pulled my fangs from his wrist with a soft hiss and squirmed upwards when one thrust knocked a kegel ball against my cervix in a more-than-painful tap. I was suddenly very aware of how _raw_ my insides felt. I reached down with both hands to grab at his leather covered thighs and I dug my claws in with a soft wordless grumble in an effort to still his measured movements or at least push myself up so that he could no longer thrust so deep. His tongue swept over his Mark in a slow pass and I twitched against him whilst I struggled to find my voice.

"E-enough..." I was finally able to say in a voice that was soft and hoarse from near-constant screaming. "L-last thrust _hurt_... the _balls_... _nnh_..."

Kain let out a thoughtful hum of noise at my words. He then wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me up. His length slid free of me with a slick, wet sound. I let out a low groan at the movement and then gasped when his fingers dipped into my core to ease the kegel balls out of me. He held the fluid covered balls up for me to see and I let out a soft noise at the sight of the fluid covered orbs. I gasped when he slid his length back up into me with a satisfied, growling purr. A small pulse of magic filled the air and the balls were suddenly clean. A larger pulse of power later and a small 'pocket' appeared in the air in front of us. He tilted his hand to let the balls fall into it before he closed it. He pulled me close again and started to nuzzle at my neck again, though he refrained from thrusting further into me.

*-*/-SEXY TIME OVER! IS SAFE NOW :-) -*\\*-*

I closed my eyes and leaned back against Kain as his hands rubbed over me in light, soothing touches. My breath finally started to calm and I let out a soft, contented sigh as his hands moved to rub gently over my hips. I turned my head to nuzzle at his neck and let out a soft pleasure-filled croon. A low, rumbling purr escaped him and he shifted me enough so that he could sweep his tongue over my lips before he pulled me into a near gentle kiss. He rested his forehead against mine and I blinked blearily as I met his blue-gold gaze. I leaned forward to pass my tongue over his lower lip.

"W... _why_?" I murmured weakly and he let out a hum of questioning noise. "You normally... force me to peak at least... a half a dozen times. Why the change?"

"Your punishment," Kain responded with a satisfied rumble.

" _Eh_...?" I blinked up at him and he chuckled softly.

"You blatantly pulled three warriors out of range of my sword and claws and onto your own," he purred darkly into my ear. "Three times you stole my kills out right, thus three times I denied you when you were on the cusp of completion."

"...heartless bastard," I grumbled softly. My voice was filled with equal parts fondness and exasperation and I tried to nip at his ear.

He tilted his head out of range of my nip and he laughed outright at my tone.

"Normally I hear those words being said in either outrage, grief or abject terror," Kain said as he caught my chin in his hand. He pressed another near-gentle kiss to my lips before he pulled back and he smirked at me. "I think I rather _enjoy_ hearing you say those words in such a way."

I let out a soft laugh and shook my head.

"You're incorrigible," I said and I tried to shift around on his lap so that I could face him.

He let out a noise of unrepentant agreement and he helped me move as my limbs were still shaky. I lightly bumped my forehead against his own before I leaned in to kiss him. He responded to my kiss readily enough and then let out a surprised sound when I suddenly, briefly, sank my fangs into his lower lip in an instinctive and punishing bite. He grabbed my hair and forced my head back as he let out a low growl. I licked his blood from my lips and narrowed my eyes on him. His own eyes showed hints of white amongst the blue-gold.

" _What_ do you think you are doing, dear Katrina?" he asked with a low hiss.

"Punishing _you_ ," I responded with a prim sniff. I ignored the tight grip on my hair and kept my gaze on his.

"Oh _really_?" he rumbled in a low growl that was now tinged with amusement at my audacity. "For what?"

"The fucking cuirass is going to _chafe_ against my skin without a shirt," I growled out and my wings raised and flared in twitching threat. "It's not like I have a spare on me to replace the one that you _tore to bits_."

He threw back his head and roared with laughter at my words. I let out a disgruntled hiss at his amusement and my wings jerked wide with my upset. There was another pulse of magic as the small 'pocket' was torn back open. He reached in and pulled out a folded piece of cloth. He then let the cloth fall into my lap as the 'pocket' closed back up. He smirked at me smugly as I unfolded the cloth...

It was a spare top...

" _I_ planned ahead my Little One," he purred and he reached out to trail the backs of his claws along the line of my jaw.

" _Bastard_ ," I grumbled softly with a blush and I moved to stand.

Kain reached out to trail his hands down my sides as I stood and he rubbed fingers firmly over my hips. I let out a hiss of breath at the touch and then had to blink rapidly when he summoned a low-level Light spell. I looked down and then let out a faint laugh as I realized that even with my vampiric healing factor, my hips were even now purple with bruises where his hands had gripped me. He raised a questioning brow at me as he pressed at the bruised flesh again in a testing poke and I flashed him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine," I said softly. "You've left bruises on my hips before and half the time I miss them after they heal. These ones will last a little longer is all."

He nodded his head once as he accepted the reassurance and then eased me back a few steps as he too stood up. He tucked himself away and pulled his leathers up enough to cover himself. With the belt damaged beyond all repair the top flaps of the leather hung open like an invitation and I found I couldn't help myself. I reached out to trail my claws over the exposed flesh of his lower stomach right below his chest armor. He let out a low chuckle at my touch. He grabbed my hand and pulled it up so he could place a nipping kiss upon my wrist.

"Let us get you dressed and then return to Sanctuary," he purred softly. "I am not yet done with you this eve."

I shivered at his words and then flashed him a grin that was all fang as I slipped the shirt on.

"Perhaps _I_ am done with _you_ this eve," I said with a low, throaty purr and I felt my pulse start to race again.

Kain tilted his head at me and he returned the fanged grin. He spoke in a rumbling purr, "You would _dare_ to deny me, my Katrina? After having _begged_ so beautifully for me?"

I shivered and carefully padded over to pick up my leather pants. I tossed them from hand to hand and kept my gaze on his. His eyes slowly bled back to hunter's white and I knew that my own had done the same. I very slowly slid my leathers on, not daring to look away from him. I straightened and flicked my hair back over my shoulder. I spread my wings instinctively in a way that I somehow just knew would accentuate my form and I had to contain a happy sound when his expression darkened with renewed hunger.

I stretched my wings out slowly and my winds trembled with a slow shiver as I endeavored to keep his attention on my upper body. His mouth opened and let out a low, sub-harmonic rumble of noise. I kicked out with my foot suddenly, catching my boot as I did so and I sent said footwear straight at his head. While he dodged my boot, I wrapped my Gift around myself as I turned and bolted into the woods. I heard him curse in a voice that was dark with both annoyance and pleasure. I felt several strong pulses of magic behind me as he gathered up my abandoned gear, followed by the ringing sound of the Soul Reaver being pulled from the ground and the 'snick' of sound as it was sheathed at his back once more.

The hunt was on again and this time _I_ meant to be the one to catch _him_...

* * *

Enjoy!


	33. We believe our Divinity

Edits as of 06/2016

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three: We believe our Divinity

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

The rest of that new moon night went well as we came down from the rush of the battle-high and the hunts that had followed. I had managed to briefly catch Kain unawares by using my Gift in my attempt to turn the second hunt around, turning the hunter into the hunted. I had managed to tackle him to the ground and had made sure that the movement caused his head to crack against a tree in order to daze him. As I had mantled my wings around him and leaned in to sink fangs into his throat, he had recovered swiftly and wrapped his magic around the both of us. He had then Teleported us directly back to our new bed chambers and we had landed heavily on the large bed.

The unusual sensation caused by the sudden Teleportation had been... well, _disconcerting_ would have been putting it mildly to be honest. As a result of said transportation spell, Kain had been able to easily pin me down on my stomach whilst I struggled to fight down the nausea and dizziness that affected me. He wrapped my hair around his right hand in order to gather it up and bare my neck to him and he pressed his lips against the nape of my neck. He did nothing more then nip and suckle at the nape of my neck whilst I recovered my bearings. I let out a strained sound as my stomach finally settled and I raised my head enough so that I could look at him over my shoulder.

"When in the nine hell's did you gain _that_ ability?" I asked weakly and then swallowed with a grimace.

"Around the same time that I regained my Bat Form," he responded with a low growl that held a hint of annoyance as he nuzzled my neck. I noticed that his own pale skin seemed a shade paler despite how much he had fed from me earlier in the evening. "Vorador has said that the more the ability is used, the less the effects of transportation will affect myself and any passengers I may have with me at the time."

"Ugh," I groaned softly. I let my head fall back against the bed and closed my eyes. "His way of saying 'buck up and get used to it' then."

"In essence," he murmured softly. He leaned closer and nipped lightly at the shell of my ear. "Now then, what _precisely_ did you have in mind when you tackled me so, _hmm_ my Little One?"

He abruptly tried to sink his fangs into my throat and I bucked violently beneath him in an effort to throw him off. The resultant struggle left the room in a state of disarray and, whilst I managed to nearly gain the upper hand a number of times, in the end I found myself pinned hard against the wall as he laid claim to me once more.

Kain called up Alma to deliver a crate of blood vials around an hour or so later and the next several days were spent in pleasant isolation. Whilst we were... _occupied_... Vorador, Janos and Kain's Captain's worked to set up a strong presence in the two cities we had just claimed. When we finally 'came up for air' as Vorador termed it, we found that we had a handful of new fledglings as a result of the injuries taken during the battle. On top of the fledglings that Vorador already had to contend with, additional humans had needed to be turned due to their injuries, most by Vorador himself. This brought the total number of 'youngsters' to bakers dozen. Janos seemed pleased as punch at being able to help Vorador teach and tend so many, yet Vorador himself looked to be a little bit annoyed at the prospect. He was already stuck dealing with a large number of unruly male Childe. In fact, there was only _one_ female amongst the lot of new fledglings and she had been turned by one of the Bride's. Though he _was_ an equal opportunity pervert, he did seem to prefer to be surrounded by females most of the time and thus Janos and Vorador's Bride's were oft the one's left dealing with the male fledglings that Vorador had turned.

Kain was both pleased and displeased with the news that we had received once we left our rooms. We would have new warriors amongst the Vampiric ranks of our army once they had better control over their new instincts yes, but they were not of _his_ vampiric blood-line and that seemed to rile him more and more as of late. I could tell that he itched to find a way to get the tomes that he needed so that he could make his own brood. Yet, even a stealth mission into Mortanius' Cathedral would be impossible at this point, what with how deep into enemy territory the structure was. He did not dare risk a mission because, if it failed, the humans might simply put torch to _all_ of the tomes and scrolls within the Cathedral in an effort to deny any knowledge within to our side, even if they did not know exactly what it was we were after.

After having received the initial report of what had been happening during our seclusion and we were left alone, I reached out to bump one of my wings against him in a light shove. He raised his hand to brush claws through the feathers of my wing in response even as he continued to glare down at the map. He raised his head and looked up at me with a raised brow a few moments later, his gaze thoughtful.

"You said before that my necromatic origins will allow me the ability to raise corpses long dead," he said thoughtfully. "Do you know how many Childe will I have?"

"Six," I responded readily. "From them you will have a legion to claim all. I... only know the basics about most of them. Do... you want me to try to recall what I can of them?"

"No," he answered with a firm shake of his head. "I have an idea of whom I will raise and I will learn of their natures and personalities in time. Too much information too soon may well affect things negatively, which is why I have not pressed you over much regarding what you can recall of Nosgoth and her history. Some things must be learned for one's self and even then the information you recall may not be entirely accurate. You thought Umah's fate different then what it was, did you not? What else then might have been skewed by the Dreamers who saw this world through the Veil of Dreams? Not only that, but how long has it been since you heard your world's version of my life's story? Even you are not sure of how long you were held captive. No, what you have already recalled has already aided me greatly and there is time enough to find out the rest of the information that I need to know. As Vorador oft says, _time_ is the one thing we have the most of given our darkly divine natures."

He tilted his head and reached out to trail a claw up along the line of my jaw until his hand came to a rest against my neck under my left ear. I leaned into the touch and kissed the palm of his hand. He chuckled and then pulled his hand back a moment later as he turned his attention back to the map. He moved one of the markers over Vorador's mansion and then used a handful of others to mark off a line of defense that crossed the swamp to meet at the mountains to the South and North. The only problem I could see was that the Great South Lake left us open to attack from the water if we focused our attentions on reclaiming Vorador's land. It seemed he saw that liability as well as he shook his head and moved the bulk of the markers in a line near the lake and only a few markers were left to make a line straight North from the Pillars toward the Lake of the Dead in a defensive line. It seemed like Vorador would have to do without his mansion for a while longer. He turned to look at me a moment later and tilted his head.

"Go and check in with Alma," he ordered in a soft but firm tone. "As Cillian will be tending to the whims of Vorador's Brides for the next three months, his troops are to be divided up amongst my other Captains... and yourself. Alma will act as your second in all things."

"Ah," I said as my eyes widened in surprise. My wings twitched outward from my shoulders with my nervous shock. "Are... you... _certain_? I have been here for only a little over two years now. You... you want me to be one of your Captains? Truly?"

"I wanted them to see you fight for a _reason_ , my Katrina," he responded with a soothing, sub-harmonic rumble of sound. He looked back at the map and moved another marker. "They know your strength and will follow you now that they understand that there is indeed steel hidden beneath your kind-hearted nature. All they knew of you previously was that you were helping the humans and quite adeptly, too. If it eases your mind any, it will only be a contingent of five vampires, including Alma, and twenty humans. You have kept more then that in line by tending to the humans of the Cabal healthy and also with your efforts in maintaining your little 'railroad' operation."

"That is... different," I murmured with a blush and I glanced away from him briefly. "I am not leading them into battle like you do with your troops."

"But you _are_ ," he said firmly and he looked back up at me, his eyes stern enough to make me freeze beneath his gaze. "It may not be like the bloody battles that we were recently in, but _all_ missions require the same level of planning and careful consideration, even your little rescue missions."

He tilted his head at me and I shifted nervously under his gaze, uneasy with the sudden calculating look that had filled his eyes. He pushed away from the table and started to circle me slowly. I gulped and drew my wings in close to my body as he circled me, made tense and nervous by the odd-seeming change in his mood. His claws traced over my spine in a light touch and I remained perfectly still as he circled back 'round to where we were once more face-to-face.

"Tell me," he said after several minutes of tense silence. His voice was like the crack of a whip. " _Why_ did I order the push to Coorhagen without allowing you the time to set up one of your railroads there?"

"It wouldn't have been a viable option," I responded with a small shrug of my right shoulder and wing. "The _moment_ they realized Vasserbunde had fallen, they would have started to bunker down more then they already had. They would have used the time that _I_ needed to set up a railroad to knock trees down in order to build impromptu walls and set up pitfalls and traps designed to stop human and vampire alike. We would have lost the element of surprise, as well as risked greater losses to our army. Time was of the essence."

He held his hand up in a 'There, you see?' gesture and I shook my head at him as a small frown curled my lips downward. He had made a small point but honestly... I still was uncertain why he would choose to do such a thing. Especially when I had not been on Nosgoth overlong. To make me a commander in his armies so swiftly, even if it _was_ a small group...

"Most of those that I've worked with have been _volunteers_... people off the street like the Urchins and Night Ladies or the disgruntled merchants and displaced nobles," I said to him in an earnest voice as I tried to understand his reasoning. "Not hardened soldiers!"

"And that is _exactly_ why you are ready to lead your own contingent," he said firmly and he tapped a clawed finger against my chest. "That you could keep such a rabble in line as a functioning unit for even for something as simple as your little rescue missions shows _skill_ Katrina. You have the capability to handle more."

"But Alma..." I started weakly. He was truly serious about this.

"Alma has done barely a single thing to help you manage your 'railroads'," he purred low and there was dark satisfaction in his tone. "She has reported directly to me concerning your railroad efforts from the very beginning. Even your Nikolai has followed at your heels and obeyed your commands when you issued orders to him. The pair of you may have shared the creation of the process, but he has always deferred to you for any final decisions that have needed to be made. The few times that Alma has had to step in have merely been when you were lacking valuable information needed in order to make a proper decision. _Nothing more._ You may hide it all you like behind kind words and a smile my Little One, but you are a born leader and a skilled tactician. As you say, you have been here just over two years and yet you have still learned swiftly what needs be done during your lessons and you have also applied those lessons practically."

"I... have always had to adapt quickly," I muttered softly, shyly. "To learn rapidly."

"You have indeed," he responded with a soothing growl as he moved back toward the table. "Tell me, my Katrina; did you ever use the same tactics twice when trying to escape your tormentor?"

"Not really," I answered with a shake of my head. "Not unless it was a situation that called for a similar attempt at an escape method. Even then I tried to think of a different way to escape in order to see if I could to take him off guard and hurt him. To think outside the box if you will. He... got rather repetitious after a while."

"Not surprising given what you have told me. He seems single-minded in his pursuits. However, you were able to recall what traps had been set before enough to recognize them, even as time began to blur for you?" Kain pressed in a tone that was equally gentle and firm. He crossed his arms and leaned his hip against the table as he spoke.

"I... yes," I responded hesitantly.

"And you would be able to think of ways to escape even now were you caught again?" he asked.

I shuddered at the thought of such a thing and then shrugged. "I... am not sure... maybe, probably?"

"You got away from him and the Lordling on your own," Kain pointed out with a wave of his hand.

"Only because of the explosions that drew his attention away from me," I said with another shiver and I rubbed at my wrists where the shackles had dug into my flesh during my capture. The wounds had healed but I could still remember the pain clearly... "I can deal with _torture_ Kain, I can just... _partition_ my mind when the pain gets to be too much for me. Now though, now he actively wants to _rape_ me, not just torture me. As far as he is concerned, I am no longer a 'pure' creature to him and that means he will no longer be... 'pulling his punches'. My mind was in such a wild jumble that... I cannot even properly recall _how_ I got free save that I was trying to force the shackles open by using sharp edges and weakened strength."

" _Exactly_ my point," he said and he abruptly reached to catch my wrists in his hands to still my movements. " _Mindless_ as you had to have been in such a state, you still looked around yourself and used what was available to you to your advantage in your efforts to free yourself from captivity. You have a skilled mind my Katrina. If fact, I would not be surprised to find out that it runs in your blood."

"I..." I looked down at his hands and felt my cheeks heat up. "It... it's not a big deal..."

"Such a shy thing you can be when it comes to praise," he said softly as he tilted my head up so that I had to look at him. "Vorador has been alive for centuries upon centuries and yet you saw through the tactical error that he would have made regarding the attack on Vasserbunde. It is no small thing to see what an has _Eldar_ missed, my Dear Katrina. You were made for this. You are immortal. Transcendent. A Goddess made flesh and given form. You were _born_ to be a Leader, a Queen. Stop hiding from your true nature and embrace it mine own."

" _How_?" I asked him softly. I looked down and to the side a moment later.

A part of me was happy with the praise, but the rest? I had lost so much time while in Auron's hell hole that I still felt mentally younger then my true age on occasion. Then there were the times that I felt so much older and... then I just felt _tired_. Sometimes, I wanted to let my instincts lead, to be as confident in myself as Alma and her Sister Bride's were in themselves. Other times I felt hesitant, unsure of what to do next when I had nothing to do to busy myself, nothing to distract myself from the past. Sometimes the memories began to bubble up unexpectedly when I was doing simple tasks or when I caught certain scents in the air. When that happened, I was left struggling with myself until I could force the memories back under control and recall where I was.

As Kain had said, some things came easily and readily to me during my lessons. I especially enjoyed, thrived even, on the nights that he spent teaching me using tactical games. While it was never _easy_ to win against him when we played such games, I had still learned how to win on occasion. Patterns were relatively easy for me to spot, weak points were ferreted out carefully and tenaciously. I might not know how to block or halt a new attack method at first, but I did learn how to spot the early signs of a seemingly random attack. I then learned swiftly how to counter said attack after it had been used against my mock troops. I'd had to learn to think on the fly whilst trapped by Auron, if only to avoid major injuries to my person, and sometimes it was hard to still my thoughts. I constantly tried to figure out what could happen next during a fight, what could be done to counter attacks or preempt them. There was a _reason_ why Kain oft had to tell me to still my mind.

Kain tilted my head up and forced me to look at up him once more. The movement brought my thoughts back to the present and I blinked at him rapidly. He rubbed a claw lightly against my lower lip and let out a soothing rumble as I focused again on the now.

"Start by creating a Symbol for yourself," he said firmly in response to my question as if I had not briefly lost myself. "You are old enough, and have been _through_ enough, to make your own. What you design will then be worked into the standards of your contingent and placed beneath my own Symbol."

"I... that's," I blinked at him in surprise and tilted my head. "That is... a pretty big step for a vampire from what I have learned from Janos. You have to have magical abilities to cast the spell or else have someone that you trust somehow help you to cast the spell meant to imbue the Symbol with Power, right? Janos also told me that that not every vampire can make one either, only the strong willed are able to imbue a Symbol."

"Correct. The Symbol that you create will then stand with you throughout the centuries in _all_ that you do," he said and he tapped my neck where his Mark lay hidden in the shape of his own Symbol. The touch caused me to shiver. I let out a soft sound as a result and leaned into his touch. "The Symbol should speak to your soul, as the magic involved with the final steps will Seal it to you forevermore. I have spoken with the others and they are all in agreement. As your Chosen Sire, Janos will be the one to help you with the casting that is needed. You can have the rest of your Chosen Clan assist as well, if you wish it."

I reached up and brushed my fingers through my hair with a small frown at the thought of making my own Symbol as he suggested. And yet there was the simple thought that... I did not need to make a _new_ design. I could not draw like Nikolai could, but I could draw symbols, stylisations of words, calligraphy and Celtic knots. I reached up to clench the edge of one of my wings and then moved over to the table to pick up a piece of parchment, a quill and the ink-pot that sat nearby. I carefully started to draw a simple, small Celtic triquetra with the quill. Once done, I layered in a second within the first and then a third triquetra within the second. In the end, all three were entwined together in a delicate weave.

I carefully looped a circle within the three triquetra's and then used the entire thing as a kind of base for a stylized and extended wing made of three parts. The tip of said wing pointed away from the top point of the triquetra. Kain watched my movements silently, head tilted as he watched me work on something that had long been a part of me. Only once I had set aside the quill did he carefully shift the parchment so that he could look over the symbol.

"Interesting. What does this mean to you?" he asked curiously.

"It is a... um... a self-stylized triquetra, a.. ah... you might find it amusing actually but the symbol represents a sort of triumvirate balance from Gaia. It can actually be a balance of... many different things really. It depends on the person in question and how they interpret it," I tapped a claw lightly against the inner triquetra. "For me, the inner one represents the balance of 'Creation, Preservation and Destruction'. The middle one represents 'Wisdom, Courage and Power' and the outer 'Strength, Speed and Skill'," I then tapped each one in turn, inner to outer, "Balance of Spirit, Balance of Mind, Balance of Body. The circle looped within represents Infinity and the Wing for me means..."

"'Freedom'," Kain finished for me. I nodded shyly and smiled at him.

"Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Voice, Freedom of Action," I said softly and I tugged at my wing again. "This... has been my version of it since I was a teenager."

"And you chose this 'triquetra' design as a base for what reason?" he asked as he carefully poured a little of the fine sand from a small jar over the ink to help it dry faster.

"Well... a _part_ of it ties back to my Father and the rest of it has to do with how I was raised," I responded with a small frown as I trailed a claw along the edge of the design, careful not to damage the fine parchment with the sharp point of said claw. "My Father always wore an odd curved sword pendant that had a stylized triquetra worked into the small hilt. I started working on this design shortly after he died as a... kind of memento of him. It wasn't until my mid-teens that I started to add things to the regular triquetra design. As for how I was raised, well, Mother always told me that I should be the one to choose what I wanted to believe in once I was old enough to really understand the concept behind religion and the beliefs therein. There are actually so very many different kinds of religions and even sub-divisions of said religions on Gaia that it's... rather hard to keep them all straight. I studied up on a large number of them when I was a teen to try to figure out what I wanted to believe in, if anything. In all my studies, I found one constant truth that stood out amongst all the different beliefs on my home world..."

"Balance," he concluded. I nodded and I let out a small laugh as I spread out my hands.

"Balance of the mind, the body, the spirit. Balance of the elements. Balance of the stars, the planets and the sun. Of good and evil. Of creation and destruction. Male and female," I shrugged and leaned against the table. "It was easy to see the similarities between it all and that's when I started to work in the additional two triquetra's, the circle and then the wing. If I used anything as my Symbol, it would be this."

"You are certain?" he asked and he raised a brow at me as his own finger idly trailed along the edge of the wing pattern of the design. "This is not something that can be changed later on."

I frowned at him and then pointed at the drawn Symbol as I pushed away from the table.

"This is _mine_ , Kain," I said firmly. "It's something that is _already_ a part of me. In fact, a friend of mine was actually going to pay for me to get this as a tattoo on my arm for... for my name day the same year that I was taken."

"Your world celebrates name days?" he asked in amusement, having accepted my surety regarding the design.

"Yes," I shrugged and shook my head with a chuckle. "I was born on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year, not that the years mean anything at this point to me."

"True enough. Vampires only mark time in centuries from the day of ones' turning here on Nosgoth. I doubt that it is much different on your own world," he held out the now dried parchment to me. "Go to see Alma and then take this to Janos. He will tell you what will need to be done next to perform the Sealing of the Symbol."

I took the parchment in my hand and then shifted my feet nervously as I looked over the design. My design. My... Symbol. Such a strange thing to think that he wanted me to do this so soon after my arrival here. But he was correct. I had been through, and had survived, much over the years.

"Can... you be there? Or will you be busy?" I asked softly.

"I will have Janos Whisper me when he has everything prepared," Kain said with a small shrug of his shoulder. "If I am not busy at the time then I will be there to witness the Sealing."

"Alright," I gave him a small, hesitant smile. "Kain... I..."

Still I couldn't say it. Two years on Nosgoth. Two years in a relationship with him and there was every sign that we would likely be together for centuries, good times and bad. He had comforted me after my capture instead of turning me away. He had given me the space that I had needed to heal and recover. He had even stated that I was to be his Queen. He was very much invested in me and yet... I closed my mouth with a sharp click of my teeth. My wings twitched and ruffled outward and I let out a faint sigh. He reached out with his hand and brushed his fingers against my wing in a gentle caress that made me shiver.

"I know," he purred in a soft, fond tone. "Off with you now, my Little One."

I nodded and turned to leave the room. I carefully folded the parchment up in a way that left the design with out a crease and tucked it away in one of the pockets of my usual cargo-styled pants. I walked down the main stairs and started to reach out with my Aura as I walked in order to get a bead on Alma. Before I could pinpoint her location though, Cillian found and stopped me with his head bowed low. I growled at him and he dropped to one knee as soon as the noise started to rumble in my chest. He bared his throat to me and held out his hands, claws curled inward in a show that he meant to be no threat to me.

"My Lady," he started softly. "Please. I would request a word with you if you would be willing to give me the time."

"Does this have anything to do with our troops?" I asked with another low growl that thrummed through the air.

"No, My Lady. My request does not pertain to our troops," he responded with a hesitant shake of his head.

"I told you that I did not wish to hear you speak to me concerning anything other then that which is related to the army," I hissed softly and I started past him, intent on leaving him kneeling where he was.

"My Lady _please_! I _beg_ of you!" he held out his hands in a gesture of entreaty with his claws yet pointed downwards and his head still bowed as he continued to speak. " _Please_ intercede on my behalf! I would do _anything_ that you would demand of me, only please intercede!"

" _I_ was not the one to issue your punishment," I snarled at him in sudden, instinct driven anger as I rounded on his kneeling form. "You would have me contradict _Kain's_ order? _Your Lord's_ order? You would have me _oppose_ him on _your_ behalf? Do you take me for a _fool_?!"

" _No_ My Lady!" Cillian cried out and he bowed his head lower still. "Not that! I would not _dare_ to ask you to go against My Lord Kain! What I ask is for you to intercede on my behalf regarding Lord Vorador!"

" _Vorador_?" I asked with a confused twitch of my wings and my instinctual anger wavered at the odd request.

"My Lady _please_ ," he eased a touch closer to me and I snarled in warning. He froze once more but continued to speak. "I will do aught what the Bride's wish of me as I was commanded by My Lord, but Lord Vorador intends to _join_ them. I do not wish to be a sacrifice upon his alter! Please, I beg of you to intercede!"

My wings twitched again as I recalled Vorador's acceptance of Alma's offer to join her and her Sister Bride's in 'breaking in their new toy'. I winced faintly as the human part of my mind tried to push up, tried to think of a way to possibly help him out of his current predicament where my Chosen Brother was concerned. Only... my vampiric instincts roared to the forefront of my mind and flooded over me in a wave of intuitive knowledge.

 _Any_ intercession on my part at this point would be seen as _weakness_ in the eyes of my Chosen Clan. If I was to be Kain's Queen, his Alpha Female if you will, then there would be times that I could not show _any_ weakness nor even a _hint_ of kindness.

My instincts screamed that _this_ was one of those times.

Vorador was... _scarily_ sized to be sure. I knew that after having stumbled upon him and one of his Bride's a while back in the kitchens of the Meridian Sanctuary, as I'd gotten _more_ than an eye-full of his, and his Bride's, 'assets' in the process. How it had even all _fit_ within her had been mind boggling and would have sent me flying with that thought alone chasing me, but in adding the fact that Vorador was now my 'Brother'... A shudder of disgust ran through me at the remembered incident. Vorador was quite firmly camped into the 'sibling' section of my mind and that particular incident fell into the 'I can't believe I just walked in on my _brother_ having _sex_! Oh _gods_ , my _eyes_!' category of events that needed to have a damned 'delete' button attached to it. _Ick_.

But... even with the human part of my mind trying to push back against vampiric instinct, trying to argue that there had to be something that could be done... Vampiric instinct won out easily.

Kain, Cillian's _Lord_ , his _Alpha_ , had given him his current orders and those orders were for Cillian to obey and follow _any_ and _all_ of the whims of Vorador's Bride's. If it was _their_ desire to have their Lord Husband join them in any activities they might think of that involved Cillian and what services he could provide to them, then that was their choice, _not_ his. It was Cillian's duty to obey his Lord's commands and thus he had to obey the orders any order that the Brides might issue to him whilst he was in their 'care'. To even _try_ to countermand the order in the way Cillian wanted me to...

It would undermine _every single step_ that I, and Kain, had taken thus far to show that I was growing to be a capable co-leader.

"Do you know what I am?" I asked him in a soft voice that hissed through the air.

"Yes My Lady," he responded. "A Half-Blood. A rare and beautiful impossibility."

"True," I said and a sub-harmonic growl of sound rumbled in my chest. "But that was _not_ what I wanted to hear from you."

"My Lady?" he asked and he raised his head just enough that he could see my face.

"The correct answer was 'Not A Fool'," I snarled in a vicious tone.

I then lashed out and kicked him hard enough to send him flying back several feet. He hit the wall with a pained grunt and made no move to get up as I approached his prone form. I glared down at him and spoke in a low, dangerous voice that... actually surprised me a bit with how cold I sounded. And yet I could not be bothered to think long on it, what with the rage that currently filled me.

"Do not think that because I am a _half-blood_ that I am like some weak human woman to be manipulated by a _sob_ _story_ of fear," I said and issued another sub-harmonic growl that made him shudder and his scent spiked with the fear of another blow. "I have _all_ of my vampiric instincts, same as _you_. I know the _truth_ of what you just suggested. You would have had me appear _weak_ to my Chosen Clan by asking me to do such a thing. You would have me appear weak to _Kain_. You would have me show _Mercy_ to you when you _knowingly_ took a risk in challenging me as you did. You lost and thus _brought this upon yourself_."

"Why did you not issue the punishment yourself!?" he shouted and looked up at me with rage in his eyes.

I kicked him as harshly across the jaw as I could. My vampiric instincts roared in my ears and my Aura flared at his rage, his daring in looking at me when I had given him specific orders to keep his gaze down. The blow was strong enough to split his lip open with a wide spray of blood and also sent a tooth flying down the hall. Several servants that had been nearby watching the confrontation from behind the edges of the door frames suddenly bolted with startled sounds and my hands clenched into fists as the scent of their fear filled the air. I focused solely on Cillian and dismissed the others from my mind lest their fear-scent distract me from the male in front of me.

" _Know your place_!" I roared at him. He recovered enough to move back into to where he was kneeling with his head bowed low enough that his long hair brushed the ground. "I want nothing to do with your body. Your form interests me not a bit, be it to cause you pain or take my pleasure of you. You are _nothing_ to me. Now, _go_ and obey the order given to you by your Lord and add another month of time to your punishment for your damned _audacity_ to beg me to intercede and for also _disobeying_ my command when it comes to speaking to me!"

"My Lady...!" he cried out in frantic sounding surprise at the added time frame to his punishment.

"Do I need to make it _six_ months?! _Begone_ from my sight!" I snapped out.

He scrambled from my sight swiftly at the threat of yet more time being added to his current punishment and he bolted down the now empty hall. I took several slow breaths in order to calm myself and I struggled to still the racing, gibbering, human portion of my mind. I rubbed at my forehead and let out another low growl of sound as I reined in my temper. The sound of slow clapping suddenly registered to my mind and my head jerked up toward the origin of the sound. I felt my eyes widen in surprise. Vorador stood in the doorway of a room connected to the hall I was in. Alma held onto one of his arms and one of her Sister Bride's held the other. All three of them were smiling hunter's smiles at me and I could not help the faint blush that suddenly started to stain my cheeks due to their combined, proud seeming, stares.

" _Very_ well handled Little Sister," Vorador said with a throaty purr.

"I... umm. How... _long_... have you three been there?" I asked and I coughed nervously into my hand.

"Long enough deary," Alma purred and she smirked at me.

"The blatant, _fawning_ praise was most amusing," her Sister Bride, Tara, said as she looked me over. She then flashed me a sultry wink. "'A rare and beautiful impossibility' indeed. You _are_ a darling little angel, but that was the most _nauseating_ attempt at kowtowing that I have seen in the past fifty years."

"Indeed. A _pitiful_ performance from him overall," Vorador agreed with a malicious laugh.

I shifted nervously at his tone and my wings furled close to my back. I glanced at Alma and frowned. Even with my vampiric instinct having overridden my human half... I needed to know.

~What... _exactly_... will you and the others do to him?~ I asked her in a carefully focused Whisper.

What with her acting as my teacher in all aspects of vampiric culture, it would be safe to ask her such a question. Asking Vorador or Tara such a thing... _no_... my instincts warned against bringing the subject up with either of them. Even though they would understand _why_ I might ask such a thing, it would still undermine what had been achieved thus far for me to ask such a question of _anyone_ other then Alma, Kain or Janos. My teacher, my Mate and my Chosen Sire respectively. Even then, such questions needed to be asked via the privacy of the Whisper, or in the case of asking such a question of Kain, the privacy of our rooms.

~We will take our pleasure of him whilst denying him release unless we wish for him to find completion for one. Which will not be often _if at all_ to be honest. If he does find release without permission he will of course be punished,~ she purred in my mind. ~There will be a bit of blood play as well, but nothing that could be considered true torture for a vampire deary. You need not worry about that and given what you've survived I can understand your concern even for one such as he. Understand that he has yet to earn that level of punishment... for the moment. If he is _extremely_ disobedient then there may be further punishments applied to ensure good behavior from him.~

~I.. understand now...~ I said slowly as I shifted in place and looked away from the trio.

~I know your main concern is for when Vorador joins us,~ Alma continued in a gentle tone. ~The fight with your human instincts was plain upon your face before your vampiric instinct won out, as it should. Cillian will be suitably prepared for such activities, you do not need to be concerned. There are so very many toys of various sizes that we can use in order to prepare the young fool for my Lord Husband when he finally joins us.~

~I... did _not_ need that image in my head Alma,~ I responded with a dry tone and I rubbed at my forehead again. ~I really, _really_ didn't.~

~Ah, but you can be such an _adorable_ little thing deary,~ she purred with a mental laugh.

I glared at her and shook my head. I stretched out my wings and then settled them so they lay cloak-like on my shoulders. I let out a faint sigh of exasperation at her sudden grin and she did something that made Vorador issue a low, purring growl. He looked down at her with a hungry fondness.

" _Alma_ ," I said with a whine in my voice. I face-palmed and did my best not to breathe in through my nose lest I catch their scent. "Enough. I need to talk to you about the troops. If you have the time now that is?"

"I know deary and I do have time enough at the moment," she said as she stepped away from Vorador. "Tara, do _take_ _care_ of our Lord Husband, yes?"

"I will Sister dear," Tara purred and she started to tug a very willing Vorador down the hall.

I couldn't help it, I felt my expression twist into a small disgusted frown and Alma laughed aloud in amusement. She gave my arm a small pat, mindful of my wing. She then led me further down the hall and outside into the night air.

"The expression on your face deary," she cooed after her chuckles had abated. "Ah, it is so much _fun_ to tease you at times."

"So _happy_ to be a source of amusement for you," I said in a droll tone and I rolled my eyes at her. "So what am I to work with?"

Alma let me out to meet the men and women that were to be under my command. After being introduced as their new commander, I took my time to look over the human warriors in order to check on their health. It was habit for me to check over any new members who joins my railroad project and I routinely checked on said members to make sure they remained healthy. Several of the men looked overtired, drained and one looked outright anemic despite continued posturing that he was fine. I tugged down the collar of that particular male and found a recent and slowly healing bite mark. I frowned and looked over at the four vampires now under my command; two male, two female.

"Who fed from this one?" I asked, a low growl in my tone.

"Captain Cillian, My Lady," one of the four, a male, said after they had all glanced at each other warily. The growl in my voice had set them immediately on edge. "He often feeds from the troops after a battle. The rush of victory leaves a tang of sweetness to a human's blood that can be very enjoyable."

"Why...? Wait, the adrenaline rush. _Of course_ ," I murmured thoughtfully. By the expressions on the four vampires faces I had only further confused them. I pushed the tired human down to sit on his cot.

"Alma, see to it that these men get rest, several high-iron meals and plenty of fluids," I ordered. She nodded in response to my words and I turned back to the pale human. "No alcohol for you for a while do you understand? Not until your pallor improves."

"Yes M'lady," the human responded and he rubbed at his face. "I ca' still fight though."

" _None_ of you will be fighting until I find you fit for duty," I said firmly as I shook my head. The men all did their best to look disappointed at the order but they could not hide the relief that filled their eyes and scents. "None of you should be in such a state without outright injuries. You've all been run ragged and need to rest or you will be useless in any upcoming battles."

I looked them over once more and frowned to myself. It would take time to get the group of humans back into shape. Cillian had obviously fed from the lot of them far more often then what I considered healthy for a human. Despite their physical fitness, I did not believe that they would be fit to fight again for one to two months. I left them to their rest and went to talk to Leon, Emrys and Stefon. I found that many of the men that had been added to their own groups were in the same shape and I had not been pleased. It was one thing to feed from the men on occasion but from their pallor and the way they acted the feedings were regular and... perhaps not _entirely_ willing.

I would have to bring that up to Kain later on... we did not need our troops collapsing during the middle of battle due to blood-loss caused by an overzealous feeding.

I worked with the Captain's to set up a strict regiment in order to both get the weakened humans on the diets they needed to recover whilst also keeping them in physical shape and their fighting skills sharp. Once everyone was on the same page, I left Alma to keep an eye on things and went to find Janos.

I found him with Nikolai in a clearing just outside Steinchencroe and had to stifle a chuckle at the sight the pair made. They had obviously been sparring, working to help Nikolai get used to the new vampiric speed and strength. Janos had easily caught and pinned Nikolai down into an arm hold at some point during their scuffle shortly before my arrival. The younger vampire squirmed in place for several moments as he tried to work out a way to get free, though it was rather obvious that he would not be able to free himself. Janos' Aura pulsed through the clearing a moment later and caused him to go still. When Janos started to lean in toward Nikolai's neck with a soft, hungry sounding growl, I cleared my throat softly to catch their attention.

"Ah, Childe," Janos said.

He shifted to look in my direction, though he made no move to release the now very flustered looking Nikolai. Janos' wings twitched outwards, mantling over Nikolai's form briefly before they tucked in again at his back. A gesture that could either be taken as a protective gesture or as a warning that signaled ' _my_ prey, _not_ yours' to other predators. Considering what I had likely just interrupted, the gesture... probably meant both.

"Did you need either of us for something?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, yes," I responded with a small smile. "But... I can find you later Sire, if you'd prefer me to leave the pair of you alone?"

"Plea-!" Nikolai started, only to have a claw flick over his ear in a correcting cut that rapidly healed. He fell silent with a sullen growl and I found myself rather thankful that I was currently upwind from the pair.

"Of course I have time for you, my Childe," Janos answered. He stood and he easily drew Nikolai to his feet as he did so.

Nikolai brushed his leather pants off once he was released from Janos' grip and he flashed me a mild glare at my interruption. I gave him an apologetic smile as I walked closer to them and I pulled free the carefully folded parchment that had my Symbol design upon it. Janos took the parchment delicately in his claws and opened it. His wings twitched open with a surprised jerk and Nikolai moved to where he could see what I had drawn even as he started to tease his fingers through Janos' pinion feathers.

"I see that Kain has already spoken to you regarding creating and imbuing your own Symbol," Janos said thoughtfully. "Normally it does not take one so little time to decide upon a fitting design."

"It is an intricate thing," Nikolai said as he looked over the drawing. "The weave of the lines is cleverly done. I didn't know that you drew."

"I can't draw like you can," I said with a shrug of wing and shoulder. "And this isn't a new design. It's something I made a long time ago and it's still important to me even now."

I explained to the pair just what the symbol meant for me as I had to Kain. Janos nodded his head thoughtfully once I had finished speaking and then flashed a kindly smile at me.

"It is good that you worked a memory of your Father into this," he said softly. "Many Childeren work in something of their creator's Symbol if they are able to."

"Even Vorador?" I asked with a thoughtful twitch of my wings. "His symbol is a dragon though."

"It is indeed," Janos said with a nod of his head. "But he did manage to work in a portion of my own Symbol into his design. The flame tipped tail of his draconic Symbol is a reverted part of my own."

"So your symbol..." I tilted my head. "A flame then...? And something else?"

"A flame with wings furled round it to protect it," he responded with another nod of his head.

"Ah! So it's a flame of hope being protected from the winds by wings! " I exclaimed as I snapped my fingers. Janos smiled wide and Nikolai let out a soft laugh. I blushed and felt my wings droop a bit. "Ah... maybe?"

"You are correct in your guess my Childe," Janos said. He reached out to pat my shoulder and handed the parchment back to me. "I had to be a Guardian in my own right for a long time, keeping the flame of hope alive for this world. I may not yet know what will happen in the future. The Pillars are damaged and yet the Soul Reaver is in the hands of the current Balance Guardian and Kain has also prevented the Hylden from invading our world. Even though things yet seem somewhat bleak, I still have hope and faith in the Wheel."

I had to look down at that and used my hair, currently hanging loose, to hide my face from him. Janos still did not know that his 'God' was a parasite that had set itself the gluttonous task of consuming _all_ of the souls on Nosgoth. I wasn't sure if I should even _hint_ at the truth, as it would likely not be taken well, not with how long he had believed in that false 'God'. I idly wondered if it might be best in the end for Janos, and possibly Nikolai if they remained a couple, to join me on my eventual, forced the trip back to Gaia and have them remain there. Janos could then be freed from the illusion that the parasite had wrapped 'round his eyes. He would also be around other winged vampires. It all depended on if my Birth Clan proved to be trustworthy or not. Janos continued to speak, unaware of my dark train of thought. I trailed a claw lightly over the parchment in my hands and kept my silence.

"It will take me just over a fortnight to gather the supplies that we will need as you cannot cast the Sealing spell yourself," Janos said and he tapped one claw against his chin. "I would normally grab the supplies from my own retreat or Vorador's Mansion but both locations are currently unsafe. As such, I will have to gather fresh ingredients. One item can only be gathered properly on the night of the full moon however."

"The full moon?" I said with a weak laugh and I raised my head back up to look at him. "You're not going hunting for were-wolf fur are you?"

"Not quite," Janos responded with a chuckle. "I will need the petals of a Cheza, the wolf lily, which only blooms on the nights of the full moon."

"What does it do?" Nikolai asked as he leaned against Janos' side. "And might I help you?"

"Of course you may help me, my Nikolai. As for what it does, the Cheza flower will be critical for the process since Katrina has no magic outside of her Gifts," Janos said as he glanced down at Nikolai with a fond expression. "I will have to make a tea with the flower and then instill some of my magic and blood into the mixture for her to drink. This will temporarily allow her to have access to a fraction of my own magic and allow her to cast the Sealing spell. It will last for all of five minutes, so the casting must be precise and swift."

He said the last as he looked up at me and I let out a faint sigh.

"I need to memorize something, don't I?" I asked with a hint of dry amusement.

"You do. It is not hard thing to commit to memory though and you will have the time to practice the proper pronunciation of the spell," Janos tapped the parchment. "Make any adjustments you wish now, my Childe. Beyond that..."

A small wave of his hand and he opened up a 'pocket' in the air much as Kain could and he reached into it in order to pull out a small tome. He flipped it open to a particular page and then handed me the book as he tapped at a small passage. The book was in Latin, another language that held similarities to my home world. Magic users still used Latin here on Nosgoth and, all things considered, it was likely still used by the vampiric community of Gaia. I would not know for certain until I returned though.

"Memorize this passage," Janos said in his 'teachers' tone. "If you need help with pronunciation then seek out myself, Vorador or Kain for assistance."

"Alright," I said as I looked over the words. "I will be on my way then."

"'Bout damned time," Nikolai murmured softly under his breath.

It was soft enough that, had I a humans hearing, I would not have heard him. I flashed a mock pout his way even as my Aura gave a small, gentle pulse of warning. An instinctual reaction at having a fledgling, or any younger vampire, mouth off to me.

"I'm _hurt_ 'nephew'," I said in a teasing tone. "You become a vampire and now no longer wish to spend time with me. I see how it is."

"' _Nephew_!?'" Nikolai sputtered in mock outrage and he tilted his head to bare his throat due to that slight warning pressure of my Aura.

"You are Vorador's get, are you not?" I smirked at him. "And is he not my 'big brother' now?"

I saw what remained of the human part of his mind stutter to a stop. He rubbed at his forehead and let out a soft groan of exasperation. Janos watched the pair of us with fond amusement in his eyes and then furled a wing around Nikolai.

"Ugh, considering the relationship that I have with Janos, can we please refrain from using human relationship norms?" Nikolai whined. "Otherwise this is going to give me a headache, considering if we used them... then I'd be in a relationship with my ' _grandfather_ '."

"If it helps, just remember that Janos can be quite firmly considered a 'cradle-robber'. You _are_ just a _baby fwedge_ ," I said in a teasing tone.

Janos let out an amused sigh. He shook his head and face-palmed at my words. He was swift to grab Nikolai by the back of the neck, without looking, when my friend made to lunge at me with a playful growl. Nikolai let out a soft whine that echoed from the back of his throat at being restrained so and, even though Janos had a firm hold of him, I still jumped back a few feet so I would be out of range of Nikolai's claws if he decided to swipe them at me. I tucked the parchment into the book that I now held in my hand.

"Don't be _too_ rough with him now, Sire," I called out over my shoulder as I turned and darted back down the path for the city. " _Baby_ boys tire quickly you know!"

"My stamina is _just_ fine, thank you _very_ much!" Nikolai shouted after me, though further words of upset were clearly cut off with a yelp of noise from the younger male.

I laughed and flew up to land on one of the cities stone walls. I sat down and started to study the passage that Janos had pointed out to me. It took a few days for me to translate the words, but essentially the passage read ' _Magic within, imbue this Symbol to my Soul. Magic within, with this Symbol I am made whole. Magic within, let all know me by this Sign. Magic within, let this Symbol act as my Blood-Line._ ' Translating the passage into what I knew to be English was one thing, what with all the tomes Vorador and Janos had accumulated, pronunciation of the passage... was another matter entirely.

Kain was... _kind_ enough to assist me with learning how to properly pronounce the passage. Though his methods of assisting me with it was a type of punishment/reward system that left me painfully frustrated the first few nights where I could not say even _part_ of the passage correctly.

"You are a gods-be-damned _tease_!" I'd snarled at him weakly the third night that he left me in a bound, drained and helpless state when I had failed to pronounce the passage properly yet again that eve.

"Think of it as positive reinforcement," he'd purred as he got dressed. "You say the passage correctly and thus you are rewarded. _Fail_ and in turn you are punished."

"Untie me you son of a bitch! _Bastard_!" I'd growled out as I tugged at the ropes.

"My human breeding was _impeccable_ , I'll have you know," he'd responded with a smirk and he had trailed a claw down my chest to leave a slow to heal cut behind. "I will leave you to calm down now, my Dear Katrina and will return within the hour where we will begin again. Remember, it is pronounced ' _sanguinem_ '."

My frustrated roar had followed him out of the room and he had merely laughed as he left.

Suffice to say, I learned how to properly say the required passage well before Janos had collected all the supplies, if only to _finally_ receive _relief_.

Vorador and Alma were both able to join us for the process of setting up the Sealing ritual in a small and isolated portion of the underground passages beneath Steinchencroe. Janos first had me draw my Symbol again using my own blood, a quill made from a raven's feather and small piece of parchment that was made out of rare dragon skin. It had been a bit of a surprise to find out that Nosgoth actually _had_ dragons, small dog-sized, serpentine-like creatures without wings that had been the basis of Vorador's own Symbol. They were tenacious and hard to find creatures that were difficult to catch even by _vampiric_ standards. The skin had been prized by the Ancients for its' ability to withstand time to a greater extent compared to more fragile calf, goat or sheep skin that humans used to make parchment. An appropriate Symbol for the stubborn and equally hard to kill Eldar vampire. Janos advised me as he made the tea, that one could still find small caches of said skin if one checked around the many blood fountains that still remained untouched.

Kain slipped into the small chamber just as Janos finished adding a few drops of his blood into the odd tea that he was making. I started to smile at him but my attention was rapidly drawn back to the tea when the concoction flashed bright white. The bright glow then settled into a soft blue color that was nearly the same shade as Janos' skin. I raised a brow at Janos as he held out the small cup.

"Drink it all. Quickly now, my Childe," Janos ordered with an encouraging smile.

I nodded as I took the cup in hand and I downed the fluid in a few gulps. Nothing happened at first, and then my body twitched violently. I wrapped my arms around my stomach with a startled gasp and my wings flared out wide. Both Kain and Vorador had to jerk back in order to avoid my now wildly twitching appendages. They reached out together to steady my wings and kept me from knocking any of the many candles in the room over. Memories shifted and unlocked for me as I was suddenly reminded of the electric, biting-into-a-power-line sensation of feeding on Eldar Kain's blood during his visit with me at the Pillars. This was a... _lesser_... extent to that feeling, but it was no less jarring to my senses. My entire body felt near to electrified with energy. It wasn't like I'd bitten into a power-line... more that it was as if I had somehow _become_ the power-line and the energy was using me as a conduit. I gasped for breath and found myself grateful that I had already been sitting down, else I would have collapsed.

"Holy..." I laughed softly and I felt somewhat... _giddy_ under that rush of energy. "Is _this_ what magic feels like to you lot all the time?"

"When one can call on it as readily as we can, yes," Vorador said in an amused tone of voice. "Though one learns swiftly to control the effects of the magic's flow through one's body."

"I do recall the sweet rush of power the first time I cast a spell," Alma said with a soft chuckle. "It is a heady thing having such power at one's fingertips, deary."

" _Focus_ Katrina, recall that this will not last long," Kain's voice was a steadying rumble at my side and he soothed his claws through the feathers of my wings whilst they trembled.

I nodded my head and swallowed as I tried to push back the odd giddiness. Janos guided my hands to the blood-drawn Symbol.

"Trace the Symbol the same as when you drew it whilst you speak," Janos directed me in a soothing voice that helped center me and I felt my hands begin to steady. "Pour your Will and Power into the Symbol whilst you do so."

I nodded my head firmly and started to trace the design. I spoke slowly with a shaky, trembly tone but with each word my voice gained in strength. I felt the magic that danced within me push forward and out of my fingertips as the Symbol started to glow with power where I traced it with the tip of my claw. I felt the Aura's of the others begin to thrum around me and my eyes fell half shut. I fell into the rhythm of the words as I traced my Symbol, my Mark. Once, twice, three times I spoke the passage as required. The tip of my claw came to rest on the end of the wing and the blood flared searingly bright in the candle-lit room. Bright enough that I had to close my eyes against the glare.

I felt my body arch as energy suddenly pulsed through me and a surprised shout was forced from my lips. Even with my eyes shut, my Symbol seemed to be burned into my eyelids, my mind, my _soul_. For a moment it was if I had risen through the sun itself and was being carried somehow upon winds made out of star dust. Kain had said I was immortal, _transcendent_ and for just an instant I believed with every fiber of my being that he was right. That I _could_ do this. That I could _easily_ claim my throne at his side. There was no room for doubt with such power flooding through my very soul.

Everything tilted a moment later and I realized as arms closed around me that I had started to fall over. Hands shifted me around until I lay curled in someones lap with my head resting upon their shoulder. I let out a contented purr of noise as those hands started to gently preen my feathers. I took in a slow breath of air to catch the scent of whom I was leaning against. Kain. I nuzzled into the curve of his neck a moment later. A second, third and then fourth set of hands started to trail over my wings, back and sides. I felt the Aura's of the other's pulse around my own and I found that the light touches upon my wings no longer bothered me. Instead I felt my wings twitch and arch outward into the claws and talons when they started to scratch at a particularly good spot. A powerful sense of 'Home' and 'Clan' poured through me. I yawned widely and tucked myself further into Kain's lap as a sense of satisfied languor suffused my mind.

~Katrina?~ Kain's voice was a soft caress along my mind as he turned to nuzzle at my exposed neck. ~How do you feel?~

~Amazing,~ I responded sleepily. I found that I did not care if I was projecting my thoughts to the others. ~Everything feels... _boundless_. Eternal.~

~The Sealing of the Symbol can be a spirituous event,~ Janos' said in a soothing timbre. ~You will likely feel inebriated over the next few days.~

I couldn't help the sudden, wild giggle that escaped me at his words.

~S-seriously?~ I asked. ~I'm going to be _drunk_? As if I'd had too much Blood-wine?~

~Likely worse, considering that you are _already_ giggly and it has barely been ten minutes since the spell's completion,~ came Vorador's amused voice. ~You do not imbibe much, nor often, do you?~

I shook my head with another giggle and then let out a soft purr when claws delicately started to scratch over the back of my neck. I leaned back into that touch and Alma's voice purred teasingly through my mind.

~Regardless of all that my dear, let me say congratulations,~ she said.

She leaned forward to plant a light but firm kiss on my lips. A kiss that I half responded to before I could think. I pulled back from her and blinked my eyes open as I licked my lips. I raised a brow at her even as I felt the blush begin to stain my cheeks. Kain let out an amused hum of noise at my reaction to her kiss, though he did not comment upon it. He continued to nuzzle and nip at my neck instead.

~Such a _lovely_ little darling,~ Alma said and she dropped her hand down along my spine. ~With your own Symbol, all will know you.~

Kain rested a claw under my chin and I turned to look up at him in response to that light touch. His eyes filled with a darksome light and he leaned in to kiss me. The kiss started off soft and then deepened, though he did not draw blood. His mind brushed against mine in a private caress of thought.

~My Katrina,~ he purred as his tongue danced over my own. ~Alma is correct. _All_ shall know you. You cannot deny the power within you now my Little One. Accept your dark divinity, my Queen.~

It took a bit of effort to make sure that my thoughts stayed linked to his mind alone. I pushed up into his kiss and reached up to caress his cheek in my hand.

~Yes, my King~ I Whispered to him as I broke the kiss and let my head fall back against his shoulder. I settled into his arms and sunk into the warm energy that surrounded me on all sides.

* * *

Please Enjoy!


	34. Angel Down

Edits 07/2016

Chapter Thirty-Four: Angel Down

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

Bolstered by the success of the Sealing spell and the creation of my own Symbol, I found that I began to feel a little more at home in my own skin. I no longer flinched and hissed in warning whenever Alma or one of her Sister's brushed their hands against my wings when I hung around them. They often took my sudden lack of a near-to-violent response to mean that they now had free reign to ' _help me groom them_ '. As a result, Kain oft found me in a state of bone deep lassitude more than once when the group had gotten it in their heads that I had not been 'taking proper care of my wings'. Such a thing was oft prompted by a single feather being bent out of place and thus would lead to my being waylaid by a group of the females, normally led by Alma and Tara.

I would then find myself being drug off to the mansion's solar for a grooming session... which also included having them tend to my own, more delicate and yet no less deadly, claws. The lot of them found the fact that my claws were at least partially retractable to be fascinating, or in Tara's words, ' _adorable_ '. Once my claws had been 'properly sharpened', they would then move to give me, and each other, a thorough massage using various warming oils. Once they were done, and only then, did they actually move on to tend to my wings.

I found though, that proper wing grooming _could_ be better then the back massages and I also found myself complaining less and less when Alma and her Sister's demanded that they be allowed to 'tend to my wings'. I even found myself joining in on a few of their lewder conversations on occasion and I learned... sometimes far, _far_ more than I had thought to at the time when I had pipped up with my own opinion on a particular subject.

More than once the group of females had used those little 'grooming sessions' to try to convince me to switch to some of the more... _skimpily_... designed armors like their own. Their strongest argument in favor of such revealing garb was that skilled magics were used to help shield the exposed flesh of their bodies. I firmly declined whenever they tried to 'help' me with my wardrobe. Alma, rather than argue in favor of the _armor_ , tried to convince me that I needed a few _dresses_ amongst my outfits. Tara usually argued for more form-fitting leathers akin to 'cat-suits' and several of the others argued for outfits that were little more then the Gaia equivalent of a two-piece bathing suit with thigh-high boots and gloves that covered one's forearms.

I continued to decline _all_ of their ideas as far as my everyday clothing and armor was concerned. I was far more comfortable wearing my cargo-style pants, even compared to the leather pants that Kain had gotten for me. He had been correct that the longer the leathers were worn, the more that said leather relaxed to fit against my skin like a glove. I just... felt more at ease getting out of my normal pants as opposed to pealing off the leathers. While I did find it easier to alternate between the different styles after the Sealing, I simply could not see myself wearing the very revealing armor that the buxom vampiresses wore all of the time. It worked well enough for them perhaps, but I felt uncomfortable with the thought of wearing so little, even if the outfits _were_ carefully augmented to protected the exposed skin from damage.

I also found that I felt more confident when working with the troops that had been assigned to me by Kain. That and working with his other, more experienced, Captain's. I worked in tandem with Leon, Emrys and Stefon regarding the weakened soldiers and that went easier as well. My thoughts no longer raced quite so strongly when around the three males as I no longer thought of what might go wrong whenever I approached them. When I spoke with them alone before, I had always been somewhat worried that they would call me out on my inexperience or challenge me the way Cillian had. Our combined efforts would get our troops back into fighting shape within a month and a half from the way the men were recovering.

Then there were the army standards that were to be issued to my troops...

The mere sight of the first of completed standard that bore both Kain's Symbol and my own sent a small thrill of dark possessiveness running down my spine. Alma had brought the completed standard to me with the intent to confirm that my Symbol was accurate and that the coloring of it, the seamstress had used silver thread, was to my satisfaction. I had gripped the sturdy cloth in my hands and started at it for several long minutes as I reigned in that new sense of possessiveness that thrummed through me. I had then made sure that my troops were maintaining their new diets and regiment training before I left to seek out Kain.

I had been very, very pleased with the design on the standards and had eagerly shared that with him when I found him unoccupied in one of the libraries.

Even then, with all the pleasant events that had followed immediately after the Sealing, the time that I had needed to work with my men and get them back into shape had resulted in the first serious... confrontation with Kain. A confrontation that was held in a _private_ room of course. I knew the moment that I moved to corner him about an order he had issued to me, that it would be best not to try to countermand or modify said order while we were in front of the others. Instincts _demanded_ that I bring my reasoning, my problems with said order, up with him in private. The order in question had been for me to prepare my troops for a sortie against a series of small bases filled with Sarafan troops. The bases were located along the Northwestern bank of the Great South Lake. The order itself had been issued barely a week after said men had been put under my command and Kain had given me only four days to complete the task of claiming those locations for him.

 _Four_ _days_ to claim territory with men that could not fight effectively...

"Kain, I need to talk with you," I said to him.

I had approached him while he was in an isolated reading room and had closed the door behind me. I stopped several feet away and my wings fanned out behind me briefly before they settled along the line of my shoulders.

"If this is concerning your orders, mine own," Kain started as he grabbed a book from the bookcase without looking my way. "Then I expect them to be obeyed."

"Kain... the only members of my contingent that are capable of the marching and fighting required for this task are the _vampires_ that you assigned to me," I said to him.

I worked to keep my tone level and calm even though part of me wanted to ask what in the hell he was thinking by ordering me to do such a thing. I wanted to shout at him in all actuality, but I knew that would not go over well.

"The humans that were under Cillian's command have been bled far too often then what could be considered healthy," I continued. "I will need _at least_ a month and a half, possibly two months, to get them, and the humans that were sorted amongst the other Captain's, back into shape."

"They looked well enough to fight when I visited their section of the camp earlier today," Kain responded in a bland tone. He opened the book in his hand and flipped to a seemingly random page.

"False bravado whilst under the watchful eyes of their General," I said with an angry yet soft scoff of breath. "Several of the men cannot hold a sword for longer than three minutes before their hands begin to shake uncontrollably. I confirmed that with my own eyes days ago. They would not last the march, let alone the fighting that will be required of them."

Kain looked up at me at then and let out a low growl. He sent out a testing, demanding pulse of his Aura against my own. I tensed under the pressure, but allowed my Aura to flare against his own. My wings spread outwards, just an inch or so from my shoulders where they had been resting. It was more to prepare for sudden movement from Kain if needed than a threat display. I had never really confronted him in such a way before and I had been unsure of how he might react to my defiance regarding the orders that he had issued.

"And what would you suggest that I do, _hmm_ my Little One?" he asked. A sub-harmonic growl of warning was hidden in his tone and I had shivered at the sound. Still, I held my ground and tucked my chin downward as I frowned at him. "Leon, Emrys and Stefon will all be quite busy with their own troops. They will be fortifying the forested lands between the two Lakes against further attack from the East. We must needs lay claim to the Northwestern shores of the Great South Lake before the Sarafan Lordling can muster his troops in an attack from that direction. The current bases along the line of water are weak and ready for claiming, but only if I act before they can be fortified by the Sarafan troops that are stationed there. You would have me _delay_ my attack?"

"Not delay," I responded with a firm shake of my head. "Merely that I cannot make an effective strike with the troops that I _currently_ have. The humans that were assigned to me cannot fight Kain. Instead of using them, allow me to gather a handful of troops from the cities. Even just five men taken from Meridian, Provance, Ziegsturhl and Nachtholm will give me the troops that are required for this mission to be a success. A few magic users amongst the lot would be even better, as I could then have them remain at the water line bases whilst we fortify. They would also be able to attack at range if any of our foes troops dare to attack from the lake itself in the future."

The book in his hand snapped shut with a loud clap of noise that echoed in the room. I tensed and then forced myself to relax my muscles. Tensing so much would do me no good if he decided that I needed a 'correction' for questioning him as I was doing. Something that had never come up before. I needed to keep my limbs loose and limber, ready to act... to evade. He stalked toward me, his eyes dark and I had to fight the impulse to fall back a few steps. His expression was... _volatile_... and not something that I was used to from him even during our sparing matches.

"You are _questioning_ me," he let out another low growl as he leaned in so that he was nose to nose with me.

"I am _questioning_ how you expect me to go about this mission with _weakened_ troops, yes," I responded.

I spoke as firmly as I could, and despite the faint tremor in my voice, I held my ground stubbornly in the face of his upset. He caught my chin in his hand and his claws just barely began to dig into my flesh. It was more a threat of harm... a promise of pain. He had then tried to force me to bare my throat. I had allowed him to move my head just an inch before I pushed back against the pressure of that firm touch. His claws dug further still into my flesh as a result of that action and the sharp points drew the faintest amount of my blood in the process. His eyes narrowed on me at my continued defiance and I had to fight the urge to step back and bare my throat to him.

" _Yield_ to me," he growled in a low, dangerous tone.

"Not in this," I responded and I had let out a low growl of my own to hide my budding fear. " _You_ taught me that any Captain of an army has a duty to _both_ their own commanding officer _and_ to the troops that follow said Captain. I will _not_ take the men that I have now into battle. They would fail such a task as they are now and that would serve us not at all."

Kain's claws pushed upwards against my chin, another blatant signal for me to bare my throat to him and yield to his will. Once again, I pressed back against that touch in order to keep my chin down and my throat shielded whilst I kept my gaze upon his own blue-gold gaze that seemed as hard as diamonds. His Aura flooded around me in another dangerous pulse of power. My own Aura responded in kind and rose up against his in challenge. A sense of 'Don't back down, _don't_ back down! Hold your ground!' pounded through my instincts in time with my heartbeat. I knew, just _knew_ , that I could not yield to him if I expected to make my point and my views on this situation plain. I also knew that I would loose a measure of his respect if I backed down on this matter when I'd had the courage to confront him in the first place.

"And _how_ would you possibly gather the troops that you need from the cities in time to stage your attack as you suggested, hmm my Little One?" he asked after several long minutes. A sneer curled his lips and his expression turned harsh, disdainful, as he spoke. "If you go city to city you _will_ waste valuable time."

"I would not go city to city _myself_ to gather the troops," I responded with a growl. I reached up to carefully wrap my hand around his wrist in order to prevent him from digging his claws any further into my skin. "I would send my _Second Lieutenants_ and _Sergeants_ to the cities in order to gather five of the most skilled warriors that each city can spare. With their speed, they would be able to gather the needed fighters and then meet Alma and I just to the east of the Pillars. This would leave us with enough time to stage the attack. Alma and I can scout the area in the interim whilst we wait on the men to arrive."

The pressure of his Aura had not lessened a whit as he glared down at me. Kain moved his hand away from me in an abrupt movement and the action pulled his wrist from my grasp in the process. He then turned away from me with a low sub-harmonic growl and he opened the book again to turn to the page that he had been on before he had snapped it shut.

" _Go_ then. Let us see if you can manage to complete your appointed task," Kain said in a voice that was low and dangerous with the thrum of his power. "Understand me _clearly_ mine own; if you fail in your appointed task, there _will_ be consequences equal to that pf anyone else who fails me, _regardless_ of your place at my side."

I had to bite back a snarl at his words even as my heart gave a small stutter-stop of fear at the threat. For threat it was. There were times that I could forget that this world was as violent as Gaia's own dark ages. Times that I forgot that a soldier's failure could lead not just to a dock pay or dishonorable discharge, but to prison time in dirty dungeons. To being punished for ones failure or disobedience. There were no clean cells here where prisoner's would be given three square meals a day, daily exercise and medical attention. Many prisoners might simply be locked up and then... _forgotten_. A vampire would not necessarily die of starvation either... they would first enter a slumber-like state. Only if they were left forgotten and untended for longer than a _ten years_ would a full-blooded vampire succumb to true death. Then there were public punishments like flogging or whipping... or _worse_... all depending on the capricious nature of the leader that lead the army.

History had been a valuable course of study for me in school and the cold knowledge of what could happen if I _failed_ became a cold weight at the bottom of my stomach. Kain had been attentive of me, _gentle_ with me in so many ways... but the tone of his voice made one thing very clear; he _would not_ coddle me when it came to his army and my own rank within it. The methods of reward and punishment that came with being a commander under his rule would apply to me just as much as it applied to any of the others.

It was a frightening, yet understandable, realization...

I left the room as calmly as I could manage and then ducked into a side room in order to catch my breath and calm my nerves before I went to find Alma. I closed the door behind me and braced my hands against one of the tables within the room. I took in several deep gulps of air as I worked to calm my racing heart. I could not let my fear or doubts show when I went to gather the others. Not with something like _this_. Fuck, shit and damnation but the mere _threat_ of what would happen if I failed to complete the task he had given me had damn near paralyzed me in those first few moments. I had to rally myself by shoving aside the fear, locking it away and partitioning myself in a way that left me functional. This was not as easy at it seemed, as normally partitioning myself in such a manner would have left me in a blank and unresponsive state. I could oft settle myself into such a state when the torturous pain got to be too much when I had been trapped with Auron, but I needed to remain _functional_ for this.

Minutes later, perhaps even an hour later, my mood had settled and my scent was clear of the fear that I had felt. I moved swiftly to find Alma and the other vampiric members of my contingent. Alma raised a brow at me after I sent the others off with their orders and she crossed her arms over her chest with a thoughtful expression.

"Are you _sure_ this is a good idea deary?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"Can the humans that are assigned to me able to fight as they are?" I growled at her. She opened her mouth and I cut her off before she could answer. "The answer is; No, they _cannot_. We also cannot spare troops from Steinchencroe, Vasserbunde or Coorhagen. Those locations are undergoing initial fortification procedures right now and they cannot spare anyone at this point in time. This is the _only_ way that I am going to get the troops that I will need in time to complete this mission. Now, let us go. We have to scout the area while the others gather the men."

"As you will dear," she said with a bow of her head and a blank expression. Though there had been something _odd_ in her eyes that set me on edge at the time.

The time spent scouting the area had revealed three guarded points spaced along the water's edge. Each location showed signs of construction for small ports and larger guard posts. They were all just barely within view of the others and had large wooden beacons that were soaked in oil. With the distance between each post, the beacons would be lit to warn the others of any attack and thus signal both the other posts and to those across the water that reinforcements were needed. Two guard stood guard at the beacons, one on the East side and one on the West, each ready to light the warning signal if there proved a need. I had nodded to myself and then turned to face Alma.

"Alright, here's the plan; We're going to do a pincer attack and take out the outer two posts first. Then we target the middle one. We will have to take out the guards at each of the beacon's first however," I said to her. "They do not look to have any of those net launching trebuchets, so I can fly us both in with my Gift active. I'll drop you on the heads of the first two guards at the Eastern post. I will then wing around to take out the two guards at the Western post myself. Stay hidden when you have taken out the guards and signal the attack the group I will assign to you once the guards are down. I'll do the same for my group. You and I will have to stay near the beacons once the guards are dead to make sure that no one else gets close enough to light them. Have the men target the archers first and foremost, we don't need any flame-lit arrows hitting the beacons."

"A sound strategy deary," Alma responded. She flashed me a grim smile and then looked over the soon to be battlefield with hungry eyes.

From there we hooked up with the troops that had gathered at the meeting point as ordered. I felt my wings twitch with satisfaction as I looked over the men that had been gathered. Two magic users had also been brought and I split the groups evenly. Given that the magic users were both skilled with electrical magics, a really common element for mages to have an affinity with here on Nosgoth, I gave them orders to be mindful of their spells. One wrong arch of lightning could have caught the beacons aflame and warned the Sarafan troops both on shore and across the water. The whole point of this was to play the 'safe port' and the slaughter the enemy troops when they got too close later on.

Kain had given me four days to complete the mission. With the tactics used and the troops gathered as swiftly as they had been with the help of the vampires under my command, I had completed the mission within _three_ days and with minimal injuries amongst the humans. Kain had ridden out on a high-bred horse, claimed from the stables of one of the Lord's of Coorhagen, on the fourth day. I had been directing the others on what to do; who was to focus on the clean up, who would search the gear supplies and lastly, who would continue the construction, when he had ridden up to me. I had only realized as he had come up alongside me with a smug, _self-satisfied_ look upon his face, that he had set me the task as he had _on purpose_. As a bloody _test_. The pride filled look in Alma's eyes when I had shot a look in her direction surreptitiously had only cemented that realization firmly in my mind.

Pissed... did not even _begin_ to cover how I felt when I became aware of that fact.

I had made my report to him in a clipped tone even as I had fought to keep my Aura subsumed and my upset hidden from those around us. It would do no good for the other vampires under my command to sense my anger when we had completed our mission successfully and well within the time limit we had been given. From the hint of amusement in Kain's eyes and the lack of a reaction from the vampiric troops that I had under my command, I had been able to successfully contain my ire for the most part. When he reached to brush his claws through my feathers in his usual, idle seeming manner I had allowed it for all of a second before I had pulled back and out of his reach.

"Excuse me, I need to check on the wounded," I had said to him as I turned away.

I ignored the thoughtful hum of noise that he'd made in order to focus upon the few wounded amongst my troops. I _did_ need to see to them. I needed to make sure that they were tending to their wounds properly. Everything I knew of basic first aid from Gaia was _leagues_ above what they were used to and my knowledge had already helped to prevent later infection and illness from affecting them. Whilst Kain moved to talk to Alma and check on the fortifications that had already been completed, and what he wanted to change for the defenses, I walked amongst my men to check on their health and moral.

When one of the two male vampires under my command made to feed from a not quite willing soldier that had been trying to move a wooden beam, I growled. I stopped the male in his tracks with an angry pulse of my Aura and then tossed him one of the blood vials that I had packed into the magically expanded bag. He caught the bottle easily enough and then snapped off a quick salute when my eyes narrowed on him.

"You and the others are not to feed from the humans. Not when we are currently busy with fortifications. Doing such a thing will affect their ability to complete their work in a timely manner," I snarled at him in a low, warning tone. "Assuage your hunger with Blood Vials until we are done, do you understand me? Pass the word on to the others."

"Y-yes my Lady," the vampire murmured softly.

He backed away from me swiftly, both bowing and tilting his head to the side to bare his throat as he moved. The sense of relief that exuded from his Aura was both a confusing and heady sensation. The human had shot me a grateful look before he turned back to his assigned task and I had left him to it.

I remained out at that location for over a weeks time, _long_ after Kain had returned to Steinchencroe. Alma stayed at my side the entire time, she _was_ my watcher after all, and she easily noticed my slowly darkening mood. She cornered me at one point while I was on top if one of the taller structures. I had been resting in a crouched position with my wings fanned out so that they had me partly concealed. Ready to move in an instant if need, but still a relaxed enough position that I was not needlessly tensing my muscles. I looked at her with a raised brow as she approached me.

"Deary, your anger is all but palatable," she said to me in a soft voice. "You may not be taking it out on the men but, you _are_ making them quite edgy."

"And?" I had murmured softly, not quite believing her.

I looked out over the area and noted the movements of the men. I realized with a start that she was right. Vampire and human alike would occasionally shoot a wary glance my way before hastily looking away, as if simply _looking_ at me might upset me further.

 _Why would they be acting like that?_ I thought with a frown.

"They are waiting you to snap and take your rage out on one of them," she said softly.

I stiffened briefly at her words and then relaxed a moment later. Likely had she merely seen my thoughts writ plain upon my face and thought to answer my silent question. Regardless I tightened my mental control to ensure that I did not project my thoughts to the others. She reached out to smooth the ruffled feathers of one wing back into place. I pulled my wing away from her touch and glared at her.

"I wouldn't do that to them," I growled at her.

" _I_ know that deary, but _they_ are not used to you as yet and thus fear an explosion of action that will not actually occur," she crouched next to me and leaned into my side. I let out a soft growl of annoyance but allowed her weight to settle against me. "What has you so upset? It is not true rage that I sense in your Aura."

"I..." I started angrily. I stopped and let out a huff of breath sharply through my nose. Only once I had calmed did I continue in a controlled tone. "This was not a test that I appreciated being put through."

"I do not quite think _that_ is quite the reason for your upset either," she purred in a soothing voice and she leaned in to nuzzle at my braid-bared neck. I shivered at the deceptively light touch. "Come deary, be honest."

"I... a part of me knows that... I _have_ to be held to the same standards as the others in Kain's army when it comes to matters of warfare if I am to command any number of his troops. I _get_ that," I said with a nervous ruffling of my wings. I frowned as I organized my thoughts into something that would make sense. "The rest of me despises the fear that ran through me when he made that fact clear. The fact that this was a _test_ , designed most like to see how I would react to said threat of failure, pisses me off. He _frightened_ me over a bloody _test_!"

I punched my hand against the roof lightly. The dull thud was not all that satisfying as I could not allow myself to hit the roof as hard as I wanted lest I actually damage it. I let out another low growl and Alma nuzzled at the back of my neck gently. I twitched at the continued touch and frowned at her.

"And yet you held your ground when you knew the right course of action and carried out your orders with calm and concise action. All off it carried out within the means available to you," she rumbled soothingly. "You passed the test _beautifully_. What then is the problem?"

"I am not a pet to _perform_ on command or be _brought to heel_ for failure to navigate the traps laid before me!" I hissed out at her and I tried to stand up.

She wrapped an arm around my waist firmly and prevented the movement. When I started to struggle against her hold, she moved to pin me down against the roof top swiftly. Her actions kept us hidden from the sight of the others as we fought and even then I knew that it was to prevent others from seeing, and questioning, our short scuffle. I squirmed in her grasp even as I let out a low growl of defiance and she pressed herself firmly against me in order to keep me pinned. Her strength _easily_ surpassed my own due to the difference in age and power between us and it frustrated me to no end at that moment. But... there was a _reason_ that she was my main tutor in the fighting arts and she would continue to be my mentor for some time yet.

" _Calm_ deary," she purred softly in my ear. Her voice held a note of warning to it and I reluctantly stilled beneath her. "Everyone's mettle is to be tested, tempered and _strengthened_. You may not be a tamed creature to be brought to heel but even _you_ must needs face the testing fires of leadership. Would you have preferred that he give you _no_ warning of what failure might entail? Only to have your actions not be spurred by said knowledge and thus perhaps a step missed as a result? To have the task put before you end in failure and then leave you to feel _betrayed_ when the General's whip fell as a result of such failure?"

My body trembled with my anger even as I looked away from her. I slumped against the wooden roof of the structure we were on moments later and let out a heavy sigh. The layered roof tiles dug painfully into my back and wings and had already caused a minor ache to flare along my spine due to how she had me pinned but I ignored the pain as my thoughts calmed.

"No," I answered through gritted teeth. "I merely _dislike_ that Kain set such a trap... a test... for me _at all_."

"A test of this nature is not a _true_ test of one's skill if one is _aware_ of it," she crooned in my ear as she leaned in close. "He believed that you would not flounder under the threat and he was _right_. You were victorious and even completed your given task _ahead_ of schedule. You should feel proud of yourself."

"...I'm still not happy with him," I grumbled even as my anger finally started to cool.

"That is fine deary," she said and she placed a light kiss at the corner of my mouth. My brow twitched and I frowned at her. She smiled unrepentantly and continued to speak. "Just as long as you understand what is expected of a commanding officer in his army. This is something that must needs be taken seriously. A game it can be called, but the stakes of this game are the lives of your men and _your own hide_ should any failures be caused by your own carelessness."

"I know that. I merely do not like being _threatened_ in such a manner. I do not feel that it was necessary," I sighed gustily. "I _know_ how dangerous battle is and I already figured that I would be held at equal or higher standards compared to the others. I mean, going from running just the Railroads to being one of his Captain's so swiftly? And being his _lover_ as well? I'd _have_ to be held to a higher standard just to combat rumors! It's one of the reasons I've pushed so hard to make sure my troops are going to actually be fit to fight and why I haven't slacked off at all with the Railroads during all this! I _do_ get the reasoning... Now will you _remove_ yourself from my person?"

"Mmm? Oh, very well," she started with an exaggerated sigh and she eased herself up into a sitting position that would allow me to slip out from under her. "I was _quite_ comfortable though. So soft."

I blushed faintly even as I let out a growling sigh at her flirting. I slipped out from under her and pushed myself up so that I was back in my previous crouched position as if she had not pinned me down. I stretched out my wings to loosen up the strained muscles and then let out a sigh as I drew them back in to rest upon my shoulders.

" _Why_ do you constantly flirt with me?" I muttered to her in annoyance. "I am _not_ interested in your advances."

"Oh deary," she said with a laugh. " _That_ is a lie. You _are_ interested, you merely will not _act_ on that interest."

I let out a soft snarl at her words and shoved outward with one wing to push her further away from me as I straightened up. I found it annoying that she was correct regarding my interest _and_ my refusal to act. I would rather she not bring it up at all however. She laughed and simply rolled with the shove in order to aid her subsequent jump from the roof. I leaned over the edge, wings flared out behind me to help maintain my balance and I yelled down at her.

"Make sure the men have enough supplies!" I ordered firmly. "We head back to Sanctuary tonight!"

"As you wish deary!" she called up to me and she swaggered off to check on the supplies.

The men that had been within earshot noticeably relaxed at my shout and I had to fight back a wince. I had not meant to make them uneasy whilst I mentally raged at Kain's decision to test me as he had. Healthy respect from the men was one thing. Outright fear of me was not something I had wanted from them and I wanted to correct that if possible. At the very least I hoped that this would show them that, while I had a temper, I would not needlessly take said temper out on those under my command. The same could not be said for all commanders...

I leapt down from my perch and carefully milled amongst the men. The change in my demeanor helped them relax further still and by the time we had confirmed that the men were outfitted with enough supplies to last them over a month, both from what had been brought in over that week and what was left of the supplies the Sarafan had had on hand, they once more held themselves at a respectful ease around me. Satisfied with the results, we had started off for home that very night. One of my vampiric soldiers caught up to us shortly after we had left and there was a viciously victorious look in his eyes.

"My Lady! Please wait!" Alma and I had stopped and turned toward the approaching male with raised brows. "We found something amongst the gear of the Sarafan! Here!"

He held out a small blue crystal to me. It was about two inches in length and only around a quarter inch thick. I took it from him and looked it over curiously as I tried to figure out why such a tiny thing could be so important that my Sargent had thought to chase after me. Alma sucked in a surprised breath of air when I held it out to show it to her.

"A _communications crystal_! Undamaged no less!" she breathed out. "Our success here has nigh _tripled_ with this find alone!"

"A communi-?" my voice broke off with my surprise.

I recalled what the captured prisoner had said months ago about the Sarafan Lordling. The Bastard had gone into hiding and had started to use communication crystals in order to deliver his instructions to the Sarafan troops without his location being revealed in the process. This find meant... it meant that we might well be able to track his movements or at least use the crystal in order to cut off supply lines and prepare for any major attacks that he might be planning. We could even use it to set up a trap if he announced that he would be arriving at a particular location. A satisfied croon of noise escaped me when I realized that we might have come closer to killing the little shit.

"We need to hurry back," I said with a dark grin and I looked up at Alma as I pocketed the crystal. "Vorador and Janos should be able to do something with this, yes?"

"Oh, _yes_ deary," Alma answered and she let out a croon of her own.

I nodded my thanks to my Sargent and we then rushed back toward Sanctuary. We were both eager to report our find. Alma broke off when we neared the mansion and flashed a wink my way as she left. I was confused for several moments before I smiled back at her. I realized that she meant to let me have all the fun in showing off the crystal and making the report. This _was_ my first successful mission as an official Captain after all. I found Kain easily enough with a small pulse of my Aura. He was with Vorador and Janos in the larger library room. They had converted the room into their new war room. I had to fight back a sigh at the sight within said room when I approached.

Kain and Vorador were arguing with each other over tactics. They glared at one another from across the table that held the map spread out upon it.

Janos stood off to the side, obviously having withdrawn in order to avoid being pulled into the bordering-on-blows argument that was brewing between the two. He looked over at me when I entered the room carefully and my adopted Sire offered me a faint smile. I returned the smile and nodded my head. His mind brushed against mine a moment later.

~It is good to have you back again my Childe. It had been a... trying... time without you here to mitigate,~ he glanced at the arguing pair and a look of fond exasperation filled his eyes. The look of a long-suffering parent dealing with two constantly squabbling siblings. ~They have been at it for over an hour now. I would not interfere at this point were I you. They are likely to come to blows soon and I would not wish you caught between them.~

~It is good to see you too, Sire,~ I responded. I eyed the pair myself and I felt a wicked grin cross my lips a moment later. ~I have important information to share and I believe I have a way to distract them from their fight long enough to share it.~

~Do be careful my Childe. Whatever it is you plan may not go as well as you hope,~ he warned and he raised a brow at me.

I nodded my head at the warning and walked closer to the enraged males. I kept the crystal palmed in one hand as I approached and I did my best to put a disappointed lilt into my tone.

"Truly, did I miss the wedding at some point?" I said loud enough to be heard over their combined snarling. "The two of you do fight as often as an old married couple."

Snarls broke off into equally flummoxed and insulted sputters and they both turned toward me with equally annoyed and shocked looks at what I had suggested. Before either male could snap out of the shock that had been caused by my words in order to become _truly_ angry with me, I tossed the crystal carefully onto the table. It was heavy enough to land with a firm 'thunk' of noise and the sound drew their combined attention away from me in an instant. Even Janos let out a surprised sound at the sight of the object that I had brought back.

"Look at what we found amongst the Sarafan's gear," I said to them with a smirk as they continued to stare at the crystal.

Kain recovered first and picked up the crystal in his hand. He then held it up so that the torchlight could better reveal the state of the crystal. As he looked it over, a cold smile came to his lips. He passed the crystal to Vorador and then turned to look at me as he spoke.

"This is a valuable find _indeed_ mine own," Kain said to me and he let out a darksome chuckle.

"Very much so," Vorador said and he held the crystal up himself to examine it with a critical eye. "There is no damage. We should be able to figure out the runic combination the Lordling is using with relative ease and thus gain valuable information."

"We should also be able to capitalize on this find several times before he realizes that he has to make and distribute more crystals amongst his men," Janos said as Vorador passed the blue crystal over to our Sire.

My wings gave a ruffling twitch of satisfaction at my back and they rose from my shoulders in a small, mantling gesture that revealed plain my pleasure at the results of the find. I would need to figure out a suitable reward for the one amongst my men who had found the intact crystal. Janos shot me a bemused look and then turned his attention toward Kain.

"I will start working on deciphering the runic combination immediately," Janos said.

"Decipher the combination swiftly Old One," Kain responded with a feral grin. "The sooner we can begin to intercept such communications, the sooner we can find and slay the Lordling."

Janos gave nod of his head before he moved to leave the room. He had ignored the 'Old One' comment easily enough. Janos did not seem to mind the nickname of 'old one' as much as Vorador did, a point made plain when Vorador growled a warning at Kain. A warning that was decidedly ignored as if it had not been issued at all, much to the green-skinned Eldar's annoyance. Janos knocked one of his wings against my own lightly as he left the room and his mind brushed against mine with a sense of amusement.

~An effective distraction indeed my Childe,~ he Whispered with a mental laugh. ~Though they might start in on each other again sooner rather then later.~

~I hope not,~ I responded in a bemused tone. ~They'd tear the mansion apart if they actually decided to fight it out.~

~Merely the mansion Childe?~ he laughed. ~You do not fear for the city itself in such a scenario?~

~I... ehhh... you... may have a point there Sire,~ I responded with a wince and another twitch of my wings.

Janos' laughter echoed in my mind briefly before he cut the mental connection. Vorador let out a faint grumble of breath when Kain continued to ignore his chastisement about 'respecting his Eldar's'. He threw his hands upwards in frustrated surrender and then pushed roughly away from the table as he started after Janos.

"I will aid my Sire in deciphering the runic combination," he snarled at Kain as he stalked past me. "I _tire_ of arguing with you at the moment."

Vorador closed the door behind him with a bang of noise and Kain let out a soft snarl as the green-skinned Eldar left the room. Kain was not upset with the Eldar due to the loudness of the slammed door, but more that Vorador's movements had knocked over many of the markers upon the map. Kain then moved to fix the markers to their proper places on the map, many of which were moved to where... they hadn't been when Vorador had shoved away from the table. I realized as Kain moved the pieces about that Vorador had again been making yet _another_ case for us to reclaim his mansion.

"Does it just not sink in to his skull that we do not have the troops to hold the Termogent Forest right now?" I muttered once I was reasonably certain that said vampire was out of earshot.

"He complains constantly of the situation," Kain responded with a dark snarl. "I am beginning to believe that he does so merely to grate upon my nerves."

"That would be just like him," I said with a shrug of my right shoulder and wing.

Kain turned to me once all of the pieces were in their proper places and he narrowed his eyes upon me as he looked me over with a critical eye. He held out a hand toward me several moments later and I eased closer to him. I was wary of what he might do considering how pissy I had been the last time we had been around each other. I carefully placed my hand in the palm of his and was not much surprised when he yanked me close. He pinned me against him with a low growl that I could not quite place a meaning to. I started to instinctually fan my wings outwards with a growl of my own though. Kain's other arm swiftly coiled around my back and over my feathered limbs before I could extend them fully and they were pinned as a result. I squirmed briefly within that firm, restricting hold and then met his gaze with a frown even as I ducked my chin down to protect my throat.

"Are you _quite_ done being needlessly upset?" he asked in a low, bemused tone.

"I... am still not well pleased that you decided to test me in such a manner," I responded with a low growl. "But I understand the reasoning behind the test well enough."

Kain let out a low chuckle at my words and then abruptly scratched his claws painfully down the exposed portion of my back. My eyes widened and I felt blood well as five careful lines were drawn in my flesh. I arched in an effort to pull away from the harsh, cutting scrape of his claws. I snarled and dug my own claws into his chest in retaliation. My claws drew deep cuts that swiftly healed, yet each cut left a satisfying amount of blood behind to trail down his bare chest. Another, deeper thrum of sound escaped him and his eyes bled white. He abruptly twisted us about and tried to pin me down against the table top. I was having none of it at that moment though and I fought violently in an effort to pin _him_ down instead.

Afterwards we were left with yet another table damaged beyond repair, though for a different reason then the last time, maps and markers were strewn about the room and a few human servants had been scared half out of their wits. I found myself laying beside him in the near to ruined room whilst he licked at my neck as the latest bite wound that he had left healed over. I had been successful in my endeavor to pin him down, _true_ , but he had used the angle to distract me and had _easily_ taken control back within minutes of my mounting him even as I rode him to completion. I blinked at the ceiling in a state of well-sated lethargy and then let out a small laugh as I was reminded of something from my youth.

"What is so amusing my Little One?" Kain purred against my neck and I shivered when his fangs scraped feather light over the skin.

"Just... something a co-worker back home had said when I had asked her why she fought so often with her boyfriend," I murmured.

"Hmm?" he let out a querying noise even as he continued to lap at my skin.

"'Make up sex is the absolute _best_ because of how _wild_ it can get,'" I said.

I turned enough so that I could stretch out all of my limbs like a lazy and well fed cat. I couldn't help but purr at the pleasant, healing aches that twinged with my movements. I turned back into Kain's hold and nuzzled at his collarbone briefly. I nipped at the skin and then curled myself around him.

"Oh, but that felt _good_ ," I murmured softly.

"My wild Little One," he said with a chuckle. "Perhaps I should endeavor to anger you more often."

I opened one eye and flashed a mild glare up at his smirking visage.

"Really rather that you _not_ ," I responded with a grumble. "I don't particularly _enjoy_ being angry."

He had merely laughed at my words and had helped me to my feet. We dressed only enough for us to be able to order repairs to the room to a servant and then make a strategic retreat to our room.

Five more months passed with us easily solidifying our hold upon the Western lands of Nosgoth. Vorador and Janos were easily able to crack the communication crystal's runic combination within a month of the find. We were then able to use it to counter many of the planned attacks on our lands and the supply lines. The Bastard proved to be careful even with the added security of the crystals. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he avoided telling the troops where he was or would be, such as when he would be personally on hand for a particular attack. Which was almost never considering the little shit was a coward. We were almost able to take him by surprise at one point though. He had staged a small retrieval mission to Vorador's mansion, an attempt of some sort to steal a number of the tomes that were still preserved and protected by magic within the building. Abandoned as the mansion was, it was very easy for us to sneak in and set a number of traps up within the building close to the the libraries. We were able to catch and kill his guard force but the Bastard had been able to escape by using a teleportation spell when we sprung the trap.

From there, we no longer had ready access to his plans. He was smart enough to stop using that particular set of crystals. When we tried to take down several patrolling troops by surprise in attempts to obtain one of the new crystals, the troops were swift to destroy the crystals that they had been issued, little green colored ones this time around. From what Janos told me, the chosen crystals were actually far more fragile, though they had a larger range of communication to compensate whilst the original ones had been more durable.

I and Alma had led multiple stealth strikes against smaller patrols along the edges of the bordering territories. The latest group that I and my men had taken by surprise had only numbered about ten, but there had been a mage amongst them and we had found that the mages always had a crystal. I let out an enraged snarl as I stood from my search and I kicked the corpse of the magic user that had held the fragile crystal in his hand. I tossed the cracked crystal to Alma and she let out a soft sigh as she looked it over.

"This one might have been salvageable had the crack not run right through the very center of it," she said to me and she let the useless crystal fall to the ground.

"Wonderful," I grumbled and I looked over the men with a critical eye. "At least we took no major injuries."

" _That_ is always a benefit," she responded with a nod of her head.

"I will let Kain know that we at least managed to kill the patrol," I told her with a sigh. "I'll be up on that ledge. I need to check and make sure that there are no stragglers as well and that will be the best place for me to keep an eye out as I talk to Kain."

I had indicated a high cliff ledge that overlooked our location and she nodded her head after a moment.

"Call me if you have need of me," she said as I took flight.

I landed smoothly on the ledge and started to reach out mentally so that I could make my report to Kain. An easy enough thing that only took a few minutes of time to complete. Report done I started to scan the area at little more thoroughly compared to my previous, cursory inspection. While there had been no movement in the area save for my men in the past five minutes, that did not mean that an enemy straggler had not managed to slip away and had somehow found a place to hole up at. A scream of pain, a _girl-child's_ scream of pain, echoed in the distance and drew my attention. I called for Alma and stood to look in the direction the scream had come from.

~Kid in the area!~ I Whispered to her. ~Sounds like she's being hurt! I'm heading due east toward the cry!~

~I hear you and I heard the cry. I will be right behind you!~ she responded and I saw her move away from the male she had been speaking with.

I rushed toward the now sobbing cries and I put on an extra burst of speed when I heard the clear sound of a bone being broken. The child's cry broke off mid-wail and I let out an enraged snarl. I came to a halt in an empty clearing and abruptly froze at the edge of the tree line when I saw naught but the unconscious form of the child. There was no attacker in sight.

 _Fuck_! I thought and ducked out of instinct.

I barely managed to dodge a blow to that back of my head that was meant to knock me unconscious. I snarled and spun away, out of the reach of my attacker. I snarled again in outrage as Cillian, _Cillian_!, lashed out at me again. I dodged the second blow aimed at my stomach and flared my wings wide in challenge and anger.

"I knew this would get your attention, ' _My Lady'_ ," he snarled at me in a mocking tone. "This will be sweet indeed."

~ _Alma_!~ I focused my mental Whisper as tightly as I could. ~Trap! It's...!~

Pain suddenly lanced through me as a burst of lightning magic slammed into me from behind. Cillian struck out at the same time with a blow that damn near broke my jaw. I let out a grunt of pain as I hit the ground hard. I managed to roll to the side in order to avoid a harsh kick to my stomach. I got hit with another burst of magic that caused me to arch in pain with a yowl of anger and rage.

"You had best take her to the Stronghold quickly before her handler shows up," Cillian growled at the other person in a satisfied tone. "I have only enough time to hide my scent as it is. We cannot afford to tarry."

I shook my head to clear it and tried to coil my Gift around me even as I pushed myself up and attempted to dart for the safety of the tree line. A hand closed tight on my right wing and the limb was twisted sharply before I could fully activate my gift. The pain detracted me and I lashed out with my claws with a snarl. Cillian's hand closed around my wrist to block my blow and his other hand closed around my neck to cut off the sounds of rage that escaped me.

"I do hope they _break you open_ 'My Lady'," he hissed into my face. "Do _enjoy_ yourself."

He shoved me backwards into someone's arms and lightning magic coursed through me in a violent flash that caused me to scream in reflexive pain. Cillian sneered and gave me a mocking wave even as I felt the magics of a teleportation spell start to coil around me and the person who held me. I focused as best I could beyond the pain and growing nausea to send out a warning Whisper to Kain.

~There was a trap! _Don't trust Cil._..!~ a powerful burst of magic flooded over my mind. Pain and the need to sleep both flooded through me in the same instant. I fell unconscious with a cut-off groan.

*-*\\*-*-*\\*-*

Chappie done. please read and review folks!


	35. A Light in the Darkness

Edits as of 07/2016

This chap's POV will change every so often... everyone wanted in on this chapter -.-

Also, thank you very much for the review Jess! I do appreciate it. I know this series isn't main stream any more, but I still love it and wanted to get this story edited and posted to share with everyone. If at least one person enjoys it, then I am a happy panda.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Light in the Darkness

*-*/-Younger Kain POV-*\\*-*

Kain had been in the midst of receiving reports from three of his Captain's concerning troop movements and the recently successfully attacks on Sarafan supply lines. Janos and Vorador both stood nearby to act as his Councilors during the meeting. Leon had just finished his report and Stefon had started to issue his own when Katrina's tightly Whispered warning flashed through his mind like an explosion of bitter fire. The small marker that indicated Kain himself for those times when he took the field, a small delicately wrought Soul Reaver stabbed into a stone base that bore his Symbol, snapped suddenly in twain near the connecting joint when his fingers tightened around the small marker. Kain's Aura pulsed with rage and his eyes narrowed angrily upon the map laid out before him.

There was only a single individual amongst his troops whose name started with _'Cil_ '...

Instead of tearing off immediately to find the traitorous bastard, Kain decided that he would wait. He sat back in his chair and indicated for Stefon to continue with his report with an imperious wave of his hand whilst he pulled his rage-filled Aura carefully into line. Stefon cleared his throat nervously and continued his report. As he did so, he shifted a half step away from Kain as subtly as he could since he was the Captain standing the closest to Kain. He felt the smallest flash of bitter amusement at the other males movement and he knew that Stefon did not wish to be within range of Kain's claws should the Vampire Lord decide to lash out in order to vent his rage as he sometimes did. Vorador's mind brushed his own barely an instant after he had pulled his Aura under control.

~What has you so upset whelp?~ the green-skinned Eldar asked.

~There was a trap,~ he responded coldly. ~From the way her Whisper broke off, Katrina has likely been captured by the Sarafan after having been betrayed by Cillian.~

Vorador's Aura flared much as Kain's had and filled the room with a stifling power that would have sent newly made fledglings to their knees in abasement. Kain noted with dark amusement that Janos and his Captain's now looked suitably concerned. More to say that his Captain's each looked ready to bolt out of the room now that their own Sire showed signs of the very same rage that had just recently affected the Lord that they had sworn themselves to.

~Mind your Aura, Old One,~ Kain growled mentally as he let the separated stone base of the marker fall to skitter across the table.

~ _Why_ are we not moving to capture the traitor _now_?!~ came the enraged response.

Leon, Emrys and Stefon had each frozen in place when Vorador let out an audible snarl of sound. It was the best thing for them to do really. Fleeing now would only draw their Sire's attentions to them. With them not knowing the cause behind the sudden rage that affected Vorador, the other males had no true way to know if they, or any of their own get, had done something wrong to incur his ire. No, best to hold still and wait out the storm if they could.

~ _Why_ would I give him the chance to escape or be warned by those yet obedient to his will?~ Kain purred darkly to the Eldar. He twirled the blade of the damaged marker between his fingers as idly as one might roll a coin across ones knuckles. ~Better to let _him_ come to _us_. He will be riding upon the high of believing that he has managed to successfully get away with treason and thus he walk straight into our own trap.~

~That is... acceptable,~ Vorador responded several moments later. The Eldar's Aura calmed to a dark simmer.

Both vampires ignored Janos when the blue-skinned Eldar mental pressed them for information. Each of them knew that the Eldar would not be able to contain his rage at the knowledge of what had happened. He would inadvertantly spring the trap far too early and thus potentially give the traitor time to escape their grasp. Janos was kind for a vampire and his monkish habits had led to the male having a greater grasp of philosophy, mental calming techniques designed to sooth the soul and the workings of the world at large, but those habits and the Eldar's long years had done little to aid him in developing what Katrina oft referred to as a 'poker face'. The blue-skinned Eldar's rage would be an instant thing at the very sight of the traitor when he entered the room if he was allowed to know what had happened. While both knew that Janos would be able to refrain from attacking out right, they also knew that he wouldn't be able to hide that initial burst of fiery anger and would have to work to calm himself.

Hence, they mutually agreed to keep the other Eldar in the dark. For the nonce.

Cillian arrived not a half an hour later to 'report on the movements' of his own reinstated troops. The satisfied looking male moved to stand next to his Brother's. Arriving on his heels was a disheveled looking Alma. The woman looked to have run herself ragged returning from the field. Her normally impeccable appearance was shattered, her hair torn free from its' bindings and her clothing was torn in several places. It was if she had been focused solely upon returning to make her report and had not bothered to avoid any branches that may have been in her way.

 _Good_ , Kain thought to himself.

Alma would be punished in full for her failure in time, but at least she seemed to understand the enormity of her failure. The female immediately fell to one knee before she had even taken two steps into the room.

"My Lords. I bring fell news," she said softly and she bowed her head low enough to the ground that her bangs touched the stone floor. "I have failed in my appointed task. Lady Katrina has been taken by the Sarafan."

"What?!" Janos shouted and his wings flared wide with shock. " _How_?!"

Kain turned his attention on Alma with narrowed eyes even as Vorador placed a restraining hand upon his Sire's arm to calm him. He did not miss seeing the faint flash of dark satisfaction that passed through Cillian's eyes out of the corner of his own eye before the male in question put on a passably concerned expression. Had Kain not been watching for such an expression, he likely would have missed it. His other Captain's shared truly concerned looks when Kain allowed his until then leashed Aura free. His power began to slowly fill the room with a near tangible rage.

"Indeed Alma, _what_ happened?" Kain growled out in a low tone.

The vampiress bowed her head lower still as she raised a fist to her chest.

"We were successful in taking out the patrol as you had ordered My Lord. Lady Katrina had then moved to a high point, both to make her report to you as well as to scan the area for any who might have escaped the ambush and found a place to hide," Alma began to explain in a tone blanked of any and all emotion. "She Whispered to me that she had heard a child being harmed to the East of her position. Indeed, I and the other vampires of our contingent heard the cry as well. I had been tending to our wounded at the time, but I endeavored to hasten to her side in order to back her up if she needed aid. She Whispered to me that it had been a trap and I believe she was trying to get me further information when her mental voice broke off with a scream of pain. She was... gone... by the time I arrived."

"What of the child? Perhaps the youth would be able to assist us in finding her...?" Janos started.

Alma shook her head and the winged Eldar's wings drooped as he fell silent. Shock and worry were writ clear upon the Eldar's face and only Vorador's grasp upon the males arm seemed to keep him upright. It was likely that a strong breeze could have knocked the blue-skinned Eldar over at that point. Kain pushed thoughts of the Eldar's obvious concern aside and frowned as Alma continued her report.

"Dead, my Lord. The girl-child's neck had been snapped and her blood was drained to the last drop," she said sorrowfully. "Any information the child may have had is lost to us."

"Were there any scents in the area that could be tracked?" Kain asked and he leaned forward in his chair. The little sword continued to dance between his fingers. Back and forth. Back and forth.

"No, my Lord Kain," Alma responded with a shake of her head and her eyes narrowed worriedly upon the small Reaver blade. She swallowed roughly and continued to speak. "Magic was used to rid the area of any traceable scents. Even the girl-child's death scent was muted by the spell used to dissipate the scents in the area."

"Our Lady's protective nature seems to have been used against her," Leon growled softly and he glanced at his twin. Emrys nodded his head in agreement and the pair turned to look at Kain.

"Yet... who would know to specifically use a _child_ to bait such a trap?" Stefon asked with a shake of his head. "She works with the humans equally in her efforts with the Railroads and she has shown no outright protectiveness of the little's beyond what any female might show. She does not spend overmuch time amongst the youngsters that we have saved either. At most she makes certain they have acceptable housing if they are orphans or that they are returned to their respective sire and dame. She has never allowed a youth to be returned to those who might abuse them and has even ordered the imprisonment of those who have been found guilty of such crimes, but that is not something that is immediately apparent to one who only witnesses her actions at a distance as any enemy scouts might."

"Indeed," Kain drawled in a low, biting tone. "Who but one who _knows_ , and has worked with her _directly_ , would know to use such an effective bait?"

Everyone in the room went silent for several longs moments. Janos looked around the room with a strained expression before the meaning behind Kain's words finally cut through his worry and registered to the blue-skinned Eldar. By the shocked expression on his face, a traitor _within their own ranks_ had not even registered as a possibility to the Eldar and he had likely been falling into memories of past events when his own, true-made Childeren, had been stolen from him by Sarafan hands. Kain ignored the Eldar and, as he expected, Cillian was the one who eventually broke the silence. He even managed a passably concerned, confused and betrayed sounding tone.

 _He is a good actor_ , Kain thought darkly. _I do wonder; did you betray me_ before _now Cillian? Have any who have escaped you and your men done so because you chose to serve a different Master? I suppose it does not matter. You will die soon enough for your choice._

"Lord Kain, are you insinuating that we might have a traitor amongst us?" Cillian asked. "Why? Has not the Sarafan Lordling been known to have knowledge beyond what he should regarding our Lady and her nature?"

~Leon. Emrys. Stefon. Show no reaction. Be prepared to subdue your once brother,~ Kain ordered the three through a tightly controlled sending as he stood up.

The three Captain's showed almost no sign that they had received the communication beyond the slightest darkening of their eyes. A darkening which could have been mistaken for rage at the thought of an unknown traitor amongst the ranks of the army. Kain stopped spinning the small sword and tapped the broken point of the marker against the table thoughtfully.

"It is true that the Lordling has shown knowledge of my Queen beyond what one might expect," Kain purred in a dark and deadly tone. "But there is a flaw in your logic, Cillian. A _fatal_ flaw. You are operating under the belief that my Mate-Marked Queen's communication with Alma was the _last_ Whispered thought that she was able to make. It was not. She was able to send warning to _one_ other individual..."

Cillian's Brother's moved to ring him from behind even as Kain approached the shocked and fear-frozen male. The vampire in question, previously flushed with the brighter complexion of one who had recently fed, and fed well, paled to a chalk white pallor at Kain's leonine approach.

" _Me_ ," Kain growled the word into Cillian's face and the male flinched.

Kain carefully raised the broken little sword up and slowly, forcefully, shoved that little piece of metal into Cillian's chest right over the male's fear-frozen heart. Kain felt a mild sense of disappointment at the realization that the little blade was not quite long enough to pierce the heart of the traitorous filth. Instead, he took a vicious degree of pleasure at the expression of pain that twisted across the males face. Kain pushed the small sword in to the hilt and felt a cold sense of satisfaction when Cillian let out a startled hiss of breath.

Both Janos' and Vorador's Aura's had started to flood the room, much as Kain's had. Their combined power echoed and began to thrum in tune with Kain's before the white-haired vampire had even finished speaking. The entrapped male started to tremble under the combined power of three of the most powerful vampires to ever walk Nosgoth. Kain bared his teeth in a ferocious, murderous sneer and Cillian flinched back.

"I suggest that you talk, _traitor_ ," Kain purred in a deadly tone. "I may well consider granting you a swift death if you do."

"M-my Lord, I k-know not what you mean," Cillian stuttered and he tried to back away, only to find his path blocked by his now irate Brothers.

Alma stood slowly from her bowed position near the door and moved back a step to block the only avenue of escape that was available to him. Her own Aura flared to fill the room and her hands fairly trembled with her rage at the males betrayal. Janos and Vorador both moved to flank Kain on either side and their eyes started to bleed white as they stilled beside Kain. Cillian started to hold his hands up in an appeasing gesture before he suddenly burst into wild movement. The male's flight instincts rent through him and he tried to escape the trap that he had fallen into due to his own hubris.

It took very little time for those within the room to force the male to his knees with a broken arm, a broken leg and several missing teeth caused by a well-placed punch from the blue-skinned Eldar. Kain felt a dark sense of amusement at the sudden violence from Janos. He had never seen the Eldar in a true rage before and he found himself suitably impressed with the male's speed.

" _Careful_ Janos," Kain growled out in warning as a sense of dark satisfaction filled him at the sight of the traitor's broken form. "We do need him capable of speech... for the moment."

"That is the _only_ reason that his jaw remains attached to his skull," the Eldar growled out between bared fangs. "That he has betrayed my Childe...!"

"She is not of your get! _Any_ _of you_!" Cillian roared out suddenly and he struggled against his Brothers. "She is not even of this _world_! She is naught but an attention seeking _whore_ who has blinded you all with her allure!"

Vorador stalked behind his traitorous Childe and suddenly his stabbed razor sharp talons straight into Cillian's back. Those talons dug and twisted deep into the male's body, breaking ribs as they went deeper. Cillian tried to arch away from the impalement with a yowl of agony whilst the others held him still. Vorador's talons closed around the males un-dead heart and the enraged Eldar slowly, idly started to trail the razor edges over the fragile pericardium now held within his grasp. Cillian gasped desperately for that air he no longer needed and fought to remain still against the flaring agony that tore through him. Vorador leaned in close to his wayward Childe. His nose brushed lightly against the males ear and Vorador breathed a vicious whisper to him.

"Tell us where she has been taken," a talon point started to dig into the soft, fragile heart muscle. " _Now_."

"N- _no_ ," Cillian gasped out with a snarl of breath. His struggle to remain still in an effort to keep his heart intact and undamaged was writ plain upon his face. "The... the useless little bitch will be broken asunder. There is n-nothing you can do to me to make me talk."

"Oh, you foolish, traitorous little _boy_. I was hoping that you would say that," Vorador purred in a vicious tone. "You have never known my rage. There are so many things that a human can survive, let alone a vampire. You are in need of a true lessoning, I think."

Vorador released Cillian's heart and the male let out a high whine. The Eldar then pulled his taloned hand partly from the traitor's body. He twisted his hand at the last minute in order to grab the vampire by his upper spine. Vorador then lifted the now limp, yet screaming, form into the air as he started for the door. Alma moved out of the way instantly and without word. She once more knelt with a fist to her chest and her head bowed. Janos flinched with disgust at the blatant violence even as he moved to follow his Childe in order to assist him in the process of extracting the information that they needed. Janos knew that some things were necessary even if he found such things difficult to stomach. The pair paused at the door and Kain waved them ahead. He would join them shortly to apply his own talents towards the interrogation. He turned to the three Captains that remained loyal and eyed them for a long, dangerously silent moment. Each male bowed their heads and bared their throats as they waited for him to speak.

"Be prepared for a stealth mission once we have her location from him. Gather all of the vampiric troops that can be spared and be certain that they know the meaning of the word ' _stealth_ '," Kain growled out in a low tone. "I will _not_ have this botched by those who cannot keep their wits about them."

"As you will, My Lord," came the simultaneous response from the three males.

Once the three had left the room, Kain turned around slowly and glared down at Alma's kneeling form. He let out a low rumble of noise as he carefully approached her. She tensed, but stayed in place and tilted her head to bare her throat to him. His lips pulled back from his fangs and his menacing Aura pressed against her kneeling form. A sudden backhanded blow sent her sprawling and a moment later he forced her head painfully against the stone ground with his booted foot. The rumble of noise in his chest became a loud, enraged snarl and his eyes flashed solid white.

"I find myself wondering why I should let you live _woman_ ," he growled out.

"I will submit myself to whatever punishment you so desire my Lord," Alma gasped out past the pain. "I know my failure."

He increased the pressure on her skull in slow, steady increments and stopped only when his superior hearing picked up the faint sound of a skull beginning to crack under immense pressure. A human's skull would have given way immediately to the amount of force he was currently applying to the vampiress' head, yet the resilience inherent in a vampires form currently prevented her skull from becoming pulp. Alma remained still and silent under his booted foot, though he could see the agony written plain on her face and that agony pleased him as much as her obeisance. He leaned over and bit out his next words with a low snarl.

" _Any_ damage that my Katrina receives by Sarafan hands will be visited upon your body three-fold," he snarled. "Her words and kind nature will not sway me to halt said punishment, even if it means that the wounds that you will receive _kill_ you as a result. Do you understand me _woman_?"

"I u-understand you and obey your will my L-lord," she responded in a voice strained by pain.

"Good," he said viciously.

He moved his foot from his skull nearly a full minute later. He was tempted to permanently mar that soft skin of hers as a reminder of her failure. He might yet do such a thing dependent on what his Little One was being put through. The Sarafan were not gentle with their prisoners, vampire or human. If what his Little One had been forced to endure at the Lordling's hands the first time was any indication on what she would be put through now that she had been caught again...

Alma would be very lucky indeed to survive his wrath.

"Go and feed," he ordered coldly. "We will be leaving as soon as we have information regarding her current location from the Traitor."

"Yes my Lord," Alma responded in a subdued tone as she stood and fled from the room.

Kain stalked out of the room only after he had picked up the Soul Reaver. He then started down toward the dungeons. Vampires and humans alike parted before him like a wave when they either saw the deadly expression on his face or felt his Aura. Many pressed themselves as close as they could to the walls in order to remain out of his direct path. Vorador might well be practiced in the arts of torture and thus fully able to glean the needed information from Cillian, but...

Kain wanted to 'talk' with the traitor personally.

*-*/-Eldar Kain/Raziel POV-*\\*-*

The pair of vampire Lord's from the future had barely stepped out of the Chloroplast after having completed their mission to revive Vorador, when Eldar Kain swore viciously and loudly.

"Foolish little whoreson!" he snarled. "Yellow-bellied _oath-breaker_! I should take you and hang you from the next tree where you will swing till famine claims you... no matter _what_ my younger self will yet do to your rotted, pock-marked hide! You greasy, tallow-catch bastard!"

The abrupt and surprisingly crude insults, especially when one considered the Eldar's usual, eloquent speech patterns, caused Raziel to freeze. The Eldar vampire's Aura then swelled with rage to fill the immediate area. Several _lifetimes_ worth of instilled instinct kept Raziel still. He did not even dare to draw in a breath of air to ask who had earned Kain's ire so. No, better to wait out the rage, silent and still as a statue. Seconds later and the powerful Aura was tightly leashed by a will that had spanned eons and survived countless machinations. The Eldar vampire rubbed at the bridge of his nose for several long moments before he let out a low, deadly growl.

"Poor timing indeed," he muttered. "We will need to be prepared to move swiftly."

Raziel felt a cold sense of dread fill him at Eldar Kain's words.

"Lady Katrina is in danger?" he asked, though he already knew the answer by the brief, angry flash of white power that filled his Sire's eyes.

"Yes. One of my former Captain's betrayed her to the Sarafan roughly an hour ago. We will have to wait for my younger self to find out where she has been taken before we will be able to act," Eldar Kain growled.

"It will be difficult to mount a rescue on our end whilst also avoiding your younger self. Especially if he will be staging a rescue mission as well," Raziel pointed out.

Eldar Kain let out a snort, an exhalation of air similar to the noise of a war-horse about to charge an unwary handler... though the Eldar was _by far_ more dangerous than a simple war-horse. The Eldar then shot the dark-haired vampire a droll look and raised an eye-ridge at the younger male. Raziel raised a brow at the Eldar in turn and waited for him to speak.

"I may be old Raziel," he finally said, "but I have not yet gone _senile_. We will assist any rescue mission, not carry it out ourselves. Not unless needs must."

The quiet and deadly venom in Eldar Kain's tone caused Raziel to fight back a wince, though he felt his wings twitch regardless of the fact that he kept his face smooth of emotion. The dark-haired vampire knew well how Kain could react if a mission went... _poorly_... and he could only hope that this rescue went smoothly. Eldar Kain started out of the tunnel with the smooth gait of a hunter on the prowl.

"Why did we not arrive earlier in the timeline if this was to happen?" Raziel asked as he followed his Sire out into the open air outside of the tunnel.

"We were in the _past_ Raziel," Eldar Kain answered with a low rumble of noise. "When I went first went back in time and slew William thinking to better the future of my world, I was not aware of the full changes to the timeline until I was once more in the 'present'. My actions did not create a paradox event and thus I was not made aware of my error until it was far too late to change it. There was no thrumming of the time stream to warn me that I was making a mistake. It works the same with occurrences such as this; my memories only catch up to the changed event once I arrive at, or past, the event itself."

"That..." Raziel shook his head slowly in frustration. "No wonder you say that you oft have time-travel induced headaches. Can it not all work the same way each time?"

"That is a complaint that I have oft voiced my Raziel... to no avail," came the dry response. "In either case, the traitor should break soo- ah... of course."

Eldar Kain blinked as he came to a halt and he then nodded his head a few moments later. Raziel raised a brow at the older vampire and his wings twitched with his readiness to take flight. Eldar Kain readily noticed the twitch of his wings and turned his head so that he could look the younger vampire over. Raziel looked like a hawk that was ready, nay eager, to be freed from its' jesses and allowed to finally hunt. The Eldar couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips at the mental comparison. His willful Childe had been a King in his own right, ruler of the lands that Kain himself had gifted to him. He'd had willful subjects that had served their favored Lord readily and eagerly, vampire and human alike. Yet even then, the younger vampire had oft acted the part of the falcon to Kain's Falconer, ready and willing to hunt at Kain's order and just as eager to come back to Kain's hand when the call to return was issued to him.

 _Ah, to see such beauty hunting on the wing_ , Eldar Kain thought to himself idly. _Movements as keen as a falcon in truth, especially compared to my Katrina's more eaglesque flight patterns._

Eldar Kain reached out his hand and ran the back of one talon along Raziel's jaw line. He eyed the younger male for a long moment before he turned and pointed the same talon toward the south. Now was not the time to dwell upon things...

"We head to the Sarafan Stronghold," he said.

"Then let us make haste," Raziel said with a dark, hunter's smile. He then spread his wings and leapt into the air.

"Indeed, we have some subtle havoc to cause," the Eldar vampire said softly.

Eldar Kain watched Raziel in flight for a brief moment before he spread his arms. He shifted smoothly into his Bat form and followed after his winged Childe.

*-*/*-Katrina POV-*\\*-* Warning. Discussion of torture and Attempted Rape ahead for this part! -*\\*-*

A slow burn of agony that originated along the upper bend of my wings drew me back from the darkness of the magically induced slumber that had been forced upon me. I barely managed to refrain from jerking at the familiar pain, pain that I had hoped to never know again. I managed to keep my eyes shut and I tried to orient myself without giving away the fact that I was awake. It was an effort, but after having managed to partition my mind and remain functional for Kain's test of my leadership skills, I had worked hard to duplicate the trick at will.

I was not going to simply let the pain force me to a state of lassitude and remain complacent this time. I had allies and I had escaped twice before from those that would harm me. I was going to damn well fight back through the pain and get free again!

I took careful inventory of my injuries. Three hooks were stabbed into each wing near the main joint and I was hanging from those very same hooks. The sharp point of something was a constant pressured right against my bared chest, angled perfectly with my heart by the feel of it. I swallowed carefully when I abruptly realized that cold air touched every inch of my skin. I'd been stripped down at some point before being tied up. I also realized that I had some sort of strange gag in my mouth that kept my mouth mostly open. I could move my tongue about freely but I could not close my mouth. Careful clenching of my teeth proved that the gag had either been carefully wrought of the strongest metals or had strengthening runes enough to protect from a vampire's innate strength.

The connotations of a gag such as this one... had _not_ been lost to me.

But at the same time... that the gag was strong enough to withstand my vampiric strength... did not feel quite like an accurate assessment. I realized that I felt... drained and the force behind my clenched teeth felt less than what it should be. I noticed that there was one 'article of clothing' on my person. There was collar around my neck and I knew instantly that it had to have been a Hylden-runed collar considering the drain upon my energies. I shifted minutely and could feel the pull of a chain that the collar was connected to. The chain kept my upper body tugged forwards and down so that I was bent over. It was almost as if I had bent over to pick something up from the ground, only my arms were chained quite firmly behind my back.

I let my hands shift about just a little and I could feel a second, smaller chain wrapped around my wrists and wings. With careful movements, I could just reach the joints at the base of my wings but I could not feel any lock that held the chains in place. If there was a lock, then my delicate claws could not reach it to pick the damned thing open.

 _Fuck, shit and damnation,_ I thought to myself. _The Bastard had been warned to keep locks out of the reach of my claws._

I opened my eyes just a hair and looked downwards. I saw that the sharp point that I'd felt was a spike that was positioned right beneath me. If I fell with the angle that I was in now, the point would pierce my heart and kill me. I saw as well that my hair had once more been shortened to shoulder length and what remained of my braid lay in a limp pile upon the ground. When I glanced to the side carefully, I could see that someone was dragging a body over toward the far wall. I closed my eyes again and remained limp as the body was abruptly dropped and the persons footsteps started to head in my direction.

"Ah, but you are a _clever_ little thing, aren't you? Braiding poison spikes in your hair like that. The poor fool was dead in seconds," the Bastard's voice said in his normal tone of voice. "It is no wonder Auron has had such problems with you over the years. Still, unconscious as you are now, I must say that you are _lovely_ in your helplessness."

A hand caressed over the bare skin of my left side and his hand trailed up over my arm and came to rest upon my neck. I had to stifle the desire to pull away from that loathsome touch. I did not want to be spelled to slumber again and wake to something far, far worse. The hand stroked through my shortened hair briefly before his hand tightened around a handful of my hair. I allowed a small sound to escape me, only a small one, as if I were unable to contain it due to my unconscious state. The Bastard let out a soft chuckle that slowly bled to a dueled tone.

 _Fuck_ , I thought angrily, fearfully.

"Such sweet, _delectable_ sounds you make my pet," the dual tone purr filled the air. "Ah, but this will be fun. There is still so much that you do not know regarding your nature as a half blood. So wonderfully, _beautifully_ ignorant even now. I do often wonder; what tidbit of information will finally be too much? What part of your nature, once revealed, will finally break your mind my sweet l'ange?"

His other hand trailed back down along my left side to come to a rest on the curve of my ass. Those fingers lightly caressed over my skin and fear flared through me briefly. I was only just able to contain my desire to pull away from him and I found myself grateful that the human Bastard could not scent my fear like Auron would have been able to. Another low, dueled chuckle filled the air at my twitch.

"Ah, do you know my pet, sweet little whore, that you are yet _breedable_?" he purred as his hand moved lower to brush over my folds. I couldn't help the natural twitch away from that touch and he laughed softly. "You most likely think that you are not, as you no longer have courses... don't you my pet?"

He moved his hand from my mound and he wrapped his fingers around my left wing to give a small tug. Pain flared as the hooks ripped deeper into my flesh. I allowed the pained grunt to escape my lips as I tried to maintain the illusion that I was still out cold. He was correct in his assessment of my thoughts though; I hadn't had monthly courses since he'd forced me to drink human blood. I had long thought that I had been rendered sterile by the change but... that _wasn't_ the case? Oh _fuck_... My heart started to beat faster and I had to force my breathing to stay level, even as if I were still slumbering. I could not show any sign that I was awake.

"I have such plans for you my pet," he purred as he stroked fingers roughly through my feathers. "I do wish you were awake, I would take such pleasure in your panic at what I have to tell you. Perhaps the surprise will be prove to have a better reaction though. I have gathered quite a few 'studs' to your 'mare'. Males of such size and length that you will be forced to Quicken."

 _Why did he make that word sound like it was_ important? I wondered to myself.

"As a Half Blood, your very _womb_ must be filled with viable seed before your body will react and release an egg to be impregnated. It is such a beautifully painful process without first casting an 'opening' spell to relax the way. That tiny little hole torn open through a _forceful_ claiming," he said with a dark, shuddering sigh. "Oh, how you will scream when the 'studs' I have found for you fill you my dear, whorish pet. I will cast just enough of a spell on you when you awaken that it will allow the human's better access to the depths of you. As they rip their way into your womb, you will scream so beautifully... but then again, you are likely _used_ to such things, now aren't you my wayward slut? How often does the one who stole you from me fill you so? Do you scream for _him_ the way you should only scream for _me_? Do you beg like the wanton little whore that you are? You know... I would have broken and breed you long ago had you not been a virgin, but I do prefer to take my time with such delectable treats. That you have _ruined_ yourself so on another's cock..."

The hand at my wing let go and then closed tight on a handful of my hair. My head was pulled up harshly and my face was forced against his groin. He ground his crotch hard against my face, length already hard beneath his leathers and I had to fight not to pull back from him in disgust. It was a battle to remain limp in his grasp as that leather covered length was rubbed against my face and cheek. I wasn't sure how to get free yet, but fuckin' hell it was a difficult struggle to remain still in his grasp with him pushed against me in such a manner!

"One of my favorite things to do to my half blooded pets is to Quicken them," he said and he let out another laugh as he rubbed himself against my left cheek. "Then once the child is born, I order my broken little pets to feast upon their own young before I slay them. Although... half of the time, those _maternal_ instincts still survive the breaking process and my pets dare to attack me. I break their bodies for their impertinence and then kill the child myself in front of them before I rip them apart limb by limb for disobeying me."

A deep sense of terror flashed through me and it took everything I had not to thrash away from his grasp at his words. What he had said... was wrong on a fundamental... basal level. Every instinct that I had screamed 'NO' at the... the atrocities... he had committed. I knew that he tortured other half-bloods for fun. I knew that he kept younger children, also potentially unchanged half-bloods, for their young blood. But this...?!

"I do wonder how you will react, my _whorish_ pet?" he crooned in a mocking tone. "How will you react to having your womb violated so for such a reason? How will you react to feeling a human's mercenaries seed filling the deepest part of you? Your body Quickening as it releases that egg for fertilization? Will you panic at the sense of life sparking within you as they take you, my pet? You _will_ be able to sense it you know. Once you have Quickened and the 'studs' have had their fill of your sweetling body, the Lordling will open the portal and send you back to me. We have so much to talk about once you are returned to my loving arms. Especially concerning your audacity in making your own Symbol _without my express permission."_

He released my head with another dark laugh. I let my head fall limp again and fought not to tremble openly at his threats. I opened my eyes a crack so that I could try to get a greater sense of my surroundings now that he was no longer pressed against me.

"Oh, but this will be _fun_ to watch," he said.

His feet shifted around as he turned when a heavy sounding door was pushed open. Someone had entered the room. His voice shifted back to the Bastard's normal, singular tone.

"Ah, good, you are here," he said.

"Aye," a gruff voice filled the room. "Well now. Ain't she a sight though?"

My peripheral vision through my forceably shortened hair showed that six large men had just entered the room, each wore the roughened gear of mercenaries. I swallowed roughly and carefully glanced around the room without moving my head. There had to be something that I could do! The room was large, large enough to fit over a hundred people within it easily and from what I could tell I had been hung up in the very center of the room. I couldn't see anything that could either clue me in on my current location nor anything that I could reach. As the Bastard spoke to the mercenaries in exacting detail about what he wanted them to do to me, I carefully moved my fingers to trail over the chains that were wrapped round my wrist and wings. My hands twitched when I realized that the chain was only wrapped around my wrists and the base of my wings and nothing else...!

If I tore off my wings then the only thing that would yet keep me bound would be the chain connected to the collar around my neck. The chain seemed to have enough give to it that I would then be able to fight back and maybe, just maybe, get away once more. The only problem... was the spike directly beneath me. If I freed myself now, I would kill myself in the process. Freedom of a sort, but _not_ the kind of freedom that I wanted. I had to wait until I could angle my body in such a way that wouldn't lead to my impaling myself. I... I would have to let them touch me and move me about. My claws scraped over the metal of the chains when my hands clenched into fists and the noise rang through the air. Oh... _Fuck_. I went still when I heard the Bastard laugh and saw him move to face me.

"Ah, I do believe that she is starting to wake up. Quickly now," the Bastard said with a foul laugh and I saw him wave a hand in my direction. "I want her to awaken with _at least_ one of you buried within her."

I fought to contain my trembling when two of the men approached my dangling form. It was a battle to remain limp once their roughened hands started to trail over the bare skin of my hips and waist. I tried to bite my tongue to prevent myself from screaming when one of them abruptly pushed a probing finger inside me and only managed to contain the cry by sheer force of will when my jaw clenched uselessly around the gag. I couldn't help the abortive struggle as I tried to pull away from the males finger. Dark, fell laughter filled the air and a hand closed upon my shoulder to twist my body. Pain flared along my left wing as the hooks were pulled taunt and I felt muscle and membrane tear near the joint of the wing. A hand closed roughly around my right breast and I let out a choked grunt of pain through the open gag when that hand clenched tight. I heard the sounds of several belts being undone and the finger inside me pulled free. A hand hand closed around my leg to lift it up and expose my body to them. Another hand closed around my neck and my body was forced at an angle to where I was hanging sideways with the spike no longer directly beneath me.

 _Now_!

Though bound by the Hylden runes, I still had enough strength to cut my claws through the joints of my wings harshly and with absolute precision. I let out a scream of pain-filled rage as muscle and sinew were severed at the joint and the remaining membrane of my wings ripped free of my back. The spike slashed a line across my chest, just under my breast as I feel and the men let out startled sounds at my sudden movements. I twisted to wriggle my hands free of the loosened chains about my wrists and lashed out despite the pain that rippled along my back in order to cut into the exposed groin of the man in front of me even as I kicked out with my left foot to crush my heel against the crotch of the man that had been behind me.

Both men fell with high pitched wails of noise and the agony in their voices pleased me.

I grabbed up the chain that had been 'round my wrists and lashed out with it like a whip to drive the other humans back when they tried to approach me. I dug the claws of my other hand into the seam of the collar in a blind attempt to wrench it from my neck. I was not able to pull the collar free but at least I was able to rip off the gag. I hissed viciously and whipped the chain again when one of them got too close too me and then abruptly ducked down to avoid a burst of magic sent my way by the Bastard.

"Uppity little bitch!" came the dual-tone snarl. " _Submit_ pet!"

" _Never_ ," I snarled.

I spun around to strike out with the chain to bash the face of the man I had kicked in the groin. He fell with the high sound of a neck breaking and all I felt was dark satisfaction at his death.

"Bloody bitch killed Kenneth!" came the enraged shout of one of the men.

"You little bastard!" another shouted.

"I do not believe that _he_ is going to survive either," I said with a satisfied hiss and I jerked my chin at the man whose groin I had lain open with my claws. I bared my fangs at the rest of them and let out a low growl. "None of you will!"

"Oh, my pet," the mocking dual tone filled the air and rage seared through me. " _When_ will you _learn_?"

The next burst of magic was not aimed at me but instead at the hook that the chained collar was connected to. I bit into my tongue to contain my scream and blood filled my mouth even as my body arched backwards whilst that electrical magic tore through me. A roar suddenly filled the air along with the harsh and sudden sound of breaking glass. A pained grunt escaped me and I found myself abruptly being forced down to my knees. A hand closed tight in my hair as my knees hit the rough stone and I found myself bent backwards over someone else's knee. I heard the sound of steel against steel a bare moment later and then felt the sharp cut of a blade as it nicked into my neck. A cold wave of energy pulsed through me and the sensation of something tugging at my soul the way I'd felt only once before seared through me. My eyes flew wide and I gasped for breath even as I fought to hold still to keep the blade, the Reaver!, from digging any further into my flesh. The cold energy that tugged at my soul changed to... an almost _caress_ of all things and that touch made me shudder. I met Kain's brilliant, shock-white gaze and gave just the faintest nod of my head. There was a screech of twisting metal right by my ear a moment later and the collar fell away from my neck to clatter against the stone floor. Some of my strength returned to me and I let out a relieved grunt of sound.

Kain gave me a shove to get me moving and then jerked up to a ready position. He lashed out with the Soul Reaver to cut down one of the remaining men and I scrambled to my feet. I kept hold of the chain so that I could continue to use it as a weapon and I moved to the side to keep out of his way. I winced as pain flared down my spine with every step and stumbled as I tried to dodge one of the mercenaries when he made to charge at me. The man went flying into the far wall mid-charge and without warning. A loud crunch of noise echoed in the room as his skull was crushed against the wall by the impact. I blinked and looked over at Kain, who was still occupied with the Bastard and the remaining mercenaries. I then glanced up and looked around. I saw two windows high up and I blinked dazedly when I noticed Eldar Kain at the second, opened and undamaged, window. I felt another burst of magic as it was fired in my direction and I dropped to the ground to dodge the bolt on pure instinct. It still clipped the still exposed bones of my wings and I let out a yelp of pain whilst I scrambled to the side to tuck myself against the wall.

Another mercenary tried to separate from the fight with the Younger Kain which left my silver-haired Mate to deal with the last two mercs and the Bastard. Yet another bolt of lightning arched toward my position and I had to drop the chain to avoid being caught by the magic when it hit the metal. The man who had started toward me let out a dark laugh when my make shift weapon hit the ground. He lunged toward me and swung his sword in a downwards arch aimed at my stomach. A rather large bit of rock crashed into his head before his blow could land and I had to jump to the side to avoid the brain splatter. I glanced back up at Eldar Kain even as I tried to breathe past the agony that continued to shoot along my spine with every movement.

"They never do learn to look up, do they?" I murmured in a pain-filled voice.

He shook his head and a bemused expression flitted across his face. He then indicated for me to focus on the battle that raged between his younger self and the Bastard. I turned to take it in. The other mercs had already been easily brought down by younger Kain's superior skills. The only reason the Bastard Lordling had lasted as long as he had thus far was due to Auron's ability to ride the boy's body. That dual toned voice echoed in the room and I hissed softly in anger.

"Do you really think that I am going to let you _keep_ her?" he snarled as he sent out a wave of fireballs that forced Kain back. "The bitch is mine, you upstart little _whelpling_. Her every scream, her every moan, her every _orifice_ is mine and I _will_ have her returned to me! She is _mine_ to tear apart as I please! Even her ability to fly is taken away at _my_ whim!"

"You talk too much," Kain growled and his voice was filled with a cold rage.

Kain then sent a wide arching wave of his own lightning magic at the Bastard and the magic-ridden boy was forced to raise a shield in an attempt to deflect the powerful energy. The shield crumpled under the magical onslaught however and the backlash sent the Bastard reeling backwards. Kain lunged in for the kill but the Bastard yet able to focus upon his teleportation magics. My eyes widened when I saw his disappear from sight and I frantically rolled to the side in order to try to scramble away from my current position. I managed to dodge his grasping hands as he appeared behind me, but was unable to avoid the magic that slammed directly into the still exposed muscle, bone and sinew that was all that remained of my wings. I yowled in pain and lashed backwards at the Bastard, not to kill, but to cut away the necklace that held the Path Stone around his neck.

My claws hit their mark even as I fell to the ground twitching in agony and the Stone flew wide and to the side to skitter across the ground.

The Bastard let out a pained shout when the connection between he and Auron was severed. He frantically lunged for the Stone to regain what was literally the only chance that he had at continued survival. Kain was there to intercept him and he lifted the struggling, weakened form into the air.

" _Vae victus,_ " he hissed viciously in the Bastard's face. He then lashed out with the Reaver and cleaved off the boy's head.

I blinked blearily and tried to fight back against the pain that flooded my senses. I watched with a dimmed sense of detachment as the head rolled and bounced only to come to a halt against the far wall. Kain stabbed the Reaver into the ground, gathered up the inert Path Stone and then tore out the stilled heart of the Bastard before he made his way over to my side. He eased me up gently, mindful of my back and placed the heart to my lips.

"Drink Katrina," he said in a dark, yet soft purr of sound. "Drink the heart blood of one of your slain foes and regain your strength."

I found that, even had I wanted to object to drinking heart's blood, I couldn't help but reach out for the heart held in his hand. His words were compelling on an instinctual level. I resolved myself to ask Alma as to why this seemed so important. Later... _later_. I sank my fangs into the pro-offered heart and let out a soft hum of noise at the extra energy that pulsed through me as I fed. Once I had finished feeding, I focused on drawing what remained of my wings into my body. I let out a faint sigh of relief as the pain muted and turned into a bone deep ache rather then pure agony. I glanced upwards to see if Eldar Kain was still at the window and found myself not at all surprised to see that he was gone. Janos flew through the damaged window moments later and landed nearby. His wings flared wide when he caught sight of my wings hanging from the chains connected to the ceiling and his mouth worked for several moments without him making a sound. His eyes had widened with horror at the sight. Vorador, Alma and Kain's Captain's each entered the room from various doors mere seconds after his arrival.

"Kain, we do not have much time before the entire keep is awakened..." Vorador started as he entered.

His voice broke off a moment later in a surprised shout that was echoed by his, our, Sire, who had finally found his voice.

"Katrina! Your _wings_!" they cried out together in shock.

I struggled to sit up and leaned against Kain once I had finally pushed myself... _mostly_ upright. I blinked tiredly at the hanging ruins of my wings before I looked at Kain. I shifted against him, attempted to brace myself against him to stand. He sensed my intent and helped me to my feet before he grabbed up the Reaver in his right hand, his left remained a steadying weight at my back.

"They'll grow back," I said softly, yet firmly.

"How long?" Kain asked with in cold rumble of noise.

"Ah... six or seven months," I said as I rubbed at my shoulder.

"Oh, my de... my Lady," Alma started toward me hesitantly. Kain turned his head and snarled viciously at her.

"Remain where you are _woman_ ," he hissed. "Had you remained at her side this would not have happened. Until the skies are hers again your back will be flayed open daily!"

"The _fuck_?!" I shouted in surprise. "Kain! That would _kill_ her!"

"I told her what would happen to her as a result of her failure," he snarled and he looked at me with power-white eyes. " _Stay silent_."

"I know my failure," Alma said softly. "And will accept my punishment without complaint."

"This is... _no_ ," I shook my head and squared my shoulders. I met Kain's rage-filled gaze with angry eyes. "What were your words to her?"

"Back _down_ Katrina!" he snarled. "You will not chang-"

"I _will_ fight you on this if you do not _answer_ me!" I roared back despite the pain. Dizziness flared through me and I ignored the spots that danced briefly across my vision. "What were your _exact_ words to her Kain?!"

His jaw clenched tight and he was silent for several long moments before he spoke.

"I told her that any damage you received at Sarafan hands," he growled in a low tone, "would be visited upon her person three-fold."

"It is a fair punishment for her failure," Vorador said from the side and I pointed a shaky claw at him.

" _Shut up,_ " I ordered with a growl, though I kept my gaze locked on Kain's. "'Sarafan hands'?"

"Yes," Kain growled and his eyes lost some of the white glow.

He eyed me thoughtfully when I suddenly relaxed and I held up my hands toward him. He eyed them warily for a moment before he met my gaze once more.

"I cut my wings off myself," I said to him in a firm tone. " _My_ hands did _that_."

I indicated the ruined wings and was not surprised to hear the startled hisses that escaped the others in the room. Janos let out a pained cry and his own wings pulled close to his back.

"Childe! _Why_?!" he asked. "Why would you cause yourself such pain?!"

"It was cut off my own wings and loose the skies for a time or let myself be raped by the mercenaries that the Bastard had brought into the room!" I roared and my vision wavered briefly. "I _refused_ to let them have me and made my choice! I will _not_ end up with _child_ from such a thing!"

There were surprised and confused sounds from all within the room. I had to rub at my head and widen my stance in order to keep myself from falling over. Kain broke the startled silence once I was steady on my feet again.

"What do you mean ' _with child_ '?" he asked in a blank tone.

"Auron delights in keeping the truth from someone until the last possible moment, just to see how they react to the new information," I said softly. "He said that I am still _viable_. Even called it 'Quickening a half-blood'. Apparently he delights in 'breaking in' viable females and getting them pregnant, only to have them kill their own young on his order. If the maternal instincts kick in, he kills the child himself before killing the mother. That was his intent. To get me pregnant and then have me sent back to him to force me into just such a situation."

Disgust and rage passed over the faces of those in the room. Alma was the one to break the silence this time around.

"You have no courses though my dear," she said in a confused tone.

"Womb... the womb has to be filled directly with viable seed before an egg is released to be fertilized," I said in a dull voice and I shrugged one shoulder listlessly. I looked at Kain with a frown when he tilted his head thoughtfully.

"He might have been lying," he said in an oh-so-reasonable tone.

"Possible," I responded with another shrug. "But at the same time, unlikely. He _likes_ doing things like this Kain. He likes keeping information buried away and reveals the truth only when it can cause the most pain mentally. Most of what I know about being a half-blood was told to me in ways meant to make me to panic, to give up... to _break_. This may well have been the last thing he was holding back, yet what else could he be holding back about my nature until he can attempt to cause me yet more pain? I... I don't know. Nor would I have risked chancing that his words were a lie designed to make me panic. He spoke of his plan when he believed me to be _unconscious_. Had I truly been unconscious, he likely would have repeated himself a second time while the men... whilst they were in the middle of raping me. _That_ is why I cut my wings off when the men had moved me in such a way that the spike was no longer directly beneath my heart. I refuse to allow him or anyone else breed me like some prized show animal for his amusement!"

My strength failed me at the last shout and my legs gave out completely. Kain caught me easily in one arm before I could hit the ground. He placed a light kiss to the skin of my neck over his Mark and a sense of ' _safe_ ' pulsed through my mind. I let out a soft grunt at the sensation and tried to push to stand on my own to no avail. He passed me over to Janos before I could do more then twitch with my agitation.

"Gather up the others swiftly," Kain ordered. "Teleportation magics will get us back home the fastest, especially given that the stronghold will be on alert shortly."

The others all nodded and minutes later no less the fifty vampires filled the room. The men divided up into groups with each group being assigned to an individual capable of the spell. Minutes later I found myself forced back to unconsciousness due to the dizzying and disconcerting effects that the transportation spell had on my weakened form as my Chosen Sire teleported the group around him home.

* * *

Edits done! Enjoy everyone!


	36. Corrective Measures

Edits as of 08/2016

Happy new year everyone!

Chapter contains S/M and D/S attributes. Physical violence, cat-o-nine-tails and Vampiric based 'Correction' of misbehavior and then smex. You have been warned!

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six: Corrective Measures

*-/*-* Katrina POV *-*\\-*

When next I woke, it was to the cool sensation of a lightly scented, oil dampened cloth being brushed over my forehead. The dim crackle of a low burning fire within the nearby fireplace was a calming sound and yet... I stiffened briefly and then registered the soothing touch of cool skin against the back of my own far too warm body. It took me a moment to realize that I was on my side with Kain pressed along the line of my back. A few more seconds later, and I registered an old, familiar pain in my shoulders and backside.

I let out a faint groan. I knew that my body had started to recover from what I'd long ago decided to call 'shock fever'. While I could not get sick as a human might, when my body took enough damage, normally the most extreme of wounds, and the adrenaline wore off after my attempts to fight back ceased, I would find myself in a feverish state as my body struggled to recover from the harm that I had received. Losing my wings as I had was a _guaranteed_ way to put me into a shock fever state. This though... _this_ was the first time I'd ever woken from a fevered state to the sensation of 'home' that seemed to fill the very air. It was... nice...

"I do believe her fever has broken," a soft voice said. Janos' voice.

"Her heartbeat and breathing have indeed calmed," Kain's voice filled the air in a soothing rumble of noise.

I shifted my head weakly at the sound of my Mate's voice. I let out a soft, instinctual croon of noise and tried to push further back against the cooler skin of his bared chest. Cool hands began to run over my arms, a trail of cold relief. Dimly, as any thought yet required an enormous effort of will, I realized that Kain's skin being so cold meant that he had not fed recently. I twitched into that near to gentle touch and worked my jaw as I struggled to find my voice.

"Too... too _hot_ ," I managed to say in a soft murmur.

"I will put out the fire and open the balcony doors in but a moment my Childe," Janos said.

The cloth passed over my forehead and cheeks once more before I heard my adopted Sire move off to the side to douse the flames. A few more moments later and I heard the heavy sounds of the balcony doors being opened a few inches as he let in the outside air.

I blinked my eyes open blearily and tried to squirm onto my back as I looked around. I finally realized that we were in our room back in the mansion and my squirms lessened somewhat. Kain's hands gently shifted along my skin and he helped to shift me around so that I could recline on my back despite the pain that flared along my shoulder blades. I let out a soft, near-to-pleased hiss of breath when the now, slightly cooler, air of the room brushed along the side that had been pressed against the bed. I weakly rolled my shoulders one at a time and winced at the bone deep ache that still flashed along my spine like the prickling of a thousand barbed needles. It was a pain that would last for the next month or so. Eventually the pain would change into turn to a mild, healing itch up until the last month of the regeneration process. Then it would transmute into a building pressure similar to when my wings had first 'grown', as if they would tear free on their own without warning and at any given second.

I raised a shaky hand to rub at my light sensitive eyes. The scent of blood registered to my hindbrain a moment later and I let out a low, hungry growl at the life-giving scent. I turned as much as I possibly could toward the source of that sweet aroma and felt the cool touch of glass against my lips a moment later. The contact briefly startled me, but I relaxed back against the bed as I was fed exquisite vitae from one of the larger blood vials. My vision cleared in increments whilst I slowly swallowed the energy-renewing fluid and I blinked as the room truly came into focus instead of the partially blurry state it had been in previously. I tried to sit up once the vial was emptied and let out a groan as I made the attempt. I felt far better than I had not even five minutes ago, despite the continued ache along my spine, yet I knew that my choice would affect me for months to come.

Kain's hand was a firm weight against my lower back as he helped me sit up and I leaned back against the headboard of our bed a moment later. I felt briefly exhausted by the effort of movement even as my body continued to process the rich vitae that I had consumed. I looked down with a small shiver and distantly realized the fact that I was yet completely naked. I couldn't really bring myself to care much about my state of undress though, not even at the realization that Janos, the father-figure in my life, had started to look my nude form over with the clinical care of a practiced physician. Normally, I would be embarrassed for him to see me in such a state. I looked over at Kain and noticed that he wore naught but his leather pants. I blinked and then reached out a hand to idly touch his chest with the pads of my fingers. It was more to reassure myself that I was... _home_... more than anything else.

"How long... was I out?" I asked them softly.

My voice was yet heavy and thick with the remnants of disuse caused by sleep. I leaned into Kain's chest and took in his scent with the idleness of one not yet fully awake and aware. He let out a soft huff of breath, a sound of almost amusement. He allowed the continued contact as I pet at the smooth plains of his chest and stomach, yet there was something undecipherable in his gaze when I looked him in the eye. I frowned in bleary confusion and opened my mouth in order to ask him what was wrong when Janos' talons suddenly carded through my hair. The touch drew my attention away from Kain's eyes and I blinked up at Janos' concerned visage.

"You were unconscious for two days my Childe," Janos said as he continued to run his taloned fingers through my shortened hair. "You had us all worried. I had not thought you capable of becoming ill from infection."

The last was said with a questioning lilt to his tone and I shook my head in response to the silent question.

"Not infection," I responded. My voice slowly gained in strength the longer I spoke. "Shock fever. Too much damage all at once sends me into such a state once I no longer have the strength to keep fighting. My body has to work harder then usual to keep me alive as it fights to repair or neutralize the damage as fast as it can. This causes a kind of fever in the process. Wing loss always sends me into such a state and so can having my flesh rent through to the bone. You said I was out for two days?"

"Yes," Kain rumbled against my side. "I take it you are used to waking up from such a state after a longer period of time has passed?"

"Yes," I responded with a nod of my head. "But then, you were actively helping me to recover. Previous times I was left to fend for myself."

"How many times did you almost _die_ because you were left in such a state?" Janos asked me. His voice rose in pitch with his anger and upset.

"I've... lost count," I responded with a small wince. I met Kain's gaze and noticed that he was keeping his face carefully blanked of all expression. I turned to look back at my adopted Sire with a small frown. "I fine now that I'm awake and have been fed. I believe that I'll be back on my feet within a few more minutes… maybe a half-hour at the most."

"I will leave you to rest then," Janos said with a tilt of his head.

He briefly patted my head in a way that ruffled my shortened hair. I swatted at his hand with an annoyed, yet playful hiss and he chuckled in response. The relief that I would be alright was writ plain in his eyes. He turned and closed the door gently as he left the room.

I let out a faint sigh and leaned my head back against the wood of the headboard. As I did so, a faint and painful ripple pulsed down my back in a way that caused my hands to spasm momentarily. I let out a soft grunt at the discomfort and then reached back to rub at my shoulder blades to try to sooth the twitching ache. A moment later, Kain nudged and bullied me onto my stomach before he started to issue a somehow testing massage to my upper back and shoulders. I let out a distressed hiss of breath, as the normally sensual massage now sent brief flashes of agony along my back even as the consistent, careful pressure started to help relax the tensed and sore muscles. His hands moved down to my lower back and sides. The pressure continued to be gentle and testing as his fingers massaged my back. I was able to relax for a few brief minutes before his hands moved back up. I spoke up a moment later in an effort to distract myself from the renewed flashes of pain.

"What did you decide for Alma's punishment?" I asked him softly as I recalled his anger with the vampiress.

" _That_ has yet to be decided, as I would know the list of injuries that you received by Sarafan hands directly from you my Little One," he said in a low, almost dangerous tone.

I hesitated in responding to his unvoiced command for me to provide such a list and tensed beneath him. His hand closed tight around the back of my neck a moment later in a grip that was harsh enough that it forced a startled squeak out of me. I went limp immediately. He leaned over me and his voice was dark with warning as he growled in my ear.

"Do _not_ think to keep anything from me in an effort to lessen her punishment, Katrina," he growled. _Just_ my name, no endearments… oh, _hell_. He was _pissed_. "This is an order as your General. Your _King_. I am not making a request as your _lover_. Do you understand me?"

I gulped and shivered beneath him at the danger inherent in his tone.

"I understand," I responded softly.

"Good," his hands moved to once more caress and massage along my back, shoulders and neck in testing touches. I slowly relaxed again but a part of me remained uneasy beneath him. "Report on what happened as Cillian betrayed you."

"...may I ask something first?" I murmured softly, warily, as I was unsure of his mood. He seemed calm _now_ but...

"If your question is regarding the girl-child," he said in a tone that was cold and calm, he'd easily know what I'd wanted to ask, "she did not survive."

"She was still alive when I arrived at the clearing," I said in a sorrowful tone a moment later. "Cillian remained behind whilst I was teleported away. He'd said something about hiding his scent. He had to have killed her in the process."

"I suspected as much," he said as his hands moved over my shoulders. "Did he harm you?"

"Damn near broke my jaw," I growled out in response.

"Hnn," he growled as well. A low, deadly thrum of noise. "It seems I may need to have a longer conversation with him at some point then."

"That fucker is still _alive_?!" I shouted and I tried to push up into a sitting position.

His hands pressed down firmly on my shoulders and he forced me back down against the bed. I let out a snarl of noise as I squirmed beneath his firm grasp in an effort to pull free. The desire to find the traitorous little fucking prick and rip him to bits flared through me. My Aura flared wildly and, despite my still somewhat exhausted condition, I still managed to push myself up several inches. Kain's own Aura slammed down over me like a heavyweight hammer. I growled louder still in response even as the pressure bared down on me and I lost the few inches that I had gained. His Aura forced me back against the bed with my left cheek pressed against the pillow, the energy lanced through me with nearly as much force as his hands upon my shoulders.

"Calm yourself _now_ ," he snarled from above. "There will be a public execution this very eve. He will not live much longer."

I stopped struggling beneath his hands and let out another low growl.

"Fine, _fine_ ," I bit out in a dark tone. "God damned son of a fucki- _gah_!"

Kain's claws suddenly dug deep into my shoulders and I went completely still beneath him. I tilted my head to bare my throat in submission and I let my Aura flicker out with a high, angry keen. He leaned over me and growled low in my ear.

"I said to _calm_ _yourself_ woman," he said in a dark tone. "If you desire to met out your own vengeance, then there will be time enough for such a thing before or even _during_ the execution. Now, make your report!"

"Alright! _Alright_!" I yelped out and I shuddered beneath him.

I took a shaky breath and his claws eased up. The sharp points were still dug into the flesh of my shoulders. The small wounds healed around the very tips of his claws and any shift in movement cut into my skin. It was a subtle warning against any further outbursts, so I swiftly started to make my report.

"Three pulses of lightning magic hit me before I was knocked unconscious with a sleep spell," I started and then paused as I recalled what else Cillian had done. "Ah, wait... my wing got wrenched and twisted by Cillian as he tossed me toward the person who teleported me away, most likely the Bastard. My wings were hooked up while I was out cold, so I don't recall the pain of that due to the sleep spell. They were later wrenched twice while I was conscious and pretending to yet be asleep. The muscle and membrane of my wings were torn due to the placement of the hooks. Three more lightning spells followed whilst I was working on escaping from them. The last blast of magic right into the remains of my wings hurt the worst. Any other damage I might have taken likely healed before I awoke from my forced slumber."

"Hm," his voice was a dark and thoughtful hum above me. "You were not long gone, only a few hours as opposed to the days you were missing the last time. They did not have an extensive amount of time to bring you to harm. Still, Alma will be hung by the flesh of her back by no less than eighteen well placed hooks and then forced to endure no less than twenty of the highest level lightning spells that Vorador can cast. They will be spaced out over the course of twelve hours. As Cillian had aligned himself to the Sarafan's banner with his betrayal, her jaw will be broken and forced to remain broken until the twelve hours is up."

I shuddered under his touch at that cold, brutal, so matter of fact tone. The pinpricks of his claws slid from my flesh and his hand suddenly closed over the back of my neck. He leaned over me a moment later and sank his fangs into my right ear in a painful, _punishing_ bite that did not immediately abate. I let out a pained yelp even as I fought to not move my head lest I cause his fangs to rip free and cause worse damage to my ear.

"Gahhh _hissss_ ," I half hissed as my eyes clenched shut at the continued pain. "W-why...?"

Kain eased his fangs from the flesh of my ear a few moments later. He licked the blood away slowly, contemplatively, before he leaned back. Claws began to dance a dangerous trail over the surface of my back. I shivered when his Aura darkened and became a heavier weight along my mind. I shifted to bare my throat to him as much as I could and panted softly for breath. I clenched my eyes shut while I tried to endure the mental onslaught of pressure still confused at having his anger directed at me.

"Think Katrina," he said in a soft, dangerous hiss of breath. " _Why_ would I be upset with you?"

"I..." I could hardly think under the pressure of his Aura and I scrambled to answer him. I couldn't even think of anything beyond... "I-is this because I c-challenged you in front of the others regarding Alma?"

The claws of one hand suddenly dug painfully into the base of my spine, not tearing, but they were instant, needle-like stabs of pain on either side of the spinal column. I arched as a result and I let out a hissing sound of pain as his claws started to dig deeper still into my flesh. I started to yelp out my safe word when the pain began to become too much, his claws digging in too deep, only to have his other hand clamp tightly over my mouth before I could even get the first syllable of sound out.

"No. I will let your public challenge to my command go as you were attempting to correct an oversight and protect a vassal," he growled. He leaned over me, his eyes a white shock of power and energy. " _This_ , however, is to be a punishment due to your disobeying a direct order from me. Understand plainly mine own; this is _not_ a sexual situation. You _do not_ have access to that word. Not during the administration of a correction."

I let out a muffled whimper of noise and trembled faintly. I felt my eyes widen at the cold tone of his voice as he spoke those unyielding words. I was reminded of Alma's comment a while back about facing 'the General's whip' and I swallowed roughly as fear began to bubble through me. The claw of his thumb scratched sharply along the line of my jaw and I flinched under the cutting pressure.

"I am allowing you a mercy in this, both in making this a _private_ punishment when I could have made it a _public_ correction and by doing less than I normally would considering the damage that you sustained with the temporary loss of your wings," he said as he tilted his head. He lifted his hand from my mouth a moment later. "Now, _what_ order did you fail to obey Katrina?"

I shuddered again at his words, grateful in part that he was not going to issue public punishment. I did not was to be put through the embarrassment of such a thing, of being punished with others around to watch... me... I swallowed hard and had to bite back an outright whimper of fear as I suddenly realized _why_ he was upset with me. Just what I had failed to do...

"I broke f-from the group, from Alma, when you had ordered me to remain either with my men, or at least her, when out on the field," I said as I clenched my eyes shut. "Left myself v-vulnerable when I knew I was being targeted and was captured as a result of my ineptitude just as much as Cillian's betrayal."

"Correct," he said with a low growl. "What _should_ you have done?"

"W-waited for Alma, possibly even the other vampires in my contingent, before moving toward the child's scream," I responded in a soft voice. I did not open my eyes. I did not want to see the rage, or worse yet the _disappointment_ , in his gaze. I had failed him...

"Correct," he said with a dark-some purr of noise that sounded equal parts pleased with my understanding of the situation and enraged with my failure. "Hands above your head."

"Yes Ka..." claws dug into my back again and I yipped in pain. I corrected myself on instinct even as I raised my hands above my head. " _General_! Yes, my General!"

"Better," claws pulled free of my flesh. A moment passed and I then felt the pulse of magic as a Telekinetic hold wrapped tight around my wrists to keep them pinned in place. "Head up."

I raised my head and the next thing I knew he had wrapped a blindfold over my eyes and behind the tops of my ears. He knotted the cloth tight and I winced at the sharp yank he gave to the cloth. I couldn't help the growing tremble that began to wrack through my body as my fear spiked at being bound so. He pushed my head back down against the pillow with my left cheek pressed once more against the feather-filled silk pillow and his fangs scratched painfully against the shell of my exposed ear.

"Not a sound out of you now," he rumbled softly as his tongue rasped over the wounded skin. "And _do not_ hurt yourself as you endeavor to keep yourself silent. That is an order. Do you understand Katrina?"

I nodded my head in silent understanding even as I struggled to control my fear.

I had never had to face 'correction' at the hands of those on Nosgoth, and no, I had never once counted the wounds obtained during sparring practice as 'corrections'. Alma had long ago told me that a correction process was something that a Sire or Commander chose in order to prevent further misbehavior and the methods of punishment were based upon an individual's personality. Cillian had hated submitting to females, _ever_ , for _any_ reason and thus the greatest punishment for him was to be beholden to the whims of the Brides. Others still feared public punishment like being lashed or feared water or sunlight in turn and thus their corrective punishments would be tailored to them specifically.

True harm, _physical_ harm caused outside of fighting lessons, harm caused by the hands of my Clan... frightened me. The knowledge that _Kain_ was going to issue physical punishment to me directly... terrified me even as my vampiric instincts made me submit due to the fact that I had indeed disobeyed my King's, _my Alpha's_ , direct order. An order that had been issued to me to help insure my own physical safety and well being in the face of a known threat.

Fingers closed painfully around the shell of my right ear and it was twisted partly to the side. I inhaled a harsh breath when a claw started to dig slowly through skin and cartilage at the inner part of my ear to open up a wide hole. There was a twisting of magic near my ear and I had to fight not to pull away as the magic stretched that hole wider still. A moment passed and I felt the cold press of metal being pushed through the open wound and the magic faded away. I twitched at the strange sensation that pulsed through me as the flesh and cartilage healed around the metal.

The grip on my ear shifted and my mouth opened in a silent scream when his claw again cut along my ear, this time along the inside edge of my ear in a slashing cut that opened my ear from the top down to the lobe. Again there was the sense of magic being used to hold the wound open and I felt a larger chunk of cold metal pushed in along the line of the wound. I dug my claws into the top part of the pillow and the sharp points tore into the silk whilst I panted harshly for breath. The wound closed around the metal and three thick rods now cleanly pierced the shell of my ear at the top, middle and bottom lobe. I twitched again at the strange sensation of metal embedded in my flesh, having never pierced my ears before, and I blinked rapidly behind the blindfold. My breathing started to even out once the pain began to fade and I shifted my head toward Kain as I felt him move over me.

"Good, very good Katrina," Kain said with a dark purr. The sound of a claw ringing against metal rang through the air and magic again tingled at my ear. The metal seemed to heat slightly and my head twitched. "Now, say 'dominus'."

I swallowed roughly and spoke the Latin word with careful enunciation, "Dominus? Nngh... Ah… _ahhh_!"

I twitched violently and shook my head as the metal suddenly became cold enough that it burned and I felt the tingle of magic zap along my entire body. I turned my head to try to rub the now aching flesh of my ear against my arm, the pillow, anything really, in an effort to sooth the cold ache. Kain's hand closed around the back of my neck in order to keep me pinned in place as the strange sensation faded. Only once I had stilled again did he move off of my pinned form. I felt the bed shift when he moved to stand and I tried to turn my head to follow his footsteps. It sounded like he had stopped at one of the dressers and a nervous apprehension begin to fill me.

"The item currently embedded in your ear was swiftly and carefully crafted for you by Vorador whilst you healed," Kain rumbled. There was a clicking sound, as if he had opened a small chest. "Activated as it is now, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation where you are trapped in enemy hands, you are to say the trigger word. The magic in the earpiece will then teleport you to my side and away from danger. Now... we must needs be certain that you can speak the trigger word past the pain that an enemy might cause you."

Kain walked back over to the bed and it once more shifted as he moved to sit beside me. I twitched my head in his direction as he eased closer to me and I trembled when he dragged his fingers gently down along the line of my spine. I clenched and unclenched my hands carefully so that I did not cut myself with my claws. I felt something else brush against my skin when his hand moved away. Nine thin strips of leather suddenly teased, almost tickled, over my back before the weight of the handle that those strips were connected to settled along my spine. I froze against the bed and outright terror flashed through me.

"You know what this is?" he asked, almost conversationally, as his hands again skimmed over my back.

"Cat-o …" my voice caught in my throat and I let out a choked sound. "Used... _used_... flaying! _No_!"

I yelped out the last word, filled with a sudden and pure kind of panic. I started to buck violently and pulled against that telekinetic hold around my wrists. I tried to pull away from his touch when the magically bindings did not loosen and lashed out at the same time toward him with my legs. I attempted to kick him away with a desperate snarl of sound when one of his hands brushed against my foot.

His Aura slammed down on me abruptly, even as his right hand closed around the back of my neck and the tips of his fingers pushed against his Mark. A wave of unyielding, forced _calm_ hit me hard enough that I almost blacked out from the mental onslaught. I blinked into the darkness of the blindfold dazedly. My thoughts had been stilled so completely by his Aura that I could not have said which direction was 'up' and which was 'down' if someone had asked me. That powerful Aura eased up away from me in slow increments as he moved me so that I was once more laid out on my stomach. A faint grunt of noise escaped me and my body gave a violent twitch of movement, a remnant of my subconscious terror. Even though my body continued to twitch, I remained pliant under his touch and he was easily able to re-position me as he wished.

"There now," Kain's voice filled my ears, a soft and soothing croon. "Calm mine own, _tsaa_. I can assure you that you will _not_ be flayed my Katrina. You have done nothing to warrant a punishment quite _that_ severe. You have not betrayed me mine own, but merely _disobeyed_ my commands. Shh now. Easy."

A fine trembling started to run through my body despite his words and the continued, calming pressure of his Aura. I swallowed roughly and tried to calm myself by sinking into the soothing thrum of his voice. That he was using endearments once more helped me to relax a little at a time, but fear still lanced through me. I would not apologize for the fierce reaction to the touch of that tool and yet...

"All I know..." I murmured softly against the silk-covered pillow.

"I understand that," he said and he issued another soft croon. "I am going to hit you with it now and show you how it is _supposed_ to be used in these situations mine own. Breathe in slow and deep for me, then let out the breath just as slow."

I nodded my head and did as he had instructed. A whistling noise abruptly filled the air as I let out the breath that I had slowly sucked in. The nine strips of leather impacted over the cheeks of my ass painfully, a sharp pain that startled me. The rest of my breath escaped me in a bitten off yelp and I blinked rapidly behind the blindfold. I squirmed against the bed uncomfortably and took stock of the damage. The blow had hurt quite a bit, but it was the not the skin tearing, _flesh rending_ pain that I was used to from such a tool. As I wiggled about, I could feel as the welts that were left by the blow rapidly heal a few moments after the impact. Claws gently stroked through my hair and I jerked at the touch even as I panted heavily for breath.

"Slow your breathing," he ordered in a firm tone and his Aura thrummed over me again.

I swallowed harshly and forced myself to take a slow, shaky breath just as he had instructed. His thumb passed over his Mark and I felt that forced edge of calm pulse through me again briefly.

"There now," he purred in a low tone. "Harder this time. Breathe in and out slowly once more."

I nodded my head jerkily and let out a soft moan. Fear yet pulsed through me and wracked my body with violent shudders. I focused on keeping my breathing even for several minutes and he graciously allowed me the time to calm myself as much as I could. I arched with the pain of the next, harder blow that abruptly landed on my lower back. It took longer for the pain to fade as the new set of welts healed and I buried my face against the pillow with a soft whimper of sound. I shuddered and jerked against the bed as my human instincts and vampiric instincts began to war between the need to escape and get away from the near embarrassing pain and the need to submit to, and to appease, my Mate. His fingers curled firmly in my hair a moment later. He forced my head back and to the side, left cheek once again pressed firmly into the pillow.

"The word to activate the spell is the only word that you are allowed to say until your punishment is complete. Speak the word clearly after each blow. If the magic fails because you could not say the word properly, then I will issue three rapid blows in punishment. Speak any other word but the one allowed and it will be three corrective blows for each poorly spoken word," he said in a commanding tone. "Do you understand me Katrina?"

I started to say 'yes' and then forced the word down, damn near choking on air in the process as I fully registered his command. Instead of a verbal response, I nodded my head as much as I could what with the tight grip that he had on my hair. Kain let out a satisfied sound of noise at my silent acknowledgement and let go of my hair. His hand moved to rest lightly on the back of my neck as a steadying point of pressure and I tried to focus on the mental life-line that was that grasp. Again the whistling sound of the cat-o-nine-tails filled the air and this time the blow struck across the back of my thighs. I arched again due to the pain and hissed in reaction to the sharpness of it. It was bearable and yet...it was made all the worse by the fact that it was Kain issuing the blows.

"Dominus!" I cried out belatedly as I recalled his order.

The cold burn tore through my ear again whilst magic coursed through my body. The magic of the item could not transport me anywhere as Kain was already touching me, yet it still thrummed through me in a wave of uncomfortable energy that made my stomach roil with nausea.

"Good, very good," he purred softly, soothingly. "Now again."

Another blow, this time the blow again struck the cheeks of my ass with a harsh crack of sound. I couldn't help the stuttering cry that escaped me.

"D-dom-min- _us_!" I wailed out.

I then writhed beneath the promised three, rapid-fire blows of the cat-o-nine-tails as it hit against my lower back when the magic of the... earring?... failed to activate all due to my mangling of the trigger word.

"Focus Katrina," he growled in a low, warning tone. "Again."

The blows continued to rain down over my lower back, my ass, my thighs and my upper shoulders. The only place he avoided hitting me with the tool was my upper back and lower shoulders where my wings extended. Everywhere else along my backside seemed to be fair game. I realized that the earlier testing massage had been him verifying _which_ of the areas of my body would be safe to strike, outside of the obvious spot where the pressure point lay. Time started to slip away from me and I struggled to stay steady by using the touch of his hand against my neck right over his Mark and the thrumming, cold pulse of magic in my ear when I successfully said the trigger word.

It helped that not one blow drew blood, nor did those blows tear at my flesh. Each of those controlled blows was either perfectly timed or perfectly placed in order to give the welts caused by prior blows the time that they needed in order to heal. Only once throughout the onslaught did I break down and disobey his order to only say the word 'dominus'.

"Please! _Please_! No more!" I cried out as I writhed against the bed.

The human part of my senses were far too overwhelmed with the pain and even with my vampiric instincts working desperately to force me back into silence the words spilled from my lips. Even the cold knowledge that I was _once more_ disobeying a direct order from my Alpha could not prevent the words from pouring out as I lost control. My mind was a jumbled, quivering mess as my dual-natured instincts fought within me and I couldn't help my continued, begging, cries for surcease from the pain.

"Too much!" I whimpered. "Stop! General! _Kain_! Please _stop_!"

"Thirty-three," Kain's response to my cries lanced through me like an icy spear and a high whine escaped me.

I yowled, screeched and then outright wailed in near agony at the rain of thirty-three consecutive blows. The blows were spaced carefully over my body so that by the time the cat-o-nine-tails was used again on a particular location, the welts from one of the prior blows had healed over. The human part of my mind trembled, shook and broke beneath the onslaught even as the mental image of the large winged-beast that I associated with my vampiric instincts worked to hold me still and steady throughout the punishing correction being issued to me due to my disobedience. Tears had soaked the blindfold thoroughly by the time the last blow landed. I whimpered a high, keening note and I bared my throat as much as I could in apology for my transgression, my failure.

Claws scratched over the exposed curve of my neck briefly before another blow landed over my ass. I croaked out naught but the one word that I was allowed to say in a weak response to said blow. The blows continued to land over my body after that and I only allowed the trigger word to escape my lips out of forced repetition. His touch... the pain… the word 'dominus'... the resulting magic… it all blurred together in my mind until that was all that existed... all that _could_ exist for me. Finally… _finally_ the blows stopped and his hand tightened on my neck for a brief moment. I let out a low keen of wordless noise at the tight grip before I felt his hand pull away. I swallowed roughly and a choked sob escaped me at the loss of that steadying grasp.

"Hush now," came the pain-tunneled, distant command.

I fell silent even as my body continued to tremble uncontrollably. I dimly registered the sound of his movements as he slid off of the bed. Barely recognized the sharp clicking sound of a wooden box being closed. Twitched only slightly at the sudden lack of the tight, telekinetic magics that had been around my wrists all this time.

"I am going to strike you with lightning magic," came that distant voice. "You know what to say."

My head lolled and I tried to turn it toward his voice. I blinked into the wet darkness of the blindfold that yet covered my eyes. There was a dim building of magic in the air behind me and my body suddenly arched violently as lightning magics tore through me in a vicious wave. My mouth opened and, instead of a scream, the trigger word tore free from my throat without conscious thought.

" _Dominus_!" I yowled in a high, pain-filled voice.

Again the metal seemed to freeze the very flesh of my ear but this time there was the disorienting pulse of teleportation magic and it suddenly felt like I was falling through the air. Arms wrapped around my waist and upper body before I could hit the ground. I felt the cool touch of stone against my feet as they brushed the cold surface. Fangs clamped firmly around the back of my neck and I let out a soft, submissive keen at that fanged grip. A moment later and he pulled his fangs free of my flesh. I was then shifted around and pulled up into his arms so that he carried me bridal style and he moved toward the bed. He laid my form back down on the silk covered bed and I was left laying on my back this time rather than my stomach.

The blindfold was pulled away slowly, the tear and sweat soaked cloth clung to my skin. I blinked weakly and my eyes slowly adjusted once more to the candle-lit room. The candles seemed bright indeed to my light deprived sight. He moved over me slowly and started to run the backs of his claws over the front of my body in a slow, gentle pattern that trailed up from my lower stomach to my neck. I tilted my head back automatically when he reached the hollow of my throat and he leaned in with a pleased sound to sweep his tongue over the readily revealed skin. He nudged my head to the side so that the right side of my throat was exposed to his attentions and he placed a fanged kiss over his Mark. The touch sent a jolt of Pleasure through me and I let out a soft, weary, keen of noise in response.

"There now my Katrina," he purred. His words rang soft as silk in my ear and his Aura shifted to be a near comforting press of power along my own. "Your punishment is over and you are now forgiven for your transgression. Easy now, my Little One."

I shuddered violently once, twice...thrice... before I let out a choked sob of air in response to his words. It was over? I squeezed my eyes shut and more tears spilled freely from the corners my eyes. Kain continued to let out a low-level rumble of noise as I quietly cried. My body briefly shook with a fine trembling, as my now overly sensitized body twitched with each pass of his claws over my skin. He gently caught my chin in his hand after several moments had passed and he gave me a small shake as he did so.

"Focus now, my Little One," he rumbled. "Open your eyes for me."

I blinked my eyes open automatically at that deep-voiced order. I tried to slow my frantic gasps for breath as he wiped away my tears with his thumb. He easily ignored the sizzling pain that my tears had to have caused in the process.

"Good, easy now mine own," he said as his thumb passed feather light over my lips. "Failure to obey comes at a price, _especially_ when that failure results in the very harm that my orders were meant to _prevent_. You will not make such a mistake again, will you?"

I shook my head jerkily at his words and he leaned forward to pass his tongue lightly over my lips.

"Use your words, my Little One," he rumbled with a hint of amusement to his tone. "Remember that I said your punishment is at an end. Now, will you _ever_ make the same mistake to leave yourself so open to danger again?"

"N-no General... Kain..." I croaked out in a voice that was still hoarse from screaming.

"Good my Katrina, good," his fingers tightened minutely around my chin. "The next time you disobey me to such a degree your punishment will be made a public one where your Chosen Clan will act as witness to your correction, do you understand me?"

I twitched at his words and then swallowed harshly as I let out a choked keen of sound.

"I... I u-understand..." I whispered.

"Hnn, good," he leaned in and kissed me slowly. His hands continued their slow dance over my now far too sensitive skin.

Kain's tongue pushed slowly into my mouth and he purposefully nicked the nimble muscle against my dainty-sharp fangs. Power rich blood poured over my own tongue and it took a moment for the taste to register. I leaned into his gentle-claiming kiss and swallowed the fluid eagerly. My eyes slid half-shut with pleasure at the taste of him. When he caught his tongue against my fangs a second time, I latched onto the wounded organ on instinct and suckled hard as I tried to drink down more of that bounteous vitae that he had suddenly offered up to me. When the wound healed over, I let out a soft whine at the back of my throat. A throaty, kiss-muffled chuckle escaped him and his hands briefly tightened around my hips as he once more flicked tongue over fang.

Again and again he repeated the process and nicked his tongue over my fangs. I suckled and ran my own tongue over his to gather every droplet that he offered up to me. Hunger and need started to rear up past the haze that had settled over my mind because of the pain. His hands trailed a slow path up and down my sides and I shivered beneath him, this time in pleasure and growing desire rather than fear. I hesitantly reached up with shaky hands and slowly threaded my fingers through his silver hair. He purred in approval and then shifted and nudged my legs wide with his knees as he settled himself along the length of my body.

His hands suddenly closed tight enough around my hips that it forced a startled squeak out of me and despite the small pain, I did not pull my lips from his and instead tried to sink my fangs into his lower lip to draw more of his blood in retaliation. He allowed the bite and blood flooded over my tongue and I purred hungrily at the sweet taste. He abruptly rolled us so that I was atop him, straddled over his waist. I braced my hands on his chest and pulled back from the bloody kiss when he pushed his leather covered groin against the bared flesh of my mound. I arched backwards as he repeated the thrusting movement and a strained gasp escaped me at the feel of his leather constrained length pushed hard against my slit.

His right hand coiled gently in my shortened hair and his fingers tightened in slow increments until it was just painful enough to force a hungry hiss past my lips. He then used that grip to force me to arch further backwards. His claws trailed along the line of my body, from the hollow of my throat down until the heel of his palm was pressed firmly against my crotch and I shuddered in his grasp when he started to apply a firm, circular pressure to my clit. He let out a low, satisfied croon of noise when I shuddered and the pace of that circular movement picked up in intensity and pressure. His movements caused me to buck into his touch with a low croon of my own and my eyes fluttered shut with the pleasure of that rubbing pressure.

My human instincts and needs were still so completely subsumed by my vampiric blood that all I knew at that point was that I wanted to please my Mate in whatever way that I could. Whatever way that he might desire. All in a bizarre, animalistic desire to show my contriteness for my transgression, the carelessness that might have gotten me killed, and my hope for the forgiveness that was inherently present in his continued touch. His left hand settled gently on my ass and his fingers tightened as he lifted me up onto my knees to where I was bent backwards over him at an odd angle. I had to suddenly brace my hands on his knees or otherwise I risked falling back.

"Stay just like that my Little One," he purred in a low rumble once I had steadied myself.

I let out a low groan and my eyes fluttered open and I worked to still my shaking body and remain arched backwards at the angle that he wanted me at. I dimly registered movement in the mirror above our bed and realized that he had undone the bindings of his leather trousers. I let out a sharp, hissing cry when he forced me down and speared me upon his hardened flesh. My body bucked at the invasion even as I shuddered and clenched tight enough around him that I could feel every inch of that thick rod in sharp relief as he eased deeper still into the tight heat of my body. I tried to push back up and lean forward, tried to ease the angle of that impalement, only to have his grip upon my hair tighten.

" _No_ , Dear Katrina," he purred in a soft, darkened tone. "My Little Queen. Keep your hands braced upon my legs, just like you are now."

"Y-yes, my King," I responded in a strained voice.

He let out another satisfied sound of noise and he slowly started to rock up into me. The angle was sharp and somehow brutal even though his thrusts up into my body were slow… precise. Every push of that thickened rod rubbed him right over that sweet spot within me and I clenched around him with a high pitched moan. Each push upward into the depths of my core was a slow building of pleasure over several long minutes and I found that the angle was designed to prevent me from pushing back and meeting his thrusts. I whimpered softly in strained pleasure at the realization and relaxed into the pace that he had set as he filled me, claimed me with those fiercely sweet thrusts. His free hand started to skirt a teasing trail over my stomach and then up to my right breast. He squeezed tight enough to raise a brief bruise and I cried out at the sheer, raw intensity of it all.

"Beautiful, my Little Queen," he growled in dark, lust-filled satisfaction and he released my hair. "Lean forward now mine own, brace your hands upon my shoulders."

I let out a soft groan of noise and shifted forward near mindlessly to obey that hungry order. I braced my hands on his shoulders to keep myself balanced and shivered at the change of angle. I felt the strained muscles of my back shift as they gave shuddering little pops once the overextended muscles were finally allowed to relax. Even the continued ache of my shoulder blades seemed infinitesimal at this point as pleasure began to flood my senses. His hands passed over the curves of my ass briefly and those sharp claws scratched my skin before they pulled away entirely. There was a soft pulse of magic as he reached into the magical storage space that he used in order to pull something from it. I started to turn my head to try to see what he had grabbed and he gave a jarring thrust upwards to distract me. I let out a high gasp and shivered violently around the thickness buried inside me.

"No, my Katrina," he purred and he let out a dark-some chuckle. "Keep looking at me."

I turned my head back toward him and met his hungry, blue-gold gaze. He let out a soft rumble of pleasure and I shuddered around him. His eyes hooded half-shut with desire and he let out a low, growling croon of noise as his eyes started to bleed white with power. A single claw trailed down along my spine, razor sharp at first and after a moment I felt the tip blunt as his magic coiled around and sheathed the sharp edge. That claw pulled away a moment later and I heard something being twisted open. A jar perhaps? One arm abruptly coiled tight around my waist and allowed me no room to move. I let out a startled hiss of sound as his now slickened finger started to prod and rub around the tight hole of my rear passageway. He had not shown an interest in taking me in such a way before… and the touch felt odd indeed.

I tried to pull away from his probing touch, yet the tight grip around my waist held me trapped in place. I threw my head back with a hiss of breath when that slickened digit started to push past the tight ring of my ass. He pushed in past the first knuckle and then paused long enough to wriggle and probe at the area. He then pushed in past the second knuckle. I arched as much as I could, trapped as I was with his arm wrapped around my waist, and I let out a fervent keen of noise when the length of his finger shifted inside me. He moved his finger in a rubbing motion and I realized that he was both working to stretch me further still and rubbing at himself through the thin barrier of flesh.

"That's it, open for me mine own," he growled in a low voice. He started to work a second slickened finger into that tight hole and I let out a strained cry.

"Kain... I... this is... _ngh_!" I groaned low and bucked in his grasp.

My eyes flew wide and my hands clenched at his shoulders tight enough that my claws drew blood and painted crimson rivulets over his pale skin. That second finger pushed in slowly, yet without halting, until it came to a rest alongside the first. He gave me a few moments to adjust to the unusual invasion before he started to scissor his fingers around within me in order to stretch me further still.

"Kain!" I cried out and bit into my lower lip with a whimper.

"Yes," he rumbled with a lust filled growl. "Almost mine own. Relax your muscles and _open_ for me my Katrina."

"I... I'll t-try... but oh.. _oh_ it's..." I arched against his grasp around my waist when he started to tease yet a third finger against that stretched and clenching hole.

I panted heavily for breath even as I tried to relax as he had said to. It helped that he had not stopped his slow and measured thrusts into the depths of my soaked and clenching core. Some of his thrusts pushed deep to bump against my cervix whilst the rest were carefully angled to rub over that sweet spot to make me clench and writhe on top of him. All of that helped to distract from the stretching pain as he worked the tight passage of my ass open further still.

I let out a near mewling cry of pleasured pain when he pushed that third, oil-slicked finger into me. His thrusts into my soaked body abruptly picked up in speed and strength. It was a near vicious change of pace that wrenched a howl from my throat. He kept up the harsh pace for several long minutes as he scissored his fingers around within my ass. I felt trapped on the edge of pain and pleasure as he continued to stretch that rear passage open wider. I let out a hitched gasp of breath when his fingers finally pulled out only to let out a keen of loss a moment later when he also pulled his length from my soaked, grasping core. I had been so close to release despite the strange invasion that my body fairly trembled with the aching need to cum.

I let out a pleasure weakened snarl of noise and tried to reach for his hips. I dug my claws into the flesh of his waist and tried to force him back into the depths of my core, only to have him shift just as I moved to align the head of his length with my open slit and slide roughly back onto him. I let out a surprised yelp as the sudden shift meant that I partially impaled my ass upon that thick and unyielding rod of flesh rather than my slick and eager core. I whimpered, discomforted by the stretching sensation, and tried to pull back off of him.

Kain's hands shifted to grasp my hips in a tight enough grip that I knew would bruise as he prevented me from pulling back up and off of that thick shaft. His hungry pants for air that he did not need picked up as he slowly forced himself deeper into my ass. His eyes bled to naught but pure, white points of power even as they slid half shut again with pleasure. I threw my head back and howled when he buried himself to the hilt in the tight passage of my ass. My claws dug grooves into his chest, wounds that rapidly healed, as he started to pull out, only to ram back in less than a second later.

"Please Kain! I n-need... I _need_...!" another fervent keen escaped me and I squirmed in his grasp.

My body clenched around him and I felt desperate with the need to have my core filled and stretched, not my ass. With his hands clenched so around my hips, I was unable to pull away and realign myself, yet I was able to reach down to rub at my clit in a desperate bid to find that peak of pleasure.

A dark chuckle escaped him and I felt the slow thrum of telekinetic energy brush along my lower body. The energy shifted, altered strangely as it passed over the folds of my slit and then it suddenly felt as if my open slit had been filled with a second hard and spearing length. I let out a strained wail of pleasure at the dual sensation of impalement and bucked, struggled, in his hands. His grip tightened and he held me in place as I writhed, impaled upon that hard flesh and magical energy. Every twitch of his length in my ass drew a sharp cry from me and I knew he was close, so close, to filling me with that cold-fire seed. I groaned, tightened around him at the thought alone and tried to meet his now demanding thrusts into my stretched body.

His right hand moved from my hip to push my own fingers away from my clit and I let out a low, desperate sounding groan. The heel of his palm then pushed against my mound, right over the sensitive nub, and he started to rub the area in a firm, circular motion. I felt the slow build of magic against my skin and I let out a soft hiss of breath of near fear at the electric tingle that started to pulse against my clit. Before I could muster up the will to either lash out or pull away from him, he spoke.

"My Katrina," he rumbled in a pleasure deepened voice. The sound of his voice sent a lancing wave of desire and need tearing through me. His voice was an audible sensation that overrode the budding fear which threatened to overwhelm me. "Give yourself to me mine own. Yield to me your pleasure. Your every cry of need, of desire. You are mine Katrina. _Say it._ "

"I… Kain. _Nnnnaah_ …! I…!" I cried out in a wailing cry that bordered on being a begging noise as my instincts thrummed within me.

He… I had chosen to follow him… and he had not once steered me wrong since I made that choice, neither in my training lessons… nor in the sweeter lessons of pleasure… I wanted to trust him with this. Wanted to trust that he would not hurt me with such magics… I felt as I had the first day that I had decided to try to fly after I had gained my freedom with my arrival on Nosgoth. The feeling of fear at the thought of hitting the ground and a budding sense of ecstatic energy at the thought of finally being able to soar through the skies where I belong, but... could I truly trust myself to fly…?

"So… close…!" I gasped out finally and I bucked into his touch, into that magic, showing him with the movements of my body the trust that I had in him. "S-so close! _Anything_! Yours...! Just... Kain _please_! Oh please, my King! More… please!"

Magic suddenly pulsed over my clit and directly into my mound in a rapid-fire arch of electricity that hit my nerves not like a shock of pain but like a sudden, over-stimulating, oscillation of pleasurable vibration. It was as if he had bitten directly into his Mark at my throat, yet the ecstasy was instead centered upon more sensitive flesh. I arched backwards and jerked upon him, body squeezing and milking that thick shaft. Only his hand bruisingly tight upon my hip kept me held in place. I peaked abruptly with a wail and that magic somehow kept me right on that cresting wave of pleasure, kept me from coming down from it. I let out another wailing howl that was echoed by Kain's own snarling bellow of pleasure as he spilled cold-fire seed into the tightly clenched passage of my ass. He rose up abruptly like a striking snake and sank his fangs deep into my arched throat right over his Mark. My eyes flew wide for a moment and I briefly caught my own power-white gaze in the mirror above us before my mind blanked under the overwhelming tide of pleasure.

I came back to myself with a low groan and the gentle sensation of Kain's claws as they trailed a slow, idle design over my over-stimulated skin. I found that I could not control the small twitches and jerks my body made whenever he brushed the tips of his claws over a particularly sensitive patch of skin. I gave a full bodied shudder at one well placed pass of his claw over the bend of my knee. I groaned again when I realized that he was buried to the hilt and still half-hard within the stretched passage of my ass. He let out a pleased rumbled of noise and twitched inside me when I clenched down reflexively around him. I jerked and then tried to push myself up and off of him. He held me pinned in place for a moment longer before he finally allowed me to move. I rose off of him with a hiss of breath as his length slipped free of me and then rolled to the side with a soft moan when my arms gave out.

Kain let out a low, deep-throated chuckle and rolled on his side as he stretched like a large, lazy cat. He let out a satisfied, growling purr of noise and reached out to pull me in close. His hand had just closed around my waist when head twitched to the side and he blinked at the door. Another low rumble of noise escaped him, this time more of an exasperated sound, and he sat up. He tucked himself away and fastened the leather thongs that held the tops of his trousers shut. He nudged me with his arm a moment later.

"Up with you Dear Katrina," he rumbled darkly. "It is time to hold court and pass judgement upon the traitor. Your armor is on the table in the side room."

I blinked at his words and let out an annoyed sound of my own. I pushed myself up and off of the bed and onto shaky legs. Kain let a soft chuckle at my annoyance even as he moved to follow me in order to get dressed and armored himself. The armor tat had been left for me on the table was similar to the leather armor that Vorador had originally made for me only this was layered with a complex and formal looking weave of small plates that, upon closer inspection, were designed to look like my feathers. I let out a hum of noise.

"When did Vorador start working on this?" I murmured the question softly, more to myself than anything else.

"Shortly after he finished setting up his new forge," Kain said as he buckled a formal set of greaves and bracers on. "Vorador had begun work on the piece back in Meridian originally, but what he had completed at the time was lost with the old Sanctuary."

"Ah," I responded and I worked to get all the pieces on so that they fit snugly.

I had to stop at the chest plate and couldn't help the frustrated growl that escaped me. Instead of having a simple set of straps along the back to hold it in place, this one had a wild seeming weave of thin, metal layered straps. While it still looked like it would leave room for my wings when they regrew, I knew that I would not be able to get the thing on by myself. Kain noted my frustration and moved to assist me in getting the chest plate bound into place. I turned to offer to assist him with his own armor and let my hands fall away when I realized that what he was already wearing something a little more like what his Eldar self had settled, would settle on, regarding upper body armor.

That is to say... he wore nearly nothing at all...

He still wore a set of simple, yet viciously spiked, pauldrons that would tear into an enemy if he did a shoulder charge and red leather strap that the Reaver's sheath was attached to. Lastly he wore a shoulder cape with his Symbol sewn into it and the cape hung regally over his right shoulder. I looked him over with a small smile before I turned to look at myself in one of the long mirrors. I blinked in surprise at the near regal look that the armor gave me and I blushed at the sight of myself. I ran my clawed fingers through my shortened hair, annoyed with the shortened strands and the glint at my right ear reminded me of the odd earring that he had given me. I turned my head so I could get a closer look and then let out a bemused sound when I realized that the earring was designed to look like one half of his Symbol. I shot him an amused look and he flashed a smirk my way. He sheathed the Soul Reaver at his back and then held out his hand to me.

"Come along Dear Katrina," he purred.

I placed my hand in his and he tucked my hand into the crook of his arm as he led us out of our room.

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End chappie!

Please review!


	37. Aftermath

Edits as of 10/2016.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Aftermath

A/N: blatant Doctor Who reference near the end to the most recent season because Doctor Who Is Awesome and because with Kain's extensive time travelling, he'd bloody well get the humor of it all... sooo I do not own Doctor Who... :-)

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*-/*-* Katrina POV *-*\\-*

Kain led us down to the large room that had once been the ballroom of the mansion. The room had been swiftly renovated over the past half-year to convert the room to suit Kain's desires. When I had glanced in on the workers every now and then, they had seemed to be turning the room into was seemed to almost be a throne room or something else equally regal in design. As we entered the very much crowded room, I corrected the thought.

It _was_ a throne room.

The original white, polished marble tile of the room remained intact and yet each of the wide windows had been sealed away behind equally wide stone pillars. Pillars that would have taken humans years to put into place but had only taken the vampire artisans only months to align. Another two months of almost constant work had led to spiraling vine-like designs and each pillar had been shaped to look like several trees that had grown close together rather that a singular pillar of stone, all carved by deft and skilled claws. Dark, canopy-green draperies were carefully hug about the room and the effect of it all gave the room the illusion that we stood sheltered from the sun within a grove of vine covered trees.

A sweeping, dark red carpet led down the length of the room from the large doors and came to an end on a new, raised platform that was tucked neatly against the far wall. The platform had wide, sweeping steps and was the resting place for two large throne-like chairs. The larger of the thrones, on the left from the angle we were at currently and in the position that made it clear that it was the King's throne, looked to be made of dark stained wood. Even at a distance I could see the gold filigree that lined the edges of the wood in an odd-seeming pattern. Dark red velvet lined the seat itself and acted as padding along the back of the throne. Two humanoid skulls looked to have been carved into the arms of the throne itself and gave the regal design a decidedly dangerous air. The back of the throne had Kain's Symbol carved in sharp relief at the top just inches above where his head would rest when he leaned back.

The smaller throne to the right, what would be to the left of the King's throne when sitting and thus the Queen's throne, was a more delicate affair but no less carefully rendered by the skilled artisan's claws. The stain of the wood was a shade lighter than the larger throne and the filigree looked to be made of a delicate swirl of silver instead of gold. Even the velvet was a lighter shade and instead of skulls, two arching wings were carved into the arms of the smaller throne. While Kain's Symbol was also carved in sharp relief at the top of this throne, my own Symbol was directly beneath his and carved with just as much attention to detail.

Kain's mind brushed over my own, just a hint of dark amusement with no actual words being projected, only the emotion. I realized belatedly that I had come to a surprised halt at the doorway at the sight of the room. He had paused with me and had scanned over the crowd gathered within with a proprietary air. His arm squeezed around my hand where it lay in the crook and I was just barely able to contain my sudden start at the small pressure. I subtlety squared my shoulders and took in a slow, soft breath through my nose. I started to move forward again when he did and I realized he had used my sudden, momentary pause as a way to... well, work the crowd of vampires and humans alike to great effect.

More than one vampire did a funny sort of double take with little rapid blinks of their eyes as we passed them. I realized with a flash of insight that both of our scents were still strong with the residual scent of our... activities as we had not had the time to bathe. Oddly enough, I felt myself... _preen_ subtly at those looks. My vampiric instincts were very much satisfied that... well, that my 'territory' was clearly scent marked for all those who could scent such things. Slow measured strides brought us to the wide steps of the two thrones. Kain moved my hand from the crook of his arm almost gently and he guided me without seeming to towards the more delicate looking throne.

~Sit how you please, my Dear Katrina,~ he purred softly in my mind.

I moved the rest of the distance on my own and lowered myself onto the throne. Now that I was close enough to look it over, I saw that it had a wide seat and that there was easily room for another female to sit beside me on the cushion... or for me to sprawl out across the seat itself like some kind of lazy cat. Which sounded really good right now. I shifted around on the throne as I sat down, honestly still a bit worn from both the earlier corrective punishment and the sex that had unexpectedly followed. I decided to sprawl out over the throne with my upper body leaned towards Kain's own throne. I leaned my elbow against the arm of the throne and idly traced the pad of my finger over the silver filigree that looked like delicate, living vines.

Kain drew the Soul Reaver from his back in a smooth motion as he sat down, a gesture that caught the attention of, and startled more than a few, of those present within the large room. He now had everyone's undivided attention. He leaned the Reaver blade against the right arm of the throne as he sat. There seemed to be a perfectly placed notched hidden within the design of the throne where the blade could rest without risk of it falling over, similar to the notches that he always added to the posts of the beds that we slept in. Vorador and Janos both moved out from the crowd together as if planned. Vorador broke from our Sire's side to stand at Kain's right whilst Janos moved to stand to my left. Both were typical advisory positions; the King's Adviser and the Queen's Adviser respectively. Kain's remaining active Captains, Leon, Emrys and Stefon, each moved up to stand at the front edge of the crowd where they could easily be seen and ready to be called upon if there was a need. Kain's voice echoed in the now silent room.

"Bring forth the prisoner," he ordered in a ringing and deadly tone.

Cillian, bloody, bruised and badly beaten, was dragged front and center from a side entrance. He struggled futily, trapped firmly between two of Vorador's Bride's, Tara and Victoria. It was clear that he had numerous broken bones, of which were clearly being kept in a broken state with the use of several carefully placed bars of metal. He was forced to kneel in front of us at the lowest of the steps that lead up to our thrones. He was then held pinned in place and, despite the unyielding grasp of the two female vampires, he continued to try and pull free from their hands with pain-weakened snarls of noise. Kain's Aura slowly spread outwards to fill the room like a heavy weight. I noticed that more than a few of the vampires within the room tilted their heads in supplication and also backed a half a foot further away from the steps of the throne, as if giving Kain more room to maneuver as he pleased. I myself leaned a little more into the arm of the throne that I was braced against before I could catch myself. I had lowered myself just that little bit to seem less of a threat out of pure instinct. Had we been wolves, I imagined that more than a few of those within the room would have rolled over to expose their bellies due to that angry press of pure Power. Cillian also stilled his struggles, yet rather than bare his throat, he ducked his head and bared his fangs in a weak, defiant, gesture at the press of Kain's Aura.

"Cillian," Vorador's voice filled the room and drew nearly everyone's attention. Kain and I both continued to glower at the male however. "You have been found guilty of the highest of crimes; treason against your Lord King and Lady Queen. Do you have aught to say before your sentence is issued and carried out?"

"I merely endeavored to free my Lord from the wiles of the _Slut_ who dares to sit upon that throne," Cillian snarled out in a weakened, but enraged voice. He spat out a wad of blood in my direction.

My eyes narrowed darkly on his form and I bared my fangs in warning. Vorador's and Janos' Auras both rose up and filled the room alongside Kain's in a near melodic press of power that practically hummed through the air. Several of those within the room hissed softly at his perfidious words. Yet more backed further away from the steps in an unconscious move to escape the deadly force of the three Aura's that now filled the room with wrathful energies. I felt my own Aura rise up slightly in response, that mental winged-beast giving a dangerous rumble at the back of my mind. I narrowed my eyes on the kneeling vampire hatefully and I shifted, started to straighten, in order to snap at the male. Janos let out a low growl before I could do more then twitch and I glanced at my enraged Sire. He took a step forward and his wings flared in warning even as his golden eyes narrowed in anger.

"You _will_ mind how you speak about my Childe..." the blue-skinned Eldar started, only to be cut off as the traitor tried to force himself to his feet once more.

"I have said it before and I will say it again," Cillian roared out as Tara and Victoria forced him back to his knees. "She is _not_ of your get! That _bitch_ is nothing but a _whore_ who has blinded you all! Lord Kain, my King, see the truth of her!"

Kain's hand idly reached out and he brushed his claws through my hair for several moments, a blatant showing of affection and sign that also showed his favor of me. His hand then down to brush over the back of my neck and I felt the slightest, subtle push against my mind to speak as I wished, if I wished. I let out a soft sigh and bared my fangs again in a small threat-yawn as I looked Cillian's broken form over. My human senses were yet buried and leashed firmly beneath the iron grip of my vampiric blood but in this even those subdued senses were in agreement with my vampiric, animalistic, desire; I wanted Cillian dead and silenced forevermore. I wanted him to see him humiliated. I wanted him broken by the knowledge that he had failed to succeed in his traitorous plot. Broken by the knowledge that his attempt had been so pathetically, unspeakably crude that once more he proved not to be worth my time in the slightest.

"Truly? Can you think of nothing but the most droll and dreadfully _plain_ insults?" I murmured in a soft voice that still somehow carried through the room. Seriously, the acoustics of the room were amazing and enhanced even the smallest voice at the back of the room for my own enhanced hearing to pick up. "Simply admit to petty jealousy and willful treachery so that we can all be done listening to your pitiful whining."

Cillian snarled angrily and he glared at me hatefully, "At least if I am to die, I will die knowing that you have been forever denied the skies by Sarafan hands, you little harlot!"

I tilted my head at his words and leaned into Kain's claws. I let out another lazy sounding sigh when I felt the darkly amused press of Kain's mind against my own. From the confused, angry and somewhat pained looks that I could see amongst the crowd in front of us, almost no one outside a select few yet knew the truth of my wings. I caught sight of the two youngsters Kain and I had rescued a while back, Lapis and Lazuli. They were both now fifteen, of age, and could now choose to join the army that Kain was building. They stood in front of their mother near the front edge of the crowd and I took note of the outright killing intent in their eyes are the twins glared at the wounded, faithless vampire. The twins had gotten rather attached to me, even though I did little more then check in on them, just the occasional visit with either Nikolai or Alma at my side.

"You really _are_ an simpleton who knows nothing of me, aren't you?" I said as I looked away from the twins. I sat up a little and leaned forward whilst bracing myself on the arm of the throne. "Firstly, the Sarafan denied me _not... one... thing._ "

"You...?" Cillian's face twisted with confusion.

I watched his face as he swiftly reasoned out what I meant by that comment. He wasn't stupid as far as mental acumen and tactical rational. He would not have become one of Kain's Captain's in the first place if he had been naught but brawn and no brain, but he was one of those people who suffered from a terminal case of 'willful idiocy'.

"You," he shook his head in shock. " _You_ tore off your own wings? What... _why_?"

A surprised murmur ran through the crowd. Mostly it was the voices of the humans that filled the air but more than a few vampires added their voices to the confusion that thrummed through the room like a wave. I smiled darkly and I leaned back into Kain's idle touch once more.

"Two, and do pay attention you little ignoramus," I purred in a deadly tone, " _they grow back_."

"You... _they_...?!" Cillian snarled in rage at the knowledge that his satisfaction at my supposed 'permanent' grounding was to be denied him. "Damned uppity little _bitch_! I hope they _ruined_ you before the others found you! I hope you were naught but a bleeding, _mewling_ mess upon the ground where you belong _you little whore_!"

I rolled my eyes at that and let out another bored sigh of sound. I looked at my claws and lightly scrapped them together in a sharpening movement.

"I had already killed one of the Sarafan mercenaries and left a second bleeding out by the time the others arrived to assist me. What does that tell you?" I asked coldly.

I wanted to give off the illusion that I had already managed to free myself in full before 'the cavalry' had arrived. I then sent a testing pulse of thought against Kain's mind. I actually did want to do one thing to the little shit before he was put down; to silence him with my own hands. Kain's mind brushed against my own with an affirmative touch and I stood from my seat in order to stalk toward Cillian.

"I am really tired of hearing your voice, you know that?" I purred out.

"As if a kind-hearted _weakling_ like you knows a thing about torture beyond being beaten yourself, you little tramp," he snarled up at me and he struggled uselessly against the grip of the Bride's who held him pinned down.

"You really _don't_ know anything about me, do you?" I murmured in a low voice that carried over the crowd. The tone of my voice caused more than one individual's scent to spike with startled fear as they backed up to give me more room.

My reputation amongst human and vampire alike was that of a kind hearted, gentle thing whose wildness was reserved only for the battlefield. Many of the humans, and some vampires who did not know any better, actually thought I was Janos' get since he was such a kind hearted vampire himself even on his bad days. Equally so, there were the rumors that had been spread by the now dead Lordling that I was an angel from another world and whoever had me at their side was thus 'blessed' by my presence at their side. Kain and the others had done nothing to dispel either of those rumors outside of our immediate circle of allies and those high enough in rank have a need to know. The mystery I was shrouded in, as far as the general public was concerned, worked to our advantage more oft than naught.

I caught Cillian's jaw in my hand once in front of him and had to briefly pause when my human instincts tried to rear up against the mental bindings that my vampiric nature had wrapped 'round them in protest of what I was about to do. I knew far too much about torture thanks to the lessons that I was forced to both watch and endure myself over the long years and I had long refused to torture someone for Auron. But this was not going to be for Auron, this would be for _me_. A small measure of vengeance and the silence that I wanted out of the male. I was not going to ask anyone else to do this for me either. I would do this myself... or not at all. I clenched my teeth as my vampiric blood won out and pushed my human nature back down. I squeezed my hand at the base of his jaw abruptly and then gave a quick twist to dislocate the jaw with a painful pop that rang through the room. I held his jaw in such a way that my grasp would prevent his body from healing the damage that I had just caused. I noticed the set of metal rods Tara was using to hold her hair up in a bun and I held out my free hand toward her.

~May I have one of your hair rods Tara? Fair warning; it's going to be ruined,~ I whispered to her.

~Of course, I can make more easily enough my Lady,~ she responded with a respectful mental purr.

She kept a firm grip on Cillian's arm but reached up with one hand to pull free one of the thin metal rods as I had requested. She handed it to me and I carefully, oh so slowly, stabbed the rod through where his jaw would attach to his skull on each side. I wanted to prevent it from healing once I let go of his jaw. I then ensured that the rod would trap his foul tongue by bending the middle part out just enough to press the thick muscle down. He screamed all through the process, but I could barely hear the noise in truth. I became tunnel-focused on getting the rod properly into place and could focus on nothing else or else my human senses started to scramble once more against those mental chains that my vampiric blood had wrapped around them. I abruptly twisted the ends of the rod in such a way that it could not be removed easily and I let his jaw go with a satisfied, growling rumble of noise that echoed in the otherwise deathly silent room. I flicked the blood that had gotten on my fingers back into his face.

"There we go," I said with a smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes and I watched fear flash through his own. "I _did_ warn you against speaking out of turn, did I not?"

I couldn't help the small almost giggle of noise that escaped me. I turned and stalked back up the steps to sprawl once more across my throne like a lazy cat. Kain turned his head to look at me, ignoring the crowd for the moment, and he coiled a few strands of my hair around one finger as he looked back at Cillian's broken form.

"Skillfully done," he said in a lazy tone of voice that was yet tinged with his rage at the male.

"I could do quite a bit more," I said in a lazy tone of my own. "But why bother when there are punishments far greater to be applied in this instance beyond the mere physical?"

"Oh?" Kain let out a querying tone even as he smirked down at me. I could see that Cillian suddenly looked worried behind the agony in his jaw. "Do share your thoughts my Queen."

"I have the _unique_ position of knowing several of the fundamental truths of this world," I said in a clear tone. I slowly sat up and leaned back in the throne to cross my legs, though I kept my gaze locked upon Kain's. "One such truth is something the Ancient Vampires themselves believed in; the Wheel. A cycle of life, or un-life in the case of a vampire, of a true death and then of rebirth. I know _for a fact_ that souls can be reborn to new lives beyond being raised as a vampire. A chance to try again, a chance to atone, a chance to do _better_. I also know that the soul itself can be... slain if you will. Destroyed and rent asunder, even consumed by other souls. The Soul Reaver that you wield my King? It can consume a soul and deny it that path to rebirth. _This_ is what happened when you slew the _thing_ that had dared to call itself 'the Mayor of Steinchencroe'."

I turned to look at Cillian and raised a brow as I took in his suddenly, far too pale for even a vampire, visage. I rested my chin on the palm of my hand and tapped a claw lightly on my cheek.

"I would _never_ see this one's soul again, let alone his current form," I said with a low and dark growl. I smiled faintly, a cruel quirk of my lips and offered a grim bit of humor. "Though this one might give the Reaver whatever might pass as _indigestion_ for a near-sentient sword."

Kain's lips quirked faintly with dark amusement at my words. That little smirk of his meant that death was fast approaching for someone. Janos suddenly twitched next to me, his wings flared briefly with distress and the movement drew both my attention and Kain's. A pained look had passed across the Ancient's face and he was looking at me with a serious, grim expression upon his usually gentle face.

"My Childe, are you so sure of this?" he asked softly. "To deny someone the chance to traverse the Wheel and start anew..."

"He betrayed me to the Sarafan with the intent of seeing me enslaved," I said with a low snarl of breath as I cut my chosen Sire off whilst I leaned toward him. "Chained and _leashed_ , forced to follow at the heels of my enemy with no thought of my own will and wants. If I choose to follow someone, as I have chosen to follow Kain, that is one thing... for it is by my choice and my will that I follow Kain as my King. But what this little fool wanted from me, was to see me broken. I will not have _my very being_ subsumed by the desires of another due to the actions of a jealous little prick that cannot stand to see a female standing at Kain's side."

Cillian let out a strained and muffled sound of denial even as his scent spiked with flustered rage. The noise drew my attention and I turned to look at him as I leaned back toward Kain. I sprawled out lazily over my throne once more and idly ran the pads of my fingers along the arm of Kain's throne in order to rest my fingers on the top of the skull. I trailed a slow pattern over what I abruptly realized was real bone and wondered which of his... our... enemies now graced his throne as decoration pieces. I spoke in a low tone even as Kain's hand moved to rest idly over my wrist in a subtle move to still my hand and guide my thoughts back to the task at hand. I took in a slow breath of air and hummed to myself thoughtfully.

" _This_ is where you wanted to be, isn't it _traitor_? Or close to it?" I purred out the question in a deadly tone.

I had caught a subtle note of something in the male's scent that reminded me painfully of the broken males and females that had vied willingly for Auron's attentions. The ones that had been willing to do anything for him, even betray each other to him in order to gain his favor.

"How readily you call _me_ a harlot, a whore, when it is _you_ who want to be _mounted like a bitch in heat,_ " I growled out. "How swift you are to beg for Kain to 'see the truth' and yet the only truth to see is that you are, and have been, practically screaming 'Look at me! Notice me!' all this time. How long have you been vying for his attentions, traitor? How long have you looked at me and plotted to do me harm? Your outright jealousy led you to make a fool's mistake and even though you are now paying for your crime, you continue to beg others to see what is _not there_. A mad, foolhardy bid to push the blame for your own actions onto someone else."

The scent of Cillian's unease, rage, fear and underneath all of that an underlying sense of want filled the air at my words. The truth of my supposition became apparent to all of the vampires within the room. An angry wave of murmuring started to pass through the crowd and some of the vampires amongst those in the room were kind enough to whisper softly to the humans next to them and explain why the tension in the room was suddenly so thick. Kain took a slow, scenting breath through his mouth and nose. He forced the air that out in a rage filled huff of breath to cleanse the scent from his nose. He stood up to approach the wounded traitor, picking up and holding the Reaver tight in his hand. He placed the tip of the blade to Cillian's neck. The male tried to pull away from it and his fear spiked to subsume all other scents. Tara and her sister moved to hold him in place, to hold his head still, as Kain dug the point of the blade in against his throat. I saw Cillian's eyes widen as the Soul Reaver began to glow. A thrummingly, bright glow that started at the eyes of the skull and then traveled along the blade as it started to let out that high, death's keen of noise that it made when it was 'awake'.

"Many a male and female have graced my bed over the years," Kain purred out in a deadly tone as he waved the two females back. He started to circle the male vampire and the point of the Reaver trailed over the male's neck as Kain circled him. " _All_ have had to catch my eye, to be worthy, in some way _beyond_ the mere physical for them to even be honored with a single night in my chambers. You would _never_ have been aught but one of my Captain's and you should have felt satisfied, _privileged_ even, by such a placement. Few have earned that right. My Mate Marked Queen spoke true it seems; jealousy of a placement at my side, such as what she has _earned_ , has led you to make the most foolish of choices. Your Captaincy had been returned to you, your punishment for challenging her, and being beaten soundly in result, had ended. Your actions could have been forgiven over time. She is young, yet stronger than you thought possible when you sought to challenge her status. But instead..."

Kain lashed out with a booted foot and forced Cillian to the ground even as his eyes flashed white. The sounds of bones being crushed, broken, snapped, filled the air along with Cillian's choked screams of agony.

"Instead you committed the _worst_ crime possible; you whored your services out to mine enemies!" Kain roared. "It is not enough that you sought her _death_ , but you went to the Sarafan Lordling himself, _every_ vampires foe, and attempted to give the whelp _exactly_ what he sought! You thought such an action would gain my _attentions_? My _favor_?"

Kain lifted Cillian up by his hair. A strained and choked cry of pain escaped the vampire when he was suddenly forced onto his back. Kain moved to stand beside the broken form and lightly pressed the Soul Reaver over his traitorous heart.

"You succeeded in obtaining the _first_ goal at least," Kain said with a low, sub-harmonic growl that echoed through to the bone even where I sat safe upon my throne. "You do have my _attention_. But as for the last? You have earned naught but my _wrath_."

I would not know it until my Chosen Sire and Vorador made a comment later that very week, but Kain mirrored an earlier action from when he had initially confronted Cillian. He balanced the Reaver perfectly with his fingers upon the base of the hilt and he pushed slowly downward. He used gravity to force the Reaver down into Cillian's chest and into his heart, his fingers keeping the blade balanced more than anything else. The Soul Reaver itself seemed to revel in the kill and prolonged it as it used its' strange magic to paralyze the vampire it was impaling so that all Cillian could do was let out a constant, soul rending scream as the blade dug deeper still. I found myself wondering briefly how much of Raziel was left within the blade and if he had been aware of what was going on despite the madness that the blade oft seemed to exude. The soul-touch of the blade against my neck when Kain had forced the collar from my throat, had been a near to _gentle_ caress the night I was rescued. Perhaps it was not true madness that the sword exuded? I pushed the thought aside for later when there was an audible, crackling-pop of noise from the Reaver. Cillian's screams ceased and silence abruptly filled the room.

The traitor was dead.

Kain pulled the Reaver free from the corpse and moved back to his throne. He reclined in the large seat and leaned the bloodied Reaver against his leg as he looked over the silent crowd. No one dared to make a sound or move, not even I. We waited with baited breath for him to speak.

"Let this be a warning to you all," he finally rumbled out in a deadly tone. "Do _not_ betray me _or_ my chosen. Especially not to my enemies in a foolish bid for my favor. I will ensure that you suffer the same fate if you do."

He waved a hand dismissively at Tara and Victoria.

"Get that eye-sore of a corpse out of here," he ordered.

"At once my Lord," the pair said together. They picked up the body and carried it from the large room swiftly.

Janos' mind brushed against my own with a wordless, worried pulse of thought. I answered with my own press of energy and passed on a sense of 'I'm alright' to him even as I let out a soft almost soundless sigh. Kain's hand brushed over the back my neck in a brief caress before he leaned forward.

"Alma," he growled out. "Forward with you woman."

Alma stepped out from the crowd where she had been hidden from my sight. She knelt upon the ground in front of us with both of her hands spread wide, her claws pointed downward and her throat tilted to the side in obvious submission. Kain eyed her in silence for several long moments before he spoke.

"You know your failure," he said in a tone that was almost mild. A stark contrast to his earlier rage.

"I do my Lord," Alma said in a soft voice that still somehow carried throughout the room. "My task was to be my Lady's right hand. Her sword and her shield, if there was a need. I failed to prevent the capture of her person. Failed to halt Cillian's betrayal. I submit myself to your will and judgement, my Lord and Lady."

"Even though you failed," Kan started with a low rumble and he let his chin come to rest against his fist, "you returned to face our judgement. You have submitted yourself for said judgement without complaint, without once begging for mercy. You acknowledge and accept whatever will be your fate with honor. Commendable."

She bowed her head further and said nothing.

"I told you that your punishment would be thus; that any harm that had been inflicted by Sarafan hands to my Queen would be visited upon your own flesh threefold, did I not?" Kain asked and he tapped a claw lightly against his cheek.

"You did my Lord," Alma responded softly and she glanced up at him. "And I accept whatever punishment you have devised for me."

"Good. You are to spend the next twelve hours hung by the skin and muscle of your back by eighteen hooks," Kain ordered in a cold voice. "Over that time you will be struck by twenty high level lightning spells for varying lengths of time for each strike. Once your punishment is completed you will submit yourself to Katrina. You are to obey her _every_ whim and submit to her every desire, be it your pain or pleasure. You will belong to her completely until such time as she releases you and that will not be for at least a century. Am I understood woman?"

"As you will my Lord, so shall it be," Alma acknowledged with another low bow of her head.

"Vorador. See to her punishment. Now," Kain ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Very well," Vorador moved over to Alma and pulled her up by her arm.

Alma followed the tug willingly and with her head held high as she was led from the room by her Lord Husband. I contained the subconscious twitch that my body wanted to give, grateful for one instant that I did not currently have my wings for they would have given away my shock. Kain had said nothing of breaking her jaw as he had mentioned to me earlier when he had been devising her punishment, he was making an allowance for her of all things by binding her to my service, but he had also issued a subtle warning to me in that order. I was not to offer her release from her newly ordered servitude until at least one hundred years had passed with her bound to my will. I sent out a brief mental touch to his mind to wordlessly acknowledge the hidden order in his announcement and his mind brushed mine in a dark caress that warned against forgetfulness else I would again face his corrective hand. I had to contain a shudder at the wordless warning. I never wanted to face such a painfully embarrassing correction again, nor did I wish to potentially experience such a thing in front of my Chosen Clan.

~At least a century,~ I murmured softly to him over the Whisper. ~I won't forget.~

~Good mine own,~ he responded. ~Good.~

From there, those within the room were called forth to reaffirm their oaths to Kain and to swear new oaths to me as his Queen. Eventually the twins stepped forward, noble born as they were, to swear their arms and service to Kain's growing army. I felt a small frown of worry curl my lips downwards as I looked the two, still gangly looking, youngsters over. Both were skilled archers and horseback riders, for their age at least. Every time I visited their domicile, they were eager to show me how much they had improved between visits. I was partial to them, though I had tried not to show it. I tried to check in on all the youngsters that we had rescued equally in an effort to not show favor. But... I enjoyed their eager to please company like that of a proud, older sibling or relative.

Kain had told me once that he knew just by the soft looks on my face as to when I had gone to visit the pair. My 'Jewels' as he dubbed them at one point, to my complete amusement. He'd sighed at the crude fit of humor that had affected me as I had bitten my tongue to stifle my laughter the first time he'd called them that. He had given me one of his rare smirks that didn't mean death for an enemy or desire. Just the faintest sign of near contentment. A smile that was just for me. A few times he had even joined me to visit the twins, despite his muttered wondering of 'how could I possibly enjoy visiting the kill stealing brats'. The nickname he had given them had stuck though and the pair had fairly preened when I had first called them 'my Jewels'. The thought of them joining the army at so young an age... I sat up slowly and leaned toward them.

"If this is your decision, I will not fault you for it as you are now of age," I said softly. "But you are noble born and can have a far different life than that of a life spent upon the battlefield. Are you sure?"

The pair shared a look from where they knelt in front of us and then looked up to meet my eyes boldly. Glittering blue jewels, the color of the stone for which the twins had been named for, stared at me with a fierce will.

"My Lady," Lazuli started in her softer tone that belied the steel inside her just as mine did for me. "You saved our lives twice over, you and our Lord. Our lives are yours to do with as it pleases you."

"Our souls are yours," Lapis said firmly and Lazuli nodded her agreement to his words. "If you wish us to remain clad in cloth and speak in honeyed voices to spread word of your might, my Lord and your mercy, my Lady, to act as ambassadors in your name, we will do so."

"If you wish us to fight and die at your side on the field of battle, to slay your enemies and be your shields, we will do so," Lazuli said firmly.

"Our lives our yours 'til the day we die and if you wish it, then to un-life and even beyond that; for _every_ turn of the Wheel you spoke of. For _every_ rebirth that we might yet be blessed with," they said together and I felt a strange thrum fill the air.

"Oh my word," Janos breathed softly beside me and he eyed at the pair with wide eyes.

Kain and I both turned to look at Janos and his mind brushed against ours in a joint Whisper of communication.

~Accept it, both of you,~ he said in a mental voice that was both firm and awe filled. ~I have not borne witness to a Soul Oath since the days my brethren owned the skies. I had not thought it possible to still be done since our God went silent and yet... you can _feel_ it, can you not? The thrum of magic around them? Accept it.~

We both turned to look at the twins with thoughtful expressions before I looked back at Janos.

~'Soul Oath'? What do you mean Sire?~ I asked.

~They are willingly binding themselves to your service for as long as their souls exist,~ he Whispered to us. ~This is a rare and most precious gift. If they die, their souls will remain near to you so that they can be reborn close to you and once more enter your service when they are next old enough to assist you, in whatever way you may choose for them. You will know them always by their eyes if you accept their Oath. Even were both parents to have, let us say, brown eyes or green eyes or even perhaps hazel eyes, they would be reborn with the same color eyes that they have right now. If they were to become vampires, then their eyes would never gain a golden hue. The magic of the Oath would mark them as completely as a Master's Mark. More so, in truth. A Master-Marked Human is freed from their duties upon their death. This is a gift that cannot be asked for, can never asked for. It _must_ be given freely and meant to the very depths of one's soul or else the magic of the Oath will not take.~

I shared another look with Kain as I felt a strong surge of surprise. He raised a brow at me, also surprised by the Eldar's words, and we both turned to look at the twins as one.

"You would make such an unprecedented Oath to us, my Jewels?" I asked softly. "You would bind yourselves to us so completely as that?"

"Yes," they said as one. There was no hesitation in their voices, no sense that they would back down and retract their offer. The tang of magic in the air grew stronger, like the taste of ozone just before the storm.

"Then..." I smiled gently at them and Kain spoke with me.

"We accept your Oath," we said.

The taste of ozone faded and I raised a brow as the twins eyes seemed to flash for a brief second. I felt almost as if I had suddenly been caught off guard by someone taking a photo of me with the camera's flash having been left on. I blinked a few times as the sensation faded and then turned to look at Kain with a tilt of my head.

"With their skills, they would do best to join Emrys' growing cavalry," I advised with a thoughtful hum. "We do not have that many archers who can also ride horseback and they have the potential to do well in such a position."

"They do indeed," he purred in response. "You did well to cultivate these two as you have."

I turned back to the twins, inwardly preening at the praise, and spoke firmly, "Report to Captain Emrys on the morrow, my Jewels. Grow in strength and skill and do me proud."

"Yes my Lady," the twins said. They bowed their heads and moved back towards their mother. The older woman looked equal parts proud and worried for her progeny as she placed her hands upon their shoulders.

The rest of the night was then spent mingling with the crowd once the Oath-taking was finished. Kain kept me on his arm throughout the night and I got to know the current faces, and scents, of the human nobles who had sworn themselves to our cause. It was easy enough to maintain a sense of polite aloofness as we milled amongst the crowd. At one point, Kain's Captain's approached and I found myself drawn into a conversation with Leon regarding what tactics were involved around the differences between archery when one was on a mount versus archery when one was on foot. Vorador joined us at some point in the conversation, having returned from... setting up... Alma's punishment.

"What could really be effective for vampiric archers or even mounted human archers would be a compound bow, the pulley system does allow for a greater dra..." I fell silent and face-palmed at the raised brows I was suddenly getting from the males around me. "You don't have compound bows... why am I...? Never mind..."

" _Katrina_ ," Kain's eyes had narrowed thoughtfully on me and I frowned up at him and bristled slightly at his tone. "If this is something that can aid us..."

"I really don't like the thought of introducing weapon concepts from my home-world to this one Kain," I murmured to him softly. "This world not only has magic, but a super-predator in the form of the vampire species. We really do not need new and more inventive ways to kill each other being introduced amongst the populace."

"Is there really so much danger in a simple pulley system?" Vorador asked thoughtfully as he sipped at his drink.

I frowned and realized that he was already thinking of how to build and use such a system. It was useless now to try to keep that idea buried. Vorador had sunk his fangs into an idea and if anyone would be able to build a weapon around concept alone, it would be him.

"Greater draw strength. The arrows travel further, faster and with more power behind them without having to have as much upper body strength as a composite bow; a long or short bow," I clarified and then let out a huff of breath. "I used to work at a shop that sold swords and blades, but there were a few archer buffs that showed up to talk to the owner on occasion, one was a friend of his that owned an archery range. That pair would argue a lot over the merits of a composite bow versus a compound bow, so I learned a bit just by listening in... can't use a bow myself, might look into it later, but I always liked blades myself so never really focused overmuch on their conversations or asked them much."

Kain tilted his head slightly and then shared a look with Vorador. Vorador nodded his head in response to the silent question before he looked back at me.

"Can you sketch a diagram from what you can recall of such a weapon?" he asked and I sighed.

"Oh... very well," I frowned up at Kain. "Don't ask me about any other weapons from my world though Kain. _Please_?"

"You do realize that I will learn much on my own when we go to your world in order for us to put Auron down?" Kain pointed out darkly and he trailed a claw along the line of my jaw.

"And hopefully you'll see why I want to keep silent about such things," I responded softly. "The humans of my world are far, far too proficient at killing each other Kain. I do not want things to become... _difficult_... here because the wrong kind of weapon was introduced."

"Very well, I will not ask further and I will judge for myself upon our arrival then," Kain said and he dropped his hand from my chin. "Keep that knowledge to yourself for now, my Little One."

"Thank you," I murmured softly.

He nodded his head and the conversation then drifted to more philosophical matters as Janos wandered over to join us. That conversation was truly really fun, especially when I asked them 'Who really wrote Beethoven's Fifth symphony?' and promptly introduced them to what my college courses had labeled as 'The bootstrap theory'. I grabbed up a goblet as a serving girl passed us and sipped at the heady blood wine that was being handed out for the vampires in the crowd and I explained the theory to them. I paused to take in the scent of the wine after a few measured swallows, trying to figure out what type of alcohol had been mixed in with the blood and herb mixture. I frowned and had to fight a blush as in taking in that scent, I also noticed the stronger scents of more than one amorous couple. Individuals that had ducked into the darkened corners of the room to... I turned to focus on my Adopted Sire as he spoke and ignored Kain's mental brush of amusement as he plucked up a replacement goblet for himself.

"Yet... the music had to have been written by _someone_ in the first place," Janos said with a frown and he sipped at his own goblet thoughtfully. "There had to be an original Beethoven."

"Then you're looking at an infinite number of alternate, branching timelines as our hypothetical time traveler goes back, and then goes back... and then goes back yet again," I said with a small smile.

"It could be more of a circular route," Vorador hummed softly. "Like leaving a note for yourself in perpetuity, a small loop in time."

"But that doesn't explain _where_ the music came from," Emrys pipped up from next to his brother, Leon, who had started nodding his head in agreement with his red-headed brother. Stefon had long ago abandoned the current conversation for far safer waters, which involved wooing one of the serving maids whilst leaning against a stone column in a fetching manner. "A circle simply _is_. Where did the note, the music I mean, come from in that case?"

"Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey... stuff," I said with a soft snicker of breath that caused the others to raise a brow at me. I waved a hand and chuckled. "Ah... it's just... the concepts of Logic and Time Travel really don't seem to get along well, do they? I wonder; is it any surprise that Moebius was mad as a hatter? Would any Time Guardian be just as insane even without the corruption that was the result of Ariel's death?"

Kain let out a laugh at my words and he shook his head. He gave a small tug to my arm to pull me away from the group around us and back toward our thrones.

"Enough philosophy regarding time travelers," he said with a chuckle. "While it is amusing to think of Moebius as doomed to madness regardless of his previous betrayals, I have more immediate concerns in mind."

Vorador let out a bark of laughter at that and he turned to continue the discussion with the other three that remained next to him. I let out a meep of sound when Kain sat down upon his throne and pulled me onto his lap for a crushing kiss. I moaned into the kiss and returned it for several long minutes. I pulled back with a heavy gasp for air as I remembered where we were. I blinked rapidly and shook my head at the light-headed sensation that ran through me. The blood wine I had consumed had been... rather a bit stronger than what I was used to. Kain pulled me flush against him and nipped along my neck sensually and I shuddered. I then grumbled and hissed faintly as I glanced around the room with a blush.

"Kain... blast it all... the _crowd_..." I let out a soft grunt of noise when his tongue lapped over his Mark upon my neck and then hissed at him again as I tried to squirm free. My voice lowered to a bare whisper of noise and I spoke with a hint of fond exasperation in my voice. "Horny bastard. Not _here_!"

"Oh?" he murmured against my neck in a lust filled purr and he rocked up against me. "You do not want to 'anoint' me upon my new throne, mine Little Queen?"

I squirmed in his grasp and managed to latch a fang through his ear in a more than nipping bite and let out a soft snarl of noise. He let out a low growl of warning at the bite and grabbed a handful of my hair firmly in his hand.

~Either get us to our room, you horny bastard, or let me _go_!~ I managed to Whisper tightly to his mind. ~I'll not do a _thing_ with a crowd around us!~

He let out a low, thrumming laugh at my shy unease and a moment later teleportation magics coiled around us as he transported us to our room. Wild, yet pleased, snarls escaped us both as we each vied for control over the other.

Sleep was overrated anyway...

* * *

Thank you again everyone


	38. The Inter-meaning Years Part One

Chapter Thirty-eight: The Inter-meaning Years Part One

This chapter will jump POVs again as we cover almost four hundred years of time via Eldar Kain and Raziel poppin' through time with some Kat POV spots. We are almost to the point where Younger Kain and Katrina go to Gaia! Yippie!

Also discussions here and there of sexual nature. You have been warned. :-)

*-*/*-*Eldar Kain/Raziel POV*-*\\\\*-*

With the Sarafan Lordling dead and Lady Katrina safe once more, Raziel found himself almost literally dragged back to the Chronoplast as Eldar Kain took them forward through time in a series of small jumps. Raziel found himself at first annoyed by yet more time travel and then in turn, found himself fascinated by the subtle and not so subtle changes that could happen in only one decades time, let alone a century.

Within ten years the younger version of his Sire had solidified his holdings in the Western lands. Cities were fortified, the western banks of the Great Southern Lake were rapidly lined with reinforced outposts and the beginnings of what Raziel would know as Sanctuary of the Clans, built around the Pillars themselves, was taking shape as the marble foundation was laid out around the monument.

The problem yet lay with the Sarafan armies and would remain so for several centuries even past the Raising of Raziel and his Brother's.

While the vampires had gathered up the then remains of Lady Katrina's wings so that they could be safely dealt with before they had been teleported away, the Sarafan had found their Lord dead, beheaded and surrounded by his men, they raised the man-child up to be a martyr much as William the Young had been raised up after Kain slew him. Their zealous fever reinvigorated, the Sarafan troops rallied hard and worked with vicious fervor in order to reenact the vampire purges that had slain Vorador's original progeny and had ended with the Eldar's beheading. They hadn't counted on his young Sire expecting just such a retaliation, the tenacity of Vorador's most recent brood, the Eldar's draconian protectiveness nor the near to zealous fervor amongst Kain's own human troops due to the young vampire Lord having 'the Angel of Mercy' at his side. Lady Katrina's knowledge of her worlds first aid, sanitation and hygiene had helped to improve the humans lot in life enough to beholden them to her and make her seem the blessed creature the rumors claimed. All of which made Kain himself seem the righteous party in his quest to claim all of Nosgoth as his.

Still, the Sarafan holdings of the eastern lands had also been fortified and it would be a long time before Kain would be able to uproot the lot. In the interim, raiding skirmishes were common place on both sides and losses were to be expected. In most cases the losses on Yonger Kain's side were not permanent what with the careful placement of his vampiric troops to turn any who were critically wounded if they could be reached in time. The warriors might be lost to the army for a few months as their new natures were forcefully reigned in and instincts tamed enough that they could be around humans without trying to feed, but they returned in time to the ranks to be that much more devastating to Kain's enemies.

 _Some_ losses though...

Raziel knew stories about the Mother of Mercy's Lost Twin Jewels. Like many, upon first hearing the tale he had thought the stories spoke of real jewels, magical stones of power that had been somehow stolen or lost and awaited the lucky soul who could be clever enough to find them and gain the Lost Mother's favor upon their return. _Unlike_ most, he had actually dared to ask his Sire about the truth behind the tale. His Sire had been 'kind' enough to correct the misconception... after taking his melancholy rage out on Raziel's hide. It hadn't helped that Raziel had foolishly asked about the tale when Kain had been alone in the Sanctuary throne room, eyeing the empty throne beside his own under the shadow of the Pillars. Any further questions about the Mother had then been held safe behind his teeth until he was certain that his Sire was in a more... amicable mood.

In short, Raziel was now able to witness the events of the tale first hand thanks to Eldar Kain dragging him about through history. The Twin Jewels, Lapis and Lazuli, had risen far in the ten years that they served amongst the human ranks under Captain Emrys command. Their skills at archery and horse back riding had been surpassed only by their vampiric counterparts. They had gone with a contingent of horse mounted archers one day to stage a raid on one of the outskirt villages near Uschtenheim and had been caught in an ambush themselves.

Eldar Kain led him to the massive pyre that had been set up by the Sarafan, uncaring that the flames could catch the forest alight if the right breeze hit the fire. They watched in silence as Katrina and Janos arrived on scene to circle the area for any survivors of the contingent. A bit of magic from Janos and the flames were suppressed before they could spread and Katrina searched the remains, rapidly loosing hope the longer she searched the corpses. She pulled away from the pile, carrying two pendants that bore her Symbol and Kain's hanging from melted chains in her hand, seemingly uncaring of the hot metal that had to be burning her flesh. Raziel watched the scene thoughtfully as Lady Katrina's long re-grown wings trembled and mantled in a threat-gesture whilst she glared east toward the Sarafan controlled lands. Janos said something that seemed to quiet the rage and, after sharing a comforting hug, the two leapt up to wing around the area one more time before they made their way back West. Eldar Kain then teleported them back to the Chronoplast to jump them another fifty years forward in time.

" _Why_ are we doing this Kain?" Raziel rumbled as he bared his fangs in a small grimace of discomfort.

"I would have you know more of your Queen, your Empress, then what you learned by bothering the human cattle and myself concerning her legend," came the dry response. "Some things are best learnt by seeing them with one's own eyes."

"A fair point," Raziel conceded as they stepped out of the time chamber.

From there Eldar Kain led him by flight toward a large, forested plateau near Nupraptor's retreat. The scent of fire and smoke was strong in the air and they landed a good fifty feet from the massive bonfire that raged at the new clearing in the center of the plateau. Lady Katrina sat crouched on a low-to-the-ground boulder, wings furled over her shoulders like a bird of prey at rest on its' perch. A pile of cheap looking bottles of whiskey and beer that lay unopened by her feet. Alma stood nearby, both ready to obey any order issued and to act as her Lady's guard. Raziel frowned when he felt a pulsing burst of energy originate from Katrina and then raised a brow as she turned her head just slightly in their direction.

"Alma," she said in a dark tone as she looked back to the flames. "Leave the plateau and return in an hour."

"My Lady," Alma said with a frown as she uncrossed her arms and moved a half step closer. Katrina hissed softly at the other female and the taller woman froze. "I am to remain by your side when you are alone. The Sarafan still wish your capture, even if you cannot be forced to return to Gaia."

"It is good then that we are not alone," came the grumbling reply. "Now leave."

"Not alone?" Alma asked in a confused voice as she looked around the area. "My Lady, we are the only one's here. If Kain finds out..."

"Then it is _my_ hide, not yours," came the dark snarl. " _Go_ Alma. That is an order."

Alma bowed her head and started off past the rough, rage torn edge of the new clearing. Raziel tilted his head when he felt another pulse of energy pass over the area and both brows flew to his hair line when Lady Katrina yelled.

"I said ' _leave the plateau_ '!" she shouted. "Or do I need to introduce you to the concept of a _molotov cocktail_?!"

There was a third pulse a few minutes later and she let out a small sound of pained satisfaction. Wings rose up and ruffled briefly before she turned to look their direction in full.

"Need to talk to me about something or are you here for a conjugal visit?" she asked them with a bitter smile.

"Neither, mine Little One," his Sire said as he walked from behind the trees and over to her side. "You grieve and my younger self can only do so much to offer comfort when you threaten violence and then bolt for the hills."

"..." she blinked and then let out a thoughtful hum of noise as Raziel approached the pair warily. "Right... I _did_ threaten to burn your hair off and kick you in the groin, didn't I?"

"You did at that," Eldar Kain said with an amused rumble. "Though those were among the _mildest_ of the threats you threw my way."

"If I may be allowed," Raziel started slowly. " _Why_ would you threaten such things my Lady?"

"Word to the wise," his Lady said to him with a smile that was all fang. "Never tell a grieving woman to 'get over it' when you're trying to be 'comforting'."

His Sire cleared his throat even as Raziel's eyebrows flew back up to his hair line.

"In my defense, that is not _precisely_ what I said," Eldar Kain said as he looked at the bonfire.

"'It was not something that could be controlled. You are helping no one with your rage,'" she said in a mocking tone. "Boiled down to the bare bones of it Kain, you said 'get over it'. Doesn't help things when my Chosen Sire keeps offering platitudes about 'patience and trust in the Wheel'. Wanted to knock his damned _teeth_ in earlier... but he doesn't know the truth. I honestly think that knowledge would break him... but that doesn't change the fact that he keeps _pissing_ me _off_ right now."

Raziel idly scratched at the side of his neck as he subtly took a few steps back from the pair and furled his wings tight against his back. Female vampires in a grief-rage were a far different creature to deal with compared to female _humans_ in a similar state. His Sire flashed him a bemused look before he turned back to the winged female and gently rested a taloned hand on her shoulder. A low, warning rumble escaped her at the touch before she let out a sigh and rubbed at the bridge of her nose as she allowed the touch.

"I know this is about the Twin Jewels," Raziel said slowly. "But they died fifty years ago now for you."

"Exactly," his Lady said with a dark growl. "Fifty years. They should have been _reborn_ by now and made their way back to our side Raziel. They swore a Soul Oath to Kain and I. Where are they?"

"Ah," Raziel said with a rapid blink of his eyes as he realized the reason behind her upset.

"Plans to fight the Parasite..." Lady Katrina started as she rolled the neck of one of the bottles between her fingers. "That was... just wanting to help protect and restore my new home, to help Kain. I don't want to go back to Gaia, not really, and Nosgoth can be beautiful... can be _Home_. At any rate, if the Twin's haven't been reborn by now then that only means one thing; the Parasite consumed their souls. Things are... personal now is all."

"I see..." Raziel said slowly. He eyed the unopened bottles warily. "Do you plan to drink all of this my Lady?"

"Drink?" she turned to him with a blink and then eyed the bottles before she let out a low, mirthless laugh. "Alcohol enhances the mood you're currently in. Anger becomes rage, sorrow becomes depression, cheerful... Yeah, I only drink when I'm in a good mood for a reason, though that tends to mean I'm a 'giggly' drunk when I've had too much. It also lowers inhibitions, making you more prone to act on your anger or be convinced to do something you wouldn't do otherwise. _Not_ happening, by the by, no matter how drunk I get."

She looked at Eldar Kain at those words and knocked her wing against him.

"Yes, it will," he responded with a small, satisfied smirk.

" _No_ , it _wont_ ," she said with a hiss and a huff of breath as she looked back at the fire.

Raziel raised a confused brow at the pair and Eldar Kain simply smirked at his questioning look. What ever ' _it_ ' was, Eldar Kain had the distinct memory of it happening so... Raziel shook his head and waved a taloned hand at the pile of bottles.

"What are the bottles for then?" he asked.

"This."

She reached out with one clawed hand and grabbed a large log of wood that lay next to the boulder, one of the trees she had knocked over in her rage, and of a size that no human of her build would have been able to pick up. She then tossed it onto the bonfire. The resultant flaring of flame lasted for a moment before the fire started to die down under the weight of so much wood being added all at once. A moment later and one of the bottles hit the log and the flames eagerly fed upon the fuel to roar in a brief inferno that caused the three of them to lid their eyes partly shut against the brightness. The trio watched the flames in silence for several long minutes before she spoke up in a mournful tone.

"I was going to ask Janos or Vorador to turn them, if they were willing," she said softly as the fire tapered back out to a soft roar. "That decade was... watching them grow up, grow stronger and even more skilled... They would have made a _hell_ of a team as vampires. Made me proud."

"Kill stealing hellions," Eldar Kain murmured in an almost soft tone.

" _Our_ kill stealing hellions," she let out a sigh and Raziel was reminded painfully by her grief of his own Childe, his Clan.

When Raziel's Clan had rebelled after he was tossed into the Abyss, his Sire told him that he had been swift to put down the insurrection and end it before it could become more then a foot-note in the river of history. Raziel could only take consolation in the fact that Kain had ordered that each of their deaths be swift and honorable and that they were spared the devolution that had affected his Brother's and their own broods. Raziel did not want to imagine the horror of running across the twisted forms of his most treasured Childe, rendered monstrous in form instead of the beauty, the fairness of face and form and the fierceness he could recall with crystal clarity when he thought of his Childe during the height of Kain's Empire. It had bad enough seeing his Brother's Childe twisted so. Kain's nature as the Balance Guardian had kept him from being twisted so horribly by the corruption laced within the Hylden spell and both Raziel's time in the Abyss as well as his actions to purify himself as the Reaver would forever protect him from such a darksome series of changes now. Both males, after having a lengthy discussion, felt distinctly certain that any new Childe they might make would also be free of the corruption that had twisted Kain's Childe so badly at the end. The chance for a new empire _was_ there now, _if_ they could defeat the Parasite. Still, the ones he had lost... the memories yet haunted him at times...

Katrina sighed as she tossed a bottle back and forth in her hands before she let the bottle drop to the ground. The noise drew Raziel's attention back to the scene in front of him and he frowned faintly as he watched her take the same pendants that she had rescued from the fire, years ago for her now, and turned them over in her hands. She tossed them into the fire and only then did she toss another bottle onto the bonfire. They watched the fire in silence for a long while.

"If I can... I'm going to make sure that fat parasite _burns_ ," she hissed suddenly in a dark promise.

Eldar Kain's taloned hand moved to rest on the back of her neck to issue a soothing squeeze. She reached up a moment later and pulled his hand from her neck to examine the talons with her own smaller claws.

"When do you get these anyway?" she asked softly as she trailed needle-sharp claws over the large, spear-like, talons that were sharp and serrated along the inner curve just past the second knuckle and yet smooth along the backside.

"In roughly sixty years my younger self should enter the change that Gift's these," he murmured softly as he allowed the liberty she was taking.

"Anything I need to watch for as far as clues to when you're going to enter that change? It's supposed to be a kind of torpor, right? A forced slumber? Never really thought to ask Janos, Vorador or you about it before now," she asked as she turned his hand over and examined the rough palm.

"My younger self will become easily irritable, quick to anger and rage," Eldar Kain said with a shrug and then let out a sigh as she shared a bemused look with Raziel. " _More so_ then the usual. The touch of others will become nigh unbearable, even yours. You'll know the time is upon me when I slap away your hand away forcefully as you go to touch my hair whilst we are alone. The torpor will last for two months, keep a crate of blood vials on hand as well as a human prisoner or two slated for death. My younger self will be ravenous upon waking."

"Hmm, I'll remember," she said with a nod of her head as she dropped his hand and looked back to the bonfire. "And myself? Will I enter ever a torpor state despite being a half blood?"

"Yes," his Sire said with a small inclination of his head. "Close to two hundred years from now. You do not gain talons however. Your form continues to remain human at first glance, a benefit of being a half blood that will allow you to hide in plain sight amongst the humans."

"Alright," she let out a sigh and leaned against Kain's side briefly before she moved to curl up on half on her side with her wings raised up and mantled over her as she watched the fire. "Anyway... Alma should be back soon. I know I need to have the memories of Raziel blocked again."

"She will and you do. Rest, mine Little One," Eldar Kain murmured softly and touched the tip of a taloned finger to her head in a light brush.

Raziel's wings twitched as he moved a bit closer to them and he reached out to lightly brush the back of his hand against her wings. Even asleep as she was now the limb pushed into the light touch in a subconscious entreaty for more such gentle caresses. The feathers were soft as down and Eldar Kain allowed his curious touch for a brief moment longer before he pulled Raziel away.

"Come along now, mine own," his Sire rumbled. "Alma will be back in but a moment."

Raziel inclined his head as the teleportation magic wrapped around the pair even as the female in question moved back into the clearing to make her way to Lady Katrina's side once more. Another jump in time awaited the pair.

*-*/*-*Katrina POV*-*\\\\*-*

-Roughly Sixty Years Later-

I made my way back into our mansion at Steinchencroe with a small yawn, Alma at my side. I'd just finished up a long campaign that had led our troops to successfully spread our borders just enough that Vorador's Mansion had finally been able to be reclaimed. Vorador had been pleased as punch to hear the news when I had Whispered our success to the others. Fortifications of the outposts were being finalized by the time I'd left the main bulk of the troops behind and I had long been eager to return from the field to enjoy civilized comforts again. I had been gone for six months this time around and had only seen Kain in passing a few times as he checked in on my troops, now two-hundred strong, before he had gone off to lead his various charges against the fortified human cities and towns to the south of Uschtenheim in raids meant to weaken the Sarafan forces.

I moved into our bed chambers and had to contain a soft sigh of disappointment when I realized that Kain was still out on his current campaign. The room was covered with a fine layer of dust due to disuse. I called for a pair of servants to clean the room and air it out and then Alma helped me to peel off the armor for the servants to clean. She followed me as I made my way to the neighboring room that housed the large blood pool. I stripped down, too exhausted and too used to Alma's constant presence by now to be _overly_ shy around her any more, and then sank into the warmed fluid with a groan as the heat sank into and soothed tired muscles.

"A massage my dear?" she asked with a soft, soothing croon. "You look like you need one."

"Yes, that would be wonderful," I murmured as I turned to lean my arms over the edge of the pool so that she would have better access to my flight-sore wings.

Alma stripped down herself and joined me in the warm fluid. She moved up behind me and deftly began a slow massage that slowly caused me to go limp against the edge of the pool. I reflected briefly on my years spent in Nosgoth so far as she continued her skill ministrations.

Alma had explained to me at one point that when Kain had offered me the heart of the Lordling, that he had been both reaffirming his claim on me and also once more offering his protection and strength to me as he had when he had first Marked me. The difference lay in the fact that it was more of a public offering of protection then the more private Marking had been.

Kain and I had had that talk regarding others in our bed roughly three decades ago. He was not the sharing type when it came to me and the thought of other males having what was his anger inducing for him. He might desire to take a male to his bed and allow me to watch, but said hypothetical male would not be allowed to touch me in the slightest, not unless Kain could trust said male with both his life and my own. He truly felt it unlikely that such a thing would ever happen. He admitted with a lustful leer that the thought of another _female_ in our bed for me to dominate though, was 'a pleasing thought indeed' and I tentatively admitted that such a thing might well be... fun. I had also shyly admitted to him that the thought of watching him as he was pleasured by another male, or as he _took_ said hypothetical male, was... pleasing for me as well... the thought of just being _able_ to watch such a thing... he'd chuckled at my resultant blush as I became consciously aware of the fact that I had voyeuristic tendencies. The mirror above our bed and the fact that it had never bothered me should have clued me in long before _that_ particular discussion as to that fact but somehow I had completely missed it until then.

"Still such a shy thing at times," he'd murmured into my neck.

"Sometimes," I'd admitted.

"It is endearing, my Little One," he'd said before he'd bitten into my neck.

From there I had hesitantly allowed Alma into our bed, though for the past decade it had merely been to offer gentle touches to offset Kain's oft rough claimings. Feminine hands to tease over my wings, light kisses along my spine and sides, a teasing, sometimes taunting counterpoint of pleasure designed to keep me on edge. Skilled as she was at such things, Kain occasionally used her skills to keep me on that edge for hours at a time. The most I had allowed her thus far concerning my person was to feed at the base of my wings and send that resultant jolting pain/pleasure down my spine. I had realized at one point that she had been doing nothing for herself both before and after she had started to join us and I had all but yelled at her in my embarrassed upset to 'Go and get _laid_ , for heaven's sake woman!' It had never been my intent to deny her her own pleasure up til then, but Kain's order had meant that she was to be practically my slave for at least one hundred years time. Unless I granted her explicit permission, she could not do as she normally did, bound as she was to my will and whim.

That had led to a small... eh... _hissy fit_ on my part where I ignored Kain for a good two weeks straight as I focused on both my railroad groups and my troops. _I_ might not have asked for details regarding the full extent of just how bound to my will Alma's was, but neither had _he_ volunteered the information. Neither of us apologized with words, but the resultant week in isolation spoke volumes far louder then any words as he introduced me to a new toy... to be used on him if I wished it as it was a toy designed to stimulate a males prostate. The resultant roars on Kain's part and screams on my own over that week had actually driven Vorador off for a while to the newly rebuilt Meridian Sanctuary and Janos off to one of the other cities as he worked on puzzling out the Path Store. Though from what I heard later, Janos had taken Nikolai with him and they had barely made any real progress on the stone. Vorador, the old pervert, had blatantly made off with no less the five of his Bride's during the time he was gone. Kain found both amusement and annoyance when we learned that, as he'd had a mission in the works that involved two of the females Vorador made off with. In either case, I gave Alma instruction to tend to her own needs as she would have normally in regards to such activities and had found myself relieved by the grateful touch of her mind against my own when I gave that order. Several decades of being unable to do anything, even to ones' self, without even being able to _ask_ for relief had to have been maddening for her.

More then one male had walked around with a noticeable limp and a pleased expression in the week that followed...

Alma's deft fingers dug into a particularly good spot along the joints of my wings and drew my thoughts back to the present. I arched against the touch and let out a low moan of pained pleasure as the tensed muscles were teased into relaxing. As her hands moved lower along my spine the door of the room slammed open and caused us both to jump as we turned toward it as we shifted into defensive crouches. Kain stood in the doorway and blinked at us, an expression of annoyance and mild surprise on his face. The surprise faded swiftly and he slammed the door shut behind him as he moved without word into the room and stripped down himself. The Soul Reaver was then stabbed point first into the stone of the floor near the pool and he entered the blood pool with a sub-harmonic growl of noise that put both Alma and I further on edge. As he started to vigorously tend to his hair on his own, all while making that low threat-sound, I nudged Alma with the edge of one wing.

~Leave,~ I told her. ~I don't know what has him in such a state, but you should go lest he take his ire out on you.~

~My Lady... when he has been in such states before...~ she started slowly.

~He had never harmed me when enraged. The most he has done has taken me until I am senseless before sharing the reason for his ire once he is calmed by the pleasure,~ I responded firmly. ~You are the one in danger here, not I. Go.~

Alma nodded her head at that and carefully left the pool. When she passed close to Kain, his sub-harmonic grumbling became an outright snarl of noise that chased the taller woman from the room. My wings twitched faintly with nervousness, as this was a quieter rage then what I was used to seeing from him when something upset him. Normally he would rant and rave about someone's idiocy or failure if something went wrong while he was one on the field. This... he was silent beyond the now once more sub-harmonic threat-noise and even that was softer then before now that Alma was gone. He ducked under the fluid to rinse the cleansing oils from his hair before he rose back up barely a second later to grab one of the scrubbing clothes up to clean the road from his pale skin, his hair hiding most of his face from view. I moved toward him a few steps as I kept low, wings drawn close to my shoulders and claws curled against the palms of my hands.

"Kain? Did something happen?" I asked hesitantly as I pushed my hair behind my right ear to ensure that the earring and his Mark on my neck were visible to him.

Normally an offer of a willing ear, and my bared throat, would trigger the usual rant if he had been fighting to keep his anger leashed, but he remained silent. A near sluggish pulse of his Aura pushed against me. A sense of anger, irritation, of impatience and edginess almost like an itch that could not be reached pushed against my mind. I tilted my head slightly to bare my neck to him just that little bit more as I took another step toward him. I frowned as I noticed that he was scrubbing his skin far harder then what he should as the pale skin was turning red with irritation. I reached out to try to push his hair back behind one ear, to look at his face. I let out a yelp of pain as his eyes flashed pure white and his hand slapped out suddenly to strike away my own reaching hand hard enough that I felt the outer metacarpus of my right hand snap at the strength behind the unexpected blow. I hissed at the pain and stumbled back several steps as I held my hand close to my chest and I had to fight a sudden desire to bolt.

The hunters glow immediately faded as his eyes changed back to blue-gold and his head jerked up as he stared at where I cradled my hand. He took in a long scent of the air and noted my suddenly fearful scent. His jaw clenched and un-clenched several times over before he slowly moved over to try to take my wounded hand into his own. I hissed again as I backed away from and backed myself against the corner of the pool with my wings spread out in warning-gesture. His hands clenched into tight fists that shook and he sent out another sluggish push of his Aura against my own, the anger, irritation, edginess were all still prominent but now there was a sense of shock, unease and mild confusion on top of it all. He opened his right hand in a way that slashed his claws across the palm to open up a wide wound and he held his hand out to me, cupped in a way that had the welling blood filled his hand swiftly. He had done as such before over the years during the few times I had be driven to use my safe-word when pain began to outweigh pleasure during our activities. It was a silent way of apology, an offering for me to take once my mind had calmed and memories were once more contained. I eased forward warily and he shifted that cupped hand a little closer to me in that silent offer as he trembled and shook with controlled... something. This wasn't a rage... not exactly.

I approached warily as I felt my vampiric healing factor work to swiftly heal the broken bone. He raised his hand up carefully to my lips. I reached to try to take his hand in mine and the rumble in his chest grew louder for a moment. I dropped my hand away and the rumble faded to a lower note. I opened my mouth close to the cupped hand and he tilted his hand and let the welled blood pour into my mouth without touching me. The power rich blood was a heady thing and helped my body heal the broken bone that much faster, yet I remained focused and wary as I watched him. I stepped back when he pulled his hand away and rubbed at the still sore edge of my hand. Kain reached up to rub at his head and I frowned in concern as I remembered something.

"Torpor," I murmured and his head jerked back up as his near to wild gaze narrowed on me. "I think you're about to enter a torpor state. I... let me go get Janos. Or maybe Vorador...?"

"Hnnnn..." he growled low and shook his head as he spoke with a voice that was rougher and thicker then normal. "Whisper them... stay here."

"I'm not sure I shou- _ECK_!"

A surprised yelp escaped me as I suddenly found myself forced to my knees in the blood pool, head pulled back by the hair in a forced baring of my throat and the fluid up to my shoulders. My wings flared wide and sent the blood-oil mixture in a wave over the edge of the pool. I trembled violently and panted for breath as he knelt down in front of me and slowly closed his fangs over the front of my throat. The pressure increased to where my breathing became choked off and strained as I tried to breathe past the near crushing grip on my trachea. Another sluggish push of his Aura rolled over me, this one far less coherent then even the previous bursts of mental energy but gave the near wordless sense of ' _Mine_ ', ' _Submit_ ' and, dimly beneath it all, ' _Call Clan_ '. I sent out a desperate Whisper to the Eldest of us at the last push.

~Vorador! Janos! One of you, answer me please! I believe Kain is entering a Torpor state! I don't know what to do right now!~

~Oh my word,~ Janos' worried voice responded to my call first. ~Are you near him? Baser instincts become far more volatile as the conscious mind is weakened and the vampire chases off or neutralizes any potential threats nearby as a result to clear their territory before they fall into the forced slumber.~

~ _Nnn_!~ I cried out physically and mentally as the grip at my neck tightened just slightly. This was a near to crushing bite that, and while his fangs were buried in my skin with blood trickling down my neck from the wounds, it held _none_ of the pleasure of feeding as he was not drawing forth any of my blood in order to drink from me. This was a bite that was pure, animalistic, domination. ~Fangs... closed on the front... of my throat... far more then just... 'near him' right now Sire!~

~By the Pillars! Do nothing to aggravate him Childe! What sense do you get from him over the Whisper?~

~Ah... _ow_ , just ' _mine_ ' and ' _submit_ ' a-at this... _shit_! At this point!~

~Remain still and do not fight him!~

I had struggled against the grip at my throat briefly before I registered Janos' warning. I fell limp as I could and the mental push faded simply to a mindless pressure of ' _Mine_ '. Claws dug sharply into my shoulders as Kain lifted me up whilst he stood and I let out a choked keen of breath as I fought to stay limp in submission, yet the new angle increased the pain of that tight grip and cut off yet more of my air. My wings drooped into the fluid and my limbs hung loose as I let out a choked keen of submission. I could no longer focus on trying to call out over the Whisper as I let my own instincts take over but I could clearly sense the brush of Vorador's mind against my own letting me know that he was the closest to our position and was on his way.

Kain's dangerous grip on my throat had just started to ease when Vorador pushed the door to the room open with a snarl and the heavy push of an Eldar's Aura. I found myself bodily flung to the back of the room, away from Vorador, and let out a grunt at the impact before I tried to push to my feet. Two Aura's, one weakened and one strong, pushed against me as both males gave off the mental equivalent of _'stay put!_ ' as they glared at each other.

The resultant, vicious, fight was brief and Vorador managed to clock Kain soundly over the head when one of his blows was a touch overextended, an error he would not have made when in his right mind. Vorador examined the ruined cuff of his sleeve briefly before he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Idiot whelpling," he muttered in a darkly amused voice as he pick Kain up by the scruff of his pants. "Next time you are about to enter Torpor, _do not_ put off finding a place to slumber. It is no wonder Leon and Emrys returned bloodied this eve."

My brows flew up at the rough treatment even as I stood and rolled my shoulders. My movement caught the green-skinned Eldar's attention and I froze warily. My wings were partly spread out and kept most of my blood-oil covered form concealed from sight. Vorador tilted his head at me and then inclined his head toward the door.

"I'm taking him to your rooms," he said. "Clean up swiftly Sister."

With that he left the room, still carrying Kain in that rough hold. I rushed over to the pool in order to use the rune designed to pull the excess fluid from me and swiftly put on the set of clean clothes I had brought in with me. I pushed into our chambers and found Vorador staring at the balcony doors with a thoughtful frown. I moved over to the side chamber that held the armories and pushed open the door. There were no large windows or doors in this smaller chamber and it would be far more defensible. Vorador noticed my movement and peeked into the room. He nodded his head a moment later and dropped Kain just inside the doorway before he moved over to the bed.

"Here Sister," Vorador said as he grabbed up a pile of the pillows on the bed. "Grab the mattress, we need to make a bit of a nest for the whelp."

"Why do you keep calling him that?" I asked with a raised brow even as I grabbed up the large mattress and dragged it into the other room and set it down in the corner farthest from the door.

"I may be helping Kain in his endeavors since he is the Balance Guardian, but it does not change the fact that he is still a youngster with just under five hundred years under his belt," Vorador said as he dropped the pillows onto the mattress. I moved to rearrange them into something of a nest out of instinct and then moved back to grab a few blankets from the closet next to the bed. Vorador kept speaking as I moved, my hearing easily able to make out his words. "I have faced thousands of years, survived innumerable wars and purges. There are horrors the whelp has yet to face, to understand. Simply put Sister, he will always be a whelping to me."

Vorador picked Kain back up and tossed him onto the make shift nest once I was done laying out the blankets. Kain twitched unconsciously and curled up with a low groaning growl. I watched in worry as his hands and feet seemed to seize in a painful cramp and he let out a hiss of pain.

"Ah," Vorador said with a thoughtful nod of his head. "He will wake in two months then."

"Pardon?" I said in confusion even as I felt that the time frame was accurate. "Oh... now that looks... _odd_."

Magic had coiled around Kain's hands and feet and then spread slowly over the rest of his body. The energy seemed to solidify into an almost cocoon like substance that rapidly hardened around him. I shifted a bit closer and my own instincts started to become almost hyper-aware of everything around us. I twitched toward the sound of a mouse as it ran through the walls and then frowned up at Vorador as I crouched close to Kain's concealed form.

"He is going through the change to gain talons," Vorador said simply as he scraped his own claws together in a sharpening movement. "It takes roughly two months for this change to be completed. Janos and I will watch over the troops and keep the humans in line. I will send for Alma to help you stand guard, being Mate Marked as you are, you will not want to leave his side for long with him in such a state."

"Is that why everything feels hyper-focused all of a sudden?" I asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod of his head. "Rest while you can. When the cocoon becomes brittle, you will know he is about to awaken. Send for us."

The next two months were a touch nerve wracking as I stood guard over Kain as he went through the Torpor. The only ones I allowed close to us were Alma, Janos and Vorador. Anyone else to make the mistake of coming too close, such as one of the poor servants who had simply come up to clean the main room, were subsequently chased off with a number of non-lethal wounds. Janos kept me supplied with a pile of books to get me through the tedium, yet I could hardly focus on the words on the pages with how hyped up my instincts were to every little sound. At nearly two months I started to poke a claw against the cocoon each morning. Finally, one of the pokes resulted in my claw successfully stabbing through the strange material and I let out a sound of satisfaction. I Whispered to Vorador to bring up a few prisoners slated for execution if we had any and let out a huff of breath through my nose.

Alma helped Vorador drag three prisoners into the room, each of them chained and unconscious. I fed on one of the males once the pair left the room. Alma remained just outside of the doors to the room as she had been the past two months as a guard. I dragged the other two several feet closer to the make shift nest and made sure they were bound securely so as not to be a threat before I curled up on the mattress and poked again at the increasingly brittle cocoon. One of the pokes finally resulted in a sleepy, hungry sounding growl of noise and I perked up with a questioning rumble of noise. Kain shifted around within the cocoon and more of it fell apart at his movements. I reached out to carefully tug away parts of the cocoon and then stopped as that mental beast-image tugged at my mind. I pulled back and moved out of range of the cocoon, leaving the humans as the closest living things to Kain.

He shifted further and let out a dark, mindless growl of hunger as the rest of the cocoon fell to pieces around him. I watched warily as he shifted forward, his new talons slashing viciously through the bedding around him as he scented at the air. One of the humans started to wake and let out a whimper of sound as he realized a vampire was close by. Kain's eyes flashed white and a second later he was on the human. The human male let out a high scream that ended in a gurgle as Kain's fangs ripped his throat open and those spear-like talons tore slashed through the humans arms. He lapped at the bloody wounds with a mindless hunger before he tore through the now dead humans chest in order to feast on the rich heart blood. Initial hunger sated, he moved over to the one human that remained. The human in question was lucky in that he was still unconscious and Kain snapped the man's neck swiftly before he sank fangs into his throat and fed deep.

Kain lifted away from the now corpse with a rough, growling gasp of air before he sat back on his haunches. He looked over his hands carefully as he took in the new shape the new talons and now cloven feet. I looked him over carefully from a distance and took note of the fact that his skin also seemed, harder, as if he had a little more muscle on him now. It made him look more buff, as if he had been doing extensive weight lifting and he had less of the lean build that he had had before the change. My wings twitched slightly and his head jerked up in my direction instantly. I froze as his hunter's white gaze landed on me and I had to let my breath out slowly as I forced my heart beat to calm. I carefully shifted my stance and allowed my wings to fan around me slowly in a subtle presentation. He rose and stalked toward me slowly a moment later. He started to reach me before he stilled and turned his head to eye the first human that he had fed from, a torn and ruined pile of flesh. He turned back to me and very slowly closed his now taloned hand around my upper arm. I flinched when the slightest tightening of his grip caused those new talons to open small gashes in my arm and he was swift to pull his hand back. He crouched down in front of me and slowly lapped at the wounds as they healed and he let his talons dig roughly into the stone floor. Lips moved from my arm to my shoulder and then to the junction where shoulder and neck met as he scraped fangs over his Mark so very lightly.

" _Mine_ ," he murmured against my neck as he very carefully drew me against him and then fell back for me to land atop him. "Mine own. My Little One."

I let out a soft chuckle as I leaned in to kiss his lips lightly. "About time you woke up, you lazy bastard."

He let out a roughened laugh of his own as he let his taloned hands rest carefully on my hips. I carefully reached to grab his wrists and pushed his hands down to the ground carefully. His eyes flashed white once more as he raised a brow at me and I kissed him a little harder.

"No touching for now," I murmured against his lips. "Let me do the work until you are used to your new strength. I'd like to avoid getting cut up on accident."

"Hnn, I will allow it for now Katrina," he replied as he ran a roughened tongue over my lower lip.

TBC... ^.^


	39. The Inter-meaning Years Part Two

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Inter-meaning Years Part Two

More POV jumps.

Thank you again everyone for reading! Please review!

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

I took my time exploring the changes wrought by the Torpor. Kain's hands no longer had quite the sensitivity from before, at least not past the second knuckle where the serrated, bladed portion of the talons were. The backs of his hands and taloned fingers, as well as a portion of the sides of said talons, were still somewhat responsive to light touches, which explained why his Eldar self had only touched my wings with the backs of his talons. It was where he could best feel the softness of my feathers. The palms of his hands, already roughened by centuries of sword-work, had taken on an odd leathery pattern at the top and middle parts of the palm and left the very heel of the palm still mostly smooth. Kain's now cloven feet were just as wickedly sharp as his talons and would enable him to climb nearly anything without having much in the way of a hand-hold. They seemed to have much of the same sensitivity issues as his hands. I also took note of the fact that he would no longer be able to wear the leather boots he was so fond of. In fact, he would have to undergo a _complete_ refitting for armor considering the rest of the changes.

What I had thought was merely a hardening of the _outer_ layer of skin had actually been a _sub-dermal_ change as the lower layer of skin had thickened. When I probed firmly at the changed flesh, it almost felt like there was a hidden layer of scaled armor beneath the skin. The change had wrought in him a layer of natural armor that could be felt along nearly every inch of his body. Even smaller scales seemed to be hidden along the sub-dermal flesh of his length and stopped only at the base of the flared head. It made him thicker and gave him a strange _ribbed_ texture that I had eagerly, and slowly, explored. Kain had cursed a blue streak and left deep rents in the stone by the time I was finished with _that_ bit of exploration.

Overall, it took Kain several months to get used to the new strength and speed available to him in order for him to not only fight properly again but to handle the more delicate things. Vorador took to sparing with Kain regularly to help him get used to the changes and also made the new armor within that same time frame. It was a pleasant and heady period of time where I was allowed near complete control in our room in order to avoid inadvertent injury to my person due to the danger those talons now posed to my own, unarmored, flesh. Occasionally Alma, when Kain was in the mood to watch me with her, or Leon and Emrys, depending on Kain's mood and my willingness to just be stuck watching him with the males, joined us as he mastered his new strength.

The years that followed that change went smoother as far as any potential unrest in the vampiric ranks. The talons Kain now sported marked him as more then a young vampire and made him a far more lethal foe to face if one thought to challenge him for his role as leader, as King. More then one vampire who had thought to challenge Kain backed down the moment he made a sharpening gesture by scraping his thumb talon against the other talons. The reminder of those vicious points compared to the narrow five-fingered claws that the rest of Vorador's get, who were all of them centuries younger then Kain, zipped mouthy lips faster then the cracking of a whip.

Slow but steady progress was made on the foundations of the buildings that would surround the Pillars and to the additional buildings to the north that would eventually house guests and those of rank amongst the growing army once done. The structures were to be made primarily of granite from the quarries in the mountains near Coorhagen. The main focus was the fortifications that were being lain across the eastern edge of the Termogent Forest, as we needed to protect our borders. I found myself more often then naught at the edges of said borders, wrapped in my Gift to keep out of sight and always mindful of my shadow, to ensure that the Sarafan armies did not take our forces unawares. The eagle's eye view my wings gave me allowed for me to warn our forces when the enemy armies began to gather for even the stealthiest of attacks that the human-only forces could muster. Still, the Sarafan had dug deep in the eastern lands and were proving difficult to uproot.

Roughly a hundred and thirty years after Kain's Torpor, I made my way back from one such aerial patrol, Alma beneath me as my constant shadow, though once more freed and reinstated to her previous rank in the army. I was returning with more then just news of a triumphant rout of the enemy forces, but also with necromatic tomes successfully pilfered from Avernus Cathedral by a small group of four vampires that I had sent out on a quiet raid during the Sarafan attack. It had been a tactical risk and I had made sure that the males that I had sent out were fully aware of the danger if they were caught, as well as the potential for reward if they were successful in the raid. I had not told Kain of the success of my plan over the Whisper, merely having told him that I was on the way back after our men had fought off the enemy forces. I meant this to be a surprise. A surprise made all the better for the simple fact that I could read some of the penned in annotations within the tomes as they were written in what I knew to be English.

My landing upon our return was far rougher then normal and Alma had to steady me as I straightened and rubbed at my head with a faint grumble. I offer her a faint smile even as my wings twitched faintly with my agitation and then started for the mansion without further word. I clearly heard the sound of Kain and Vorador arguing _yet_ _again_ and had to fight back a heavy sigh of annoyance as I approached the War Room. I came to a halt with a confused blink when I found Janos, Nikolai, Emrys, Leon and Stefon all standing outside the room, the doors badly damaged by some sort of impact. I started to ask what the hell had set the two males to blows when I heard Vorador roar in rage.

"I will _not_ allow you to raise those monsters! If any are undeserving of the Gift that is un-life, it is _those_ _things_!"

"Once I have the tomes on hand and the texts translated, I will raise whomever I please!" Kain roared back and there was the creak of a large wooden object being lifted.

Emrys saw me out of the corner of his eye and yanked me to the side just as the rest of the males dodged out of the doorway in time to avoid a large bookcase. I let out a faint sigh as I watched the wood break and splinter against the stone wall before I, and the others, peaked around the corner into the room. The two males were circling each other slowly, each ready to launch at the other at a moments notice. The room was... mostly... intact.

"If you raise them Kain, I will slaughter them slowly like those they tortured and tormented! My Childeren! My Brides!" Vorador lashed out violently with sharp talons and Kain barely dodged the Eldar's enraged strike. "What they did to my Sire! They will suffer for _all of it_!"

 _That_ pissed me off. I pulled free of Emrys worried grasp and dodged the hands of the others as I stalked into the room and let my Aura flare. The energy drew the attentions of both males and they snarled in my direction.

"Leave now Katrina! This is not a fight for you to be involved in!" Kain snarled.

I ignored him to walk in front of Vorador and then slapped the green-skinned Eldar as hard as I could across the face. The blow took him by surprise as the five claw marks that were left behind by my strike healed almost instantly and everyone else nearby froze, even Kain. I took advantage of the surprise to jab a claw against Vorador's chest and stood on tip-toe to get into his face as I snarled at him.

"What you are saying is that you would slaughter new-born babes for something they had nothing to do with," I bit out. "Did I or did I not hear you correctly?"

"Those Sarafan Priests are no ne-" Vorador started and I shoved him back a half step.

"They will remember _nothing_ of their human days!" I roared out as I interrupted him. "Not one thing! They will be as new-born babes _mewling_ in the night! Kain will be their Maker, their Sire, their Alpha and Omega! They have been dead for too long to remember anything but _him_ upon their raising."

Vorador let out a low growl at my words and stood to his full height to tower over me, his eyes white with power. He looked over my shoulder at Kain but I didn't dare move to see the expression on the silver-haired vampires face. Instead, my wings shifted outwards in a threat-gesture as I carefully shifted my stance to a slightly more defensive posture. Vorador's hand closed suddenly on the collar of my leather cuirass and he used that grip to shove me backwards into Kain who caught me and steadied me as we both issued low snarls at the taller vampire. Vorador let out an answering growl that echoed deep to the bone before he straightened the cuffs of his sleeves with a motion that was both forceful yet mindful of the delicate silk. He stalked toward the broken doorway and paused long enough to glare at Kain over his shoulder.

"I am leaving for my mansion. I will continue to assist with the Path Stone, but _nothing_ else. I would also know the moment you raise the six Sarafan Priests," Vorador growled out in a deadly tone. "If even one of them show signs of their human memories, I will slaughter the entire lot of them. Do not mistake me Kain, I will do as I say even if I have to tear through you to do so."

Kain let out a snarl of warning at the threat and I saw a strange expression pass over Vorador's face before he could turn away completely. I pulled away from Kain and moved to the door way as the lot of us watched the Eldar vampire walk down the halls and toward the buildings exit with his hands behind his back, one hand gripped over the other wrist. It... for some reason felt as if that entire fight was somehow... _staged_... for Kain's benefit? I blinked as I realized why things felt wrong concerning this argument; Vorador had _already_ met Raziel multiple times in his wraith form before now. Had _helped_ the blue-skinned wraith in his journeys through the past and even, if I remembered things correctly, spoke of Raziel _redeeming_ himself by finding Janos' heart and restoring it to the winged Ancient. I glanced at Janos and saw that my Adopted Sire's expression was shuttered, closed as best the Eldar could manage considering how open of an expression he normally had. He knew _exactly_ what Vorador had just done; played to Kain's contrary nature to ensure that the silver haired vampire would raise the six Priests in question.

~Sire, what the _hell_ brought this on?~ I asked as I settled my ruffled wings on my shoulders.

~Kain was merely contemplating aloud as to whom he planned to raise once he finally figured out the method behind how he might create his own Childe,~ Janos answered. ~He mentioned raiding the Sarafan Tomb and Vorador grew upset.~

~That is _not_ the whole of it and you know it,~ I said with a small burst of annoyance. ~Vorador knows who Raziel is, just as _you_ do. You've both met the older version of the vampire Kain is to raise! In wraith form yes, but you both knew of him because of the prophecies!~

~And you yourself know of Raziel due to your own origins,~ Janos pointed out as his wings gave a small twitch. ~That does not mean that Kain might not yet attempt to change his mind. Raziel, at the least, must be raised.~

~Honestly! Must you _both_ play mind games?! He had already decided whom to raise years ago! You did not need to attempt to manipulate the situation! Fuck, shit and damnation. You might have affected things _poorly_!~

~And your own words solidified his choice beyond a doubt,~ came the slightly smug response. ~'Alpha and Omega'? A good touch, if an unintentional one, my Childe.~

I turned away from him with a mental snarl of upset at his words and walked back toward Kain as I dug through my magically expanded pack that had been hung over my shoulder.

"You should not have gotten involved," Kain said with a low grumble of noise as I approached him again.

"You two stopped fighting, didn't you? And the building yet stands," I said with an answering grumble as I pulled out the four tomes that my men had liberated and set them onto the somehow undamaged table. "Here; a gift."

Kain frowned at the tomes and then moved to open one of them carefully with the edge of his talon. He let out a surprised hiss of noise as he shifted the book and leafed lightly through a few pages, talons somehow butterfly light against the delicate pages as he turned them. He seemed both darkly pleased and yet equally upset. He caught my chin in his taloned hand a moment later as he looked at me.

"I told you not to go to the Cathedral as it was too dangerous for you," he said in a low, warning growl.

"And _I_ did not go there," I answered firmly. "Four of my swiftest vampiric soldiers volunteered to carry out the raid when the Sarafan troops made their most recent attack on our borders. With the recent illness that struck the city around the Cathedral, I felt it the opportune time to send a stealth raid as people are barricading themselves inside to avoid getting sick. I also believe that these might well be the tomes you need Kain, or at the least that the section of the building the men obtained these books in will need to be the area we focus on in future raids. Look, this annotation here..."

I moved to open the second book, the leather of the book far too smooth to be anything other then human skin, and he let go of my chin as I moved. I paged open the book to a particular passage and tapped a claw lightly against the edge of the parchment as I began to read aloud.

"'The current Balance Guardian has been located, a young lord from Coorhagen named Kain. I will have to move swiftly to contain both his soul and keep the magic of the Pillar of Balance linked to him as I work the spell to restore him to a state of vampiric un-life. In this one act of rebellion against the Dark Entity, I hope to undo the damage I caused by slaying Ariel. Let the Scion, my un-dead son, be born anew with vengeance in his heart and let Nosgoth be saved from my foolish choice to listen to Moebius... even if that means I must die by my un-dead son's hand,'" I shook my head and then shrugged my shoulders and wings. "I can't read the rest of what is in here, the writing isn't one I've learned as yet, but this book alone seems the most promising of the tomes that my men found."

"It does indeed," Kain said thoughtfully as he turned to the next page. "Janos, will you assist me?"

"Of course Kain," Janos said as he walked over to peruse the pages.

"Get me the names and ranks of those who retrieved these, mine Little Queen," Kain rumbled with dark satisfaction as he looked back at me. "I will see to it that they are appropriately rewarded for their success."

"I will," I said with a nod of my head as I turned to leave.

He caught my arm and yanked me back against his body before I could take more then a step. I let out a low snarl of sound at the rough treatment and he nipped at my neck right over his Mark before he let me go. I shivered at the pleasure, but it did not get rid of the annoyance I felt.

"This was a pleasing gift, mine Little Queen, but next time _consult_ me first," he ordered firmly.

I tugged my leather cuirass back into place and nodded once to acknowledge his command even as I moved from the room. I felt agitated and annoyed after having stopped both the fight and getting man-handled. I was used to him being occasionally grabby so my current agitation was... _odd_. I didn't feel angry or anything, just on edge. I felt... too full of energy, which was strange with how little sleep I'd gotten this past week. I needed to let loose... to fly... _now_. I let out a huff of breath as I started out of the room. Nikolai offered me a small smile as I moved past him and I returned it with a fleeting smile of my own even as I continued past him. I had no desire to... _endure_... social time with anyone, even one of my closest friends. I offered a small nod to the Captains and they each nodded their heads to me as I walked past them at a fast but controlled clip. I moved past Alma and jerked my head toward the door.

~I need to fly... stay with me,~ I Whispered to her in a clipped mental tone.

~Very well deary,~ Alma said as she eyed me with a small, confused frown. ~Are you alright?~

~I just need to _fly_ for a while,~ I muttered in response as we stepped outside and I took wing once more into the freeing arms of the sky.

*-*/-Eldar Kain/Raziel POV-*\\*-*

This time Eldar Kain brought Raziel to a tall cliff that overlooked a small outcropping which led to a single cave that could only be reached by someone who could fly or teleport. A single vampiric rune was carved, worn by time and barely visible, just above the cave's entrance. Raziel's wings twitched with surprise as he realized the cave was the entrance to one of the ancient blood fonts. Fonts that were, in this time period, being sought out and destroyed within the Sarafan controlled eastern lands. The ones in the western, vampire controlled lands would eventually be guarded zealously by vampiric priests.

"Are we not going into the cave?" he asked his Sire.

"Not at the moment. Katrina should be along shortly," his Eldar rumbled as he crouched down to scrape talons through the soil. He spoke again a moment later though he did not stand from his crouch. "Janos showed Katrina where all the Fonts in the western lands were years ago, including a few I had been unable to reach in my youth, though all of them remained silent in her presence and only act as sources of sustenance for her. She will land at this one shortly and hide herself away for her Torpor."

"Why would she not stay closer to your younger self if she is so close to entering a Torpor?" Raziel asked with a small frown.

"The Torpor doesn't affect her as strongly as it does one of us. The normal, obvious signs of aggression are muted to the point where she is merely mildly annoyed by the presence of others. She becomes highly anti-social. She also feels the intense need to fly at this point, to expend a sudden burst of excess energy made available to her in order to find a suitable place to nest. She will only realize it is the Torpor..." Eldar Kain broke off and nodded his head skyward. "Ah... there she is. Watch."

Raziel watched curiously as his Lady approached, randomly diving and looping through the air as if she were desperately trying to spend the excess energy his Sire had mentioned. During a complex series of loops she faltered and fell several feet before she caught a thermal in order to regain the height lost. Below her was Alma, whose face suddenly twisted with concern and the taller woman leapt to higher ground. Raziel let out a soft hiss as Katrina faltered again mid-air before she caught sight of the small outcropping and winged toward it. Hidden by the trees as they were, she did not notice them as she roughly landed on the edge of the outcropping. She sat up slowly and rubbed at her head even as she yawned heavily. Alma moved as close as she could yet still remain in a place where she could yet see Katrina's legs as they dangled over the edge of the outcropping. The taller woman's face grew worried and it was obvious that she was trying to talk to Katrina over the Whisper. She finally resorted to yelling out loud.

"Katrina! Deary, are you alright?" she called.

"Yeah... just sudd..." Katrina broke off as she gave another yawn. "Just _tired_ all of a sudden. I'm gonna catch a small nap."

"We can go back to the city for _that_ deary," came the bemused response from Alma.

"Eh..." Katrina eyed the marking above the cave's opening and shook her head as she stood up. "Blood Font up here. Safe enough for a quick bit of shut eye and not like anyone can reach me easily."

"That may well be true, but this is not exactly the time to be catching a cat-nap deary," Raziel had to stifle a laugh as Katrina had already stumbled into the cave and had not heard Alma's chastising words. "Katrina? Katrina!"

The two males shared a bemused look as Alma started to fruitlessly look for a way up to the outcropping, her smaller claws unable to find purchase in the sheer, loose graveled wall. Eldar Kain grabbed onto Raziel's arm and teleported them into the circular room that housed the Blood Font so that they were standing right on the Font's platformed steps. Katrina had already knocked over a half dozen large spools of magically preserved cloth that had been stored on stone shelves, a rough looking, make shift mattress being formed as a result and she was rather tiredly unraveling yet another spool with jerking tugs that tore more cloth then what was safely unraveled. Her head jerked up in their direction after a moment and a weary sounding warning-growl escaped her before she continued to unravel the cloth. Raziel couldn't help but blink in surprise at the lack of violence at their sudden presence in the room and he then let out a chuckle of noise when she fell back so that she was sitting on one of the Font's lower steps as she issued yet another yawn.

"N'ver felt this bone tired before," she murmured as his Sire moved to rearrange the make shift mattress and torn cloth into something a little more tidy and nest-like. "This the Torpor..?"

"You are indeed entering your version of Torpor," Eldar Kain answered with a soft murmur.

"Truly?" his Lady asked as she started to tug at her vambraces with a soft grumble of noise. "Don't feel like mangling anyone like you did to Emrys and Leon..."

"You _are_ only a half-blood, Dear Katrina," his Sire said with a chuckle. "Help her with her armor Raziel, I will have this straightened in but a moment."

"As you wish," Raziel said as he moved over to assist.

A soft growl of annoyance escaped her at his approach, a reaction far milder then any full-blooded vampire might have offered him in such a situation, even his own Childe. More often then naught he had had to force his Childe to submit if not simply render them unconscious before bodily tossing them into a suitably protected room for the duration of their Torpor. He helped her with vambrace, greaves and boots first before he assisted carefully with the cuisses at her thighs. She let out a brief snarl of annoyance as she gave up on the cuisses she was working on unbuckling and slashed her claws through the leather straps that held it in place before he could stop her. Before she could do the same with the straps that held her leather cuirass in place, Raziel grabbed her and spun her about to deftly undo the straps himself.

His reward for that kindness? To be buffeted by powerful wings and knocked back into the Blood Font itself.

He pushed back up with a sputter of breath that he did not need and he let out a low warning-growl of his own as he forced his now blood soaked hair back and out of his face even as his wings flared wide with his annoyance. Eldar Kain chuckled at his predicament, yet Katrina seemed oblivious to either Eldar's mood as she tugged off her shirt, snapping the delicate clasps at the back in the process, and then tore off her leathers as she started for the roughly made nest. Raziel's annoyance disappeared in an instant as he took in her nude form with a raised brow. Vampires were not overly conscientious creatures when it came to nudity, least-wise not by the time they had reached the end of their first century. That Lady Katrina had remained skittish in that regard after so long had surprised him at first but, given what he now knew of her past, he had to consider it an honor to be trusted enough to see her in such a revealing state even if she was not quite fully aware of her surroundings at the moment. He'd only been granted a glimpse of one pale pink breast flushed with living blood when he and Eldar Kain had fed lightly from her at the Pillars. _This_ though...

Raziel spared a glance at his Sire, who was watching her with a hungry, proprietary air, before he turned back to watch as Katrina slumped lazily onto the make shift nest. She growled suddenly, an almost pained sound and rolled onto her stomach as her wings started to shudder and flare violently above her. A cascade of feathers fell around her form as she curled into a near fetal position and his Sire placed a restraining hand on his shoulder when he moved out of the Font and made to approach out of concern. Her wings withdrew slowly, seeming to melt into her body and a mess of feathers were left to cover her from head to toe like a blanket that almost immediately started to solidify around her like the magically created cocoons that coiled around a full blooded vampire. Raziel let out a hum of thoughtful noise and then walked over to brush the back of his hand over the now hardened, and sharp, feathery cocoon that covered Katrina. He eyed the small nicks that were briefly opened on his hand and let out another hum of noise as the wounds healed almost instantly.

"An interesting defensive mechanism," he said to his Sire.

"Indeed," came the rumbling response. "Something unique to the type of vampiric breed she is descended from. The Draconian's, as they are called in the realm of her birth, are all enveloped in such a viciously sharp Torpor cocoon to better aid in protecting what is normally an isolated nest that can only be reached by others that are capable of flight."

"How long until Alma contacts your younger self or Janos? Or perhaps vice-versa?" Raziel asked as he set to cleaning off the blood that coated his person with a large bit of torn cloth.

"By this eve's end. My younger self will arrive with Janos at dusk three days from now when Katrina remains unresponsive to my calls over the Whisper," Eldar Kain said as he watched Raziel. "Shall I cast a Cleansing Spell for you, mine own? You will have difficulties cleaning your wings that way."

"...I would find myself appreciative of such a spell, yes," Raziel said slowly as he dropped the ruined cloth to the ground.

His Sire raised one hand idly and waved it in Raziel's direction. The dark-haired vampire couldn't help the faint tremor of his wings at the distinctly unpleasant sensation caused by the spell, even as the rest of his body remained still and unmoving. The pair then settled into an amiable silence, each finding a blood free patch of the Font's steps to sit on. The silence lasted for several long minutes before Raziel spoke up.

"My scent has been all but neutralized by the blood of the Font and your own spell. Your own yet fills the air heavily," he started with a faintly amused tone. "Tell me, how long will you believe _yourself_ to be the one knocked into the Font?"

"Until the point in which you took vampiric shape once more after having feasted upon the souls of the warriors that I slew in that clearing, venting my rage at your apparent loss," his Sire said in a soft tone that Raziel rarely heard from the older male. "I... will admit that I was... _relieved_... to see you whole once more."

"It was good to _be_ whole once more," Raziel murmured softly.

"It was also quite amusing in the subsequent days to see you make the same blunders in learning how to land properly as Katrina did in her early years on Nosgoth," Eldar Kain said with dry amusement as he looked over his talons.

"... _Must_ you continue to bring that up?" Raziel grumbled in response.

"As long as it continues to _amuse_ me, yes," his Sire said with a smirk and Raziel couldn't help but chuckle softly.

*-*/-Younger Kain POV-*\\*-*

Kain was not one prone to 'worrying' about a problem or a situation. If something came up that was... unexpected... he would decide on an appropriate course of action and then act. Bemoaning a sudden change of circumstance was not his way as say, perhaps, Vorador, when the green-skinned old fool lost one of his Childe. Even Janos Audron, Father of Vampires, was more thin-skinned then Kain had initially expected from the legends, up to the point of personally ensuring those that he had fed on recovered properly and never killing unless he had no choice, but then the Sarafan were prone to demonizing those who got in their way. That kindly nature was also the reason Kain kept the blue-skinned, winged Ancient amongst the ranks of the healers, beyond the males outright skill with healing magic. The male in question was prone to worry about the smallest thing at times, even with his young consort to keep him occupied and out of Kain's hair.

When his Little One failed to return the following morn, Kain thought nothing of it after ensuring that Alma was yet near her. If the woman needed to rest after a successful rout of the enemy and an exhausting bit of aerobatic flight, and did not feel inclined to return immediately after finding a suitable place to rest, that was all well and good. She had the teleportation earring still embedded in her ear and knew precisely how to use it even now, having had to evade a few traps using that self same method of transportation. When she did not return the morn after that, he still did not find himself overly concerned with the situation. While Katrina did not need as much rest as a human, she still needed to sleep eventually. Several days, up to a week maximum without sleep, busy with a task at hand or a fighting off a long siege, would be made up later with a full day and night cycle of rest to recover from the sleep deprivation. She had just returned from helping the eastern border fight off one such siege, so it was likely that she had stayed as alert as possible during the month she had been gone.

It was the third full day without sight of, nor word from, the emerald-eyed half-blood that Kain found himself... _mildly_ _concerned_ with the situation. The woman had become... precious... to him quite swiftly, a bizarre feeling in and of itself as it went beyond even the protectiveness he felt due to his Marking of her, giving her the Gift of his protection. Two-hundred and two years now since her arrival... Willful, yet pliant. Complex, yet discernible. Loyal, yet willing to offer him a challenge. Bold, yet still delectably shy at times. And most of all... _his_.

And now she was no longer responding to _anyone's_ Whispered call, even his own...

Kain stalked out of their mansion with a small snarl curling his lips. Janos was waiting to meet him just outside the open main doors, wings half-spread in what he had learned to be an indication of one eager to take flight. Being around two winged creatures had taught him much in how to read their moods just by the subtlest twitch and shudder of those appendages. Janos' young consort stood beside the blue-skinned Eldar, the worry plain on Nikolai's face. Kain paused in the shadows in order to briefly listen in on the conversation.

"I worry and cannot help it," the younger vampire was saying. "Kat has _never_ remained unresponsive this long. I know that Alma says that she is safe, ensconced within one of the Ancient Fonts, but..."

"I am concerned as well, my fair one," Janos said with a soothing purr as he ran taloned fingers through the younger vampire's hair. "I am certain she is fine though. It may even be the Torpor."

Nikolai offered a soft scoff of sound, "She has not torn into anyone like Kain did years ago, verbally or otherwise. More then one fledge was left insensate when he returned that day merely for the 'crime' of walking too close to him."

"True enough," Janos said with a soft chuckle.

"Indeed," Kain said with a sub-harmonic growl as he moved from the shadows of the doorway. "A healthy dose of fear does you younglings good and reminds you not to get in my way."

Nikolai tilted his head in a faint baring of his throat at the bone-shivering sound even as he let out a worried sounding growl.

"May I join the pair of you?" the younger vampire asked.

Kain shook his head firmly even as Janos let out a soft sigh. It was plain that the younger vampire had been pestering his older lover into allowing him to travel with them, despite the fact that the youth's lack of a flight form would simply slow the older vampires down.

"You cannot fly," Kain said with a firm growl that caused the male to duck his head. "You will only slow us down. Remain here. Janos, let us go."

"Of course Kain," Janos responded with a small bow of his head before he brushed the back of a talon along Nikolai's jaw.

A moment later and the Eldar was up in the sky, his leap enhanced by powerful leg muscles and wings beating a heavy rhythm that filled the air. Kain spread his hands and allowed the magic of his Bat Form shiver through him, a distinctly uncomfortable sensation as he was split into several dozen smaller forms. Each set of eyes, ears and wings had taken him months to get used to at first and even now it took a strong push of willpower to keep the smaller forms together as one solid colony and not have one of the bat shapes dart off mindlessly toward fruit, insect or human and to make sense of the echo-location used to traverse the skies. He honed in on Janos' form with several controlled bursts of echo-location and moved after the Ancient as he led the way toward the hidden cave.

Within the hour Janos had led them to the Font and he winged over the outcropping. Kain allowed his form to return to normal as he landed easily on the small ledge. Janos, instead of landing, swooped down to grab up Alma and winged her up to the entrance that she had been unable to reach despite the obvious, dogged efforts to reach the ledge. Once on the ledge next to Kain, Alma bowed her head respectively.

"There has still been no response from her, Lord Kain," the buxom woman said with a worried frown as they started into the hidden cavern.

"Hnn," Kain responded only with that wordless noise as he took point.

He paused inside the ornate archway that led into the circular room that housed the Font and raised a brow at the sight. Clothes and armor lay strewn about, most of it in tatters or with leather straps ripped asunder. A small nest of cloth lay to the left of the Font, covered in a layer of feathers and magic that shaped an odd Torpor cocoon. There was a wide spray of blood that covered stone and loose gravel alike in a wide splash area as if someone had landed roughly in the Font itself. Lastly there was a single, bloody trail of cloven foot prints that led out of and away from the Font to the cocoon itself. A slow scenting of the area, taking in the air over tongue and through the nose revealed to Kain that the only scents in the room were the magically enhanced and preserved blood, Katrina's scent and his own scent, stronger and laced with power and time. Kain raised a brow at that knowledge and then let out a huff of breath.

"Oh my," Janos murmured as the small group approached the somewhat neat nest. "How intriguing."

"So she can indeed enter a Torpor state," Kain humed softly. "Without the usual signs. What was her mood Alma? I would know what to look for in the future."

"Irritible, but only in the sense that she shook off anyone's touch rapidly," Alma reported thoughtfully. Kain found himself reminded of how swiftly she had pulled away from his nip after having delivered the gift of tomes and he let out a hum of breath as he too had believed that she had merely needed rest after a long period of wakefulness. "She acted similarly to how she is when she goes a week without rest. I had thought that was why she was upset as she did not rest much nor often while we were at the borders, yet instead of the near immediate lethargy upon returning to the mansion, and thus making her way to your rooms as she usually would, she sought me out and said that she needed to fly. She seemed frantic and full of energy."

"What were her flight patterns like?" Janos asked as he examined the cocoon.

A misplaced movement of palm against feather proved the points were sharp as any talon or claw and the scent of the Eldar's blood momentarily filled the air. Alma and Kain both politely ignored the blunder. The wound on the Eldar's hand healed swiftly at any rate.

"Erratic, my Lord," Alma said with a tilt of her head. "Daring at times to the point of foolishness what with some of the dives she made."

"Burning off energy the best way she could," Janos said thoughtfully. "Intriguing."

Kain started to look around the small space and his gaze focused on the runed archway. He moved over to it and tapped at a few symbols that he was coming to recognize thanks to Janos' tutelage regarding several of the complex writing and runic languages the Ancients had used ages ago.

"Janos," he called in a firm tone. "These runes; the archway can create a barrier?"

"Hmm?" Janos looked up briefly from his examination of the feathered cocoon. "Oh, yes. The runes can create a solid barrier, harder then normal stone, to seal over the passage. From this side the blockage is obvious. From the other, it will merely seem as if the outcropping leads only to a small cave and not a Font."

"What about teleportation spells?" Kain asked thoughtfully.

"They will work only if a teleportation marker is placed before the archway is sealed and only by the ones to place such a rune. The rune that looks like the sun closes the way," came the distracted reply.

"Good," Kain said with a thoughtful nod as his instincts purred with satisfaction. Katrina had found a good place to wait out the Torpor. "Out with you both."

Two heads whipped around to look at him in confusion and he glared at them as he let out a hiss of breath.

"I said, out with you both," Kain snarled out.

The pair shared a look before they moved out of the main chamber. Kain carved a swift teleport marker into the ground at the center of the room before he moved to activate the sun-image rune. A flash of light pulsed over the archway before a smooth rock wall appeared to block the path. He nodded his head once and then briefly teleported himself from the Font room to the mansion and then back to the Font. Once more he nodded to himself before he teleported just outside to the cliff ledge. Alma and Janos awaited him.

"You could have allowed me the time to set up my own marker Kain," Janos said to him after Kain appeared by their side.

"Too many individuals with access become a liability," Kain said with a sneer.

"You consider _me_ a liability?" Janos asked in an incredulous tone.

"I consider everyone other than myself a liability at this time," Kain responded as he bared his fangs in warning at the winged Ancient.

The Eldar frowned at that and yet looked pleased at the same time as his wings flared briefly before settling once more along the line of his back. Janos' genial, dueled nature that was so like his Little One's meant that the Eldar felt offended that he was being considered a potential threat and equally satisfied that Kain was taking such extreme measures to keep his adopted Childe safe.

The next month was spent building and moving forces in long term preparation for yet another siege on Sarafan lands, which would be implemented within the year as the human forces were being weakened by the illness that was still spreading through the human controlled lands, and looking in on Katrina once a week to check the strength of the Torpor cocoon. With her half-blooded nature, the norms for such a change could not be counted upon to judge just how long she might be hidden away. Finally, one of the firm taps with his talons during such a check in resulted in several sharpened feathers flaking apart into dust beneath his testing touch.

Kain nodded to himself and then returned to Sanctuary long enough to put things into order for the next few days and he then gathered up a handful of magically unconscious prisoners slated for execution before he teleported back to the Font chamber. A bit of magic kept the murderous humans bound to the circular wall closest to the nest.

He settled in on the steps of the Font to wait with the Soul Reaver braced against his right leg.

He would not have to wait for long...

One more TBC... thank you for the reviews and the Favorite, Strife VII


	40. The Inter-meaning Years Part Three

Chapter Forty: The Inter-meaning Years Part Three

More POV jumps. Though this is mostly Younger Kain's POV at the beginning... and the middle... and... seriously, you kinda took this chapter over...

'Is that not a Lord's prerogative?'

You sure as hell are not _my_ Lo- *meeps at the warning growl and turns back to the computer with a grumble* aaand shutting up now... heheh... _heh_... *nervous cough*

Right then! Thank you again everyone for reading! Please review!

*-*/-Younger Kain POV-*\\*-*

Nary an hour passed before there was movement and a soft noise from the direction of the feathered cocoon. He tilted his head at the sound and leaned forward. Another noise filled the air, the roughened tone of a voice long disused, but this time it sounded pained. There was a strange ripple along the length of the cocoon one moment and then Katrina's wings burst outwards, tearing the cocoon apart and rendering it to naught but dust in the process. Kain found he could not help the soft hissing breath that escaped him at the sight of her revealed form and he stood slowly, leaving the Soul Reaver by the Font, in order to stalk several paces closer as she worked to push herself up. Her wings twitched and drooped in uncoordinated movements as she moved and drew his attention.

Her wings were no longer the solid, darkened color of heart's blood save for those small patches of white at the base of each wing. Instead each feather-tip now had a sheen to it, as if one had dipped the individual feathers into molten silver. He reached out to brush the palm of his hand over one wing as it twitched and he found that the feathers yet remained soft as down under his touch. Pale pink skin yet flush with life seemed somewhat harder at first glance. A firm, probing touch with the back of one talon revealed just the faintest of sub-dermal scaling beneath the first layers of flesh, almost unnoticeable. His firm prodding elicited a soft warning growl as her claws were brought to bare and she tried to roll away from his touch and onto unsteady legs. A growl to which he responded with a commanding, yet soothing sound of his own. An answering, hunger filled, crackling croon escaped his Little Queen as she lowered her hands and blinked whilst she tried to bring her sight into focus. He caught her chin lightly in his taloned hand and saw that her irises were still emerald in color, yet they were now lined with a small rim of gold. Her hair had even gained a silvery sheen to it as if stars had suddenly been spun in amongst the black locks. He then took the time to take one of her smaller hands in his own and looked over her claws. They, too, had changed in coloration. Each claw looked as if it were now made of mother-of-pearl instead of the darkened color they had been. Opalescent and brilliant, yet now the points were far sharper and, as he applied testing pressure to one claw hard enough to cause a faint sound of distress to escape his Little Queen's throat, he found that they were _far_ more durable then they had been. Had he applied the same pressure to her claw _before_ the change, the point would have snapped painfully and near instantly.

She had managed to push herself up to an unsteady crouch whilst he examined the one hand and started to scent at the air. He had stilled his own heart beat some time ago, his blood flowing ceaselessly through his veins despite the lack of movement from said organ, all to allow her to focus unimpeded on the living heart beats within the room. He focused on one of the humans, guilty of being a 'serial killer' as Katrina had once termed it. The man targeted particular individuals of specific features and then killed them. Kain allowed the magic that kept the man unconscious to fall away. Fear-scent and rage-scent rapidly filled the air as the male came back to full awareness and started to curse. The scents and swearing caught his Little One's attention instantly. A moment later and her blood-starved form ripped into the human with sharp claws and fangs as she tore into the male and forced the human to make the same high and desperate screams that said male had so enjoyed wrenching from his victims before he killed them.

 _A poetic bit of justice that_ , Kain thought to himself with dark amusement.

Moments later and the human was dead, ripped asunder and Katrina eagerly lapped up the blood that now coated her claws and hands. As he stalked closer, he saw that her eyes had cleared but she was still somewhat uncoordinated. Her head turned in his direction briefly before she focused on the next closest human when he unraveled the magics holding said human unconscious. Female this time and also a killer. A whore who enjoyed poisoning many of the men who came to her bed and rode them to her own completion as the males unlucky enough to fall for her trap died, their poisoned hearts failing them even as they spent themselves within her. They had only caught _this_ killer by using a recently turned vampire and having the male play the victim in order to catch her as she was raiding his coin purse in preparation to flee the city after a 'successful' kill. Katrina's more controlled feeding from the female would ensure that the human female died the same way as her victims; equally locked in the throws of passion and death.

Another poetic end.

The third human he woke even as Katrina was still feasting upon her second victim and he stalked close to the young male. Only sixteen summers this one. Dispassionate eyes raised to meet his own and Kain tilted his head as he returned the human's steady, unafraid gaze. This one was guilty of murdering his parents, but only _after_ said parents had knocked his younger brother unconscious and then drowned the younger boy in the river for having been found in the hayloft of their barn with the neighbor's son.

 _Humans_ , he thought to himself in disgust as he looked over the young male, _they_ all _need the firm hand of a Shepard to keep them safe from their own unenlightened ignorance._

Kain had decided on a roll of the dice for the human, a _chance_ at survival... if Katrina had fed enough to recover herself and avoid draining the male of blood completely, he would live. The human had calmly accepted the terms of his fate, listless and adrift after the loss of his brother at the hands of the family that he had thought loved them. Kain had issued similar judgments on humans in the past, to place the human in question as the third potential kill for a vampire about to come out of one of the lesser Torpor states. Humans that, despite their crimes, had the potential to be reintroduced into the herd. Katrina had been morbidly amused the first time she had witnessed him issue such a decree. 'Judgment by crocodile?' she had asked, 'Only it's vampires instead of croc's? Interesting.' That had led him to question her about some of the animals from her home world and she had done up a few rough sketches for him from memory. Nosgoth had no 'crocodiles'. Gaia was sounding like it would be an... intriguing... place to visit the more he heard of it.

Katrina pulled away from the corpse of the second human and stretched languorously, wings arching broadly up behind her so that the tips almost brushed against the low ceiling. Her eyes had cleared but the hunger was still plain on her face as she licked blood from her lips. She moved over to the third human without prompting and let out a soft hum of noise as she took in the males calmer scent. She sank her fangs into the human's throat and started to feed at a more sedate pace. Kain reached out to lightly brush the backs of his talons against her throat as the muscles moved with each swallow of blood. The human bucked in her grasp as he let out a groan of pleasure, his struggles as he tried to fight off said pleasure rapidly weakened however. Kain let out a thoughtful hum of breath as the human's heart started to give that stutter-stopping beat within minutes of the woman's fangs piercing his throat. The young male's eyes fell shut with another, weaker groan as his body gave a convulsive, abortive thrust of hips and he started to drift into a blood-loss and pleasure induced unconsciousness. A low growl of disappointment escaped his Little One at the faltering sounds the human made yet she managed to pull back with a soft groan of unfulfilled hunger and licked at the wound to help seal it.

She pulled back in full from the human male with another small, guttural groan of noise and was finally able to focus enough to become fully aware of her surroundings. She took in the two kills, one gruesome, one neat, and then eyed the third human critically. Kain reached out and gently pulled her back a few steps in order to keep her from going in to finish feeding on the last prisoner, knowing she was on the edge of doing just that. He turned her instead to face him as he nuzzled lightly at her neck right over his Mark and relished in the soft shudder that ran through her from toe-tip to wing-tip.

"Hush now, mine Little One," he purred into her ear. " _This_ one may yet live and serve."

"Dice roll?" she murmured in that yet roughened voice.

"Indeed," he purred as he led her over to the Font. "Drink and recover. You chose a fine place for your Torpor."

"Not that I was aw..." she coughed into her hand to clear her throat and shook her head. "Was aware of it. Did not realize it was the Torpor 'til the last ten or so minutes that I was awake. Everything from that point on is... blurry."

He pushed lightly at her shoulder as he let out an acknowledging hum of noise and she obediently ducked down to dip one hand into the enriched blood that the Font offered. She kept herself braced up enough that she would be able to move in any direction if there was a need, a careful and instinctive wariness that had served her well these long years. Kain moved to re-open the Font's archway, sheath the Soul Reaver at his back and then gathered up the living human under one arm as she fed. There was time enough to explore the changes wrought by her Torpor in full... later. He waited long enough for her to lick the last of the blood from her claws and then held out his hand to her with a small smirk. She raised a brow at him but placed her hand in his without hesitation. A moment later and he had teleported them back to their rooms. He gave her rear end a small, proprietary smack before he started for the door.

"Get cleaned up, mine Little Queen," he ordered with a purr. "There is a celebratory event this eve."

"What is being celebrated?" she asked in confusion as he opened the door.

"A mining expedition into Dark Eden while you slept proved fruitful and our men found large deposits of iron, granite, silver, copper and smaller deposits of gem stones," Kain responded over his shoulder. "Even if Vorador is no longer assisting with our efforts directly, many of his progeny have been taught the art of black smithing from him and this find will keep our men armed and armored for centuries if not millennium to come. The veins of ore run thick and deep, no doubt due to the manipulation of the former Nature Guardian when the place was shaped by magics."

"That is wonderful news!" Katrina said as she tilted her head and smiled faintly. "The human's have avoided Dark Eden as if it were plague ridden. To find such a treasure trove of ore available to us due to that fear... I had been concerned as our current iron ore mines are running dry and more then one coal mine has to be worked souly by vampires due to the deadly gases."

"I know the reports, Dear Katrina," he purred in dark amusement. "Hence the celebration... though your awakening from Torpor will also be cause for additional celebration. Go and bathe, I do not think many alterations will need be made to your clothing as had to be made to my own."

"Hmm?" the questioning noise she made was... charming and delightful.

Kain let out a soft chuckle at the sudden noise of surprise that she made when she noticed the changes with her body as he left the room. He passed the unconscious human over to the hands of the servants with instructions to see the male to the healer's tents before he started down the main stairs in order to locate Alma and Janos to inform them that Katrina had awoken. Both were pleased with the news. Her Adopted Sire fairly beamed with fatherly pride to the point that Kain wanted to shake his head at the Eldar's antics. Janos doted upon the half-blood female to the point where Kain was certain that if her nature had been anything but what it was, that strange mixed nature that had shaped a somehow shy yet firm-voiced Queen, that Katrina would have been spoiled beyond recovery by the end of her first _half_ century on Nosgoth's soil. Kain left the older male to his dotting plans and pulled Alma aside long enough to let her know to take clothing for Katrina up to their bathing chambers within the hour.

It was yet two hours til dusk and the beginnings of the planned celebration. His young Queen did not need nor desire the long, drawn out affair to 'make one's self presentable' like many of Vorador's Bride's did and he knew the green-skinned Eldar's Bride's would have already started getting ready at this point. The old fool was never one to turn down a polite invitation to a party, even if Kain merely sent it to be just that... _polite_. He would have preferred not to see the Eldar's face outside of working on the Path Stone after that last fight, yet the Eldar and his Bride's had already arrived and been housed in the guest rooms in the eastern wing of the mansion. _Kain's_ woman at least had no love of make-up or fancy hair styles, she was more utilitarian in nature which suited him just fine. He did not believe that he could long stand a female who primped and preened for even the smallest affair. No, he would need the extra time to convince her to _wear_ what he had just sent Alma to retrieve.

His Dear Katrina did so _loathe_ dresses...

An hour later and he approached their bathing chambers and heard exactly what he had expected to hear; Katrina's voice pitched in a low snarl of rage at what Alma had brought to the room. Kain chuckled softly to himself as he paused by the doorway and opened it just enough to look within. Alma had left the dress hanging from a wooden clothes hanger looped around a hook on the wall. The dress was of a simple and sleek design made of soft velvet with an open back that hooked at the neck much as Katrina's tops did. The skirt of the dress was a simple sheath of cloth that would just barely trail the ground if Katrina wore the accompanying thigh-high leather boots with one-inch heels, the added height enough to accentuate her already shapely legs but not enough to impede her stride. The dress had an opened slit that started just below the line of the hip to reveal the length of the right leg. It was nothing so complex as to warrant a hoop-skirt such as the dresses most human noble females currently found fashionable. Suggesting _that_ style of dress was likely to end in blood-shed if he knew his Little One, and he did.

"I've told you before Alma, _no dresses_!" Katrina said as she pointed at the offending garment in question, naked with wings spread and twitching in warning. "Take that _thing_ out of here and bring me my ceremonial armor!"

"I was instructed to bring this, the boots and the silk undergarments specifically," Alma responded with a small sniff.

"And who the _hell_ gave you such instruction?!" Karrina's tone was now equal parts enraged and worried as she knew that there was only one person who could countermand her own orders.

Kain took that as his cue and pushed fully into the room with a satisfied smirk on his lips. Riling the woman up took a bit of effort, but the benefits outweighed the temporary rage he could induce in her.

" _I_ gave the instruction, mine Little One," he said with a low purr as he indicated for Alma to leave. The woman was swift to duck out of the room without further prompting. "Do you take issue with said instructions?"

"You _know_ that I do!" she responded with another low snarl. She never was one to shriek when angry. "The _hell's_ were you thinking?!"

He couldn't help the rumbling chuckle that escaped him as he started to circle her form. She moved with him as he circled her, keeping him carefully within her line of sight.

"I was thinking of how you would _look_ in such a garment," he said with a low sub-harmonic purr of noise that caused his woman's wings to flare briefly in presentation before she caught the movement and pulled said appendages close to her shoulders. "I was engrossed with the thought of how the velvet would follow your curves in a sinuous path. I was captivated by the image in my mind of you dancing with me, your body the hypnotizing, _enthralling_ embodiment of divinity made flesh as we command the throne room."

A blush had started to stain his Little One's cheeks as he spoke in a low, enticing purr. Anger-scent was slow being replaced with desire-scent even as she bared her fangs in brief, subtle warning when he reached out to just barely brush the backs of his talons over the bend of one wing. He let a low, seductive growl that made her shiver and caused that desire-scent to spike. Yearning fought with anger in her eyes. Just over two months away from his side, first performing duties on the field of battle and then lost to the unyielding call of the Torpor. Her scent was an exquisite perfume of want and of a rage that was rapidly beginning to flicker out. It would not take much to push her to the very heights of passionate need in her current state. He was assured of that fact when she made a quickly shuttered, _quivering_ noise of lust.

 _Oh, but this_ will _be an amusing eve,_ was his darkly lascivious thought as he closed a hand on her shoulder to still her and move around her in order to push against her bare back, careful of her wings. He began to trail his tongue over the curve of her throat in slow, sweaping passes and he relished in the sound of her heart beat as it picked up, pumping blood through her veins that much faster. Another sweet shudder ran through her and he had to push down the urge to simply take her _screaming_ where she stood. Time enough to sate his need after he had built the budding craving in her veins to an inferno of fervent, uncontrolled carnality.

"Mine Little One, mine Queen," he crooned softly into her ear as he wrapped one hand around her waist and thrust against her, his leather confined length an obvious hardness against her backside. She let out another sweet, shuttered keen of lust at his demanding movement. "Would you deny me such a pleasing, alluring sight? Would you deny me the vision of such a beguiling, seductive form that would be hidden only by the thin layer of cloth. Cloth which will caress and accentuate your sweet, toned curves?"

She shifted, struggled briefly as her wings buffeted backwards in an attempt to push him away but he had tucked himself against her back too neatly for the movement to do aught but envelope him temporarily in a cocoon of down-soft heat that belied the strength of those shielding feathers that protected the wing membrane beneath. A small warning-snarl escaped her throat as she tried to pull forward instead but he was prepared for even that struggling movement and she was barely able to move an inch before he yanked her back against his chest.

"Honey-tongued bastard!" she snarled as renewed anger-scent warred with desire-scent. "I will _not_... nngh!"

"Shhh," he breathed the sound over her neck as his tongue passed over his Mark upon her throat in a slow, lingering swath. She gasped and trembled at the touch, desire-scent spiking even further even as she ducked her head and raised her shoulder in a futile attempt to block his access to her supple throat. "You are fiercely beautiful in your armor, finely controlled and coiled power like a stilleto blade designed to stab swiftly and unerringly for its' target. But I would see a softer side of you this night, my Dear Katrina. I would see you dressed in sensual finery, see you stalking the halls and commanding attention with the subtle swaying of shapely hips."

He pitched his voice lower as he allowed a subtle sub-harmonic purr to fill his tone even as he mouthed her right ear, his fangs scraping against flesh and ringing against the metal ear piece at the same time. He lowered his hand to said hips and squeezed firmly, hard enough to force a small squeak of almost pain from her lips.

"Wear the dress, mine own," he whispered low as he pushed himself against her backside again even as he started to trace talon-tips lightly up the bared front of her body in a dangerous caress. "Let me see you resplendent before me."

"I... I don't..." her voice had pitched lower as well as she shivered.

He had taken the time over the years to indulge her desire for him to read aloud to her; Hamlet, Julius Caesar... even the works of Poe as she had first requested. He knew _exactly_ what his voice could do to her when pitched just right. Many such nights of reading ended with the books on the floor as more sensual endeavors became the favored choice of action. Another push and she would cave to his request.

"Wear the dress my Little Queen," he breathed the words right over the skin of her throat, fangs scraping teasingly light over his Mark as he spoke. "It would please me greatly."

"Honey-tongued bastard," she repeated in a soft murmur even as she relaxed minutely in his arms. He grinned darkly against her throat as her head tilted in slow submission. "Just the _once_... I suppose I could... wear it."

He let out a pleased rumble of sound as he drew the back of one talon along the line of her jaw to turn her into a slow and lingering kiss. He released her a moment later and stepped away from her with a momentary caress of his talons over her hip.

"Get ready Dear Katrina," he purred as he started for the door. "I will be but a moment myself."

"Tease," she said in fond exasperation as she rolled her eyes and turned with a frown to eye the dress in question.

"Hnn," he gave a wordless hum of agreement as he left the room.

It took little time for him to switch out his usual, battle-worn greaves and vambraces with the more ornate yet no less effective ceremonial pieces. The current set was lined with silver rune-work and had burnished skulls carved into the metal. A dark-red velvet shoulder cape replaced his usual one, his Symbol a white shock amongst all the red and he brushed the backs of his talons lightly over the soft cloth to smooth it into place. Lastly, the Soul Reaver was sheathed against his back. He glanced into the mirror briefly and smiled darkly at the thought of what he had planned.

Events of this nature always ended with a certain amount of debauchery amongst those invited. Tonight... his reflected eyes flashed solid white briefly.

He let out a soft hum of anticipation and then moved out of the room. Swift to get ready as usual, Katrina had left the bathing chambers and was waiting for him. There was a shy discomfort on her face as she brushed lightly at the skirt of the dress, smoothing wrinkles that were non-existent. Her wings were resting lightly on her shoulders, giving the usual illusion that she wore a feathered cloak. The silver tipped feathers added a subtle layer of regality to the garb and he let out a dark purr of satisfaction at the sight of her. She turned in his direction and he held his arm out to her. She flashed him a look of amused annoyance but tucked her hand in against the bend of his arm as they started down the hall to the main stairs.

From there it was a simple matter to issue a rousing speech concerning their successful find and accepting the oaths of a few humans who had inherited their families estates. Katrina's carefully cultivated practices regarding the care of the humans in their lands had reduced the number of unruly upstarts who wanted to 'better their lives' and thus cause trouble. With the plague currently tearing its' way through Sarafan lands, those few impetuous youths who had thought to start something had fallen silent. No plague had been allowed to take root amongst the human cattle under his command in the past two-hundred years and when the Sarafan had attempted what Katrina had disgustedly called 'bio-logical warfare' by sneaking plague ridden corpses or individuals into their lands, she had been swift to order the needed precautions to limit the infection. The human cattle were thus well fed, well tended and docile under vampiric rule because of it all.

All this and more came up during the polite rounds they made through the crowd of guests. Janos was the embodiment of fatherly pride when they approached the Eldar and Nikolai, all but fawning over the changed coloration of Katrina's wings. Nikolai ended up teasing the woman about the dress and ended up with a booted heel being subtly driven into his toes as punishment. The real amusement regarding her current outfit was found, surprisingly, when Vorador padded over to join the group, a nubile human female on one arm and Tara on the other. It was obvious from the human's looks that she was slated to become his newest Bride soon, if not that very eve.

"Well now," Vorador said with an amused purr. "I never expected to see as fine a sight such as what has been brought before us this fair eve. Tell me, Sister, did you lose a bet of some sort? You look down right... _edible_ in such a skin tight dress."

Janos shook his head in amusement and Nikolai coughed into his hand to hide a laugh even as Katrina flushed and glared at the green-skinned Eldar. The slightest of tugs on Kain's arm managed to pull him just that little bit further forward and thus blocked a little more of her form from the perverted Eldar's sight. Kain took a sip from his goblet of blood wine in order to hide his smirk and allowed the movement without taking affront. As amusing as it was to watch her embarrassment, she was still _his_ woman and the Eldar would do best not push his luck too far.

"I lost nothing _Brother_ ," she bit out in a barely polite tone of voice as she emphasized the last word. "And your flirtations, as always, are unwanted."

"'Flirtations'?" Vorador said as he raised a hand in mock innocence to his chest. "Dear _Sister_ , I am merely pointing out the fact that your recent Torpor has enhanced your fair beauty beyond what any of us might have expected. The dress only drives the point in firmly to the hilt."

 _Subtle_ is was not, but it was still enough to cause Katrina to blush faintly from the root of her hair to the just visible rise of her breasts. Kain chuckled softly when she let out a warning hiss of breath.

"Vorador! _Enough_!" she snapped out. "I have no desire to be subjected to your poorly veiled innuendo this eve or any other!"

The Eldar held his hands up in mock surrender even as his expression shifted to a darkly amused look. The Elder had made it plain that if Katrina ever stopped seeing him as a 'brother' that there were several 'activities' he wanted to show her, Katrina in turn firmly shot down the repeated offers, advising the Eldar that he was quite firmly relegated to being the 'big brother' and nothing more. Kain shook his head at the antics between the two 'siblings' and then turned his head to nod a small greeting to his Captain's as they approached. Leon, Emrys and Stefon had done well over the centuries, yet they each remained at the rank of Captain. Only Kain's own progeny would be elevated to Lieutenant-General's and only if they proved as adept as he believed they would become. Katrina had taken over in full as his Forth Captain years ago. Eventually there would be others as the vampiric portion of the army grew larger still, but for now four were enough. As the four started to talk tactics, Kain grabbed both himself and Katrina new goblets of blood wine.

Kain allowed the conversation, idly touching her hips, bared back and wings, up until she had finished her drink and the moods of others within the room began to shift towards more... physical... pursuits. Instead of immediately pulling Katrina toward the throne however, he took their now empty goblets and passed them to a serving maid. He then pulled her toward the center of the room and the musicians playing changed their melody to a more slow, sensual tempo as he flicked a commanding claw their direction. He drew her into a slow waltz around the room and fairly purred in dark pleasure as she relaxed into him. After the first melody ended and a second, no less sultry, tone filled the air, others took it as a cue to draw their own partners into a dance, Vorador and Janos included. The scents of lust and desire began to fill the air in steady increments. Heady scents even for a full-blooded vampire who had consumed copious amounts of blood wine, let alone his Little One.

She leaned closer to him, nose lightly brushing against his neck as she took in his scent. He ducked his head to nip lightly at her ear, not truly a warning-bite but more of a demand for her to bare her own throat. She let out a soft sigh of breath even as she heeded that demand and he leaned down to take in her own, aroused, scent as he nuzzled her throat. He grinned darkly against her skin as his hands slid down to her hips. A subtle shift during the next turning step allowed him to press his groin firmly against her stomach and she arched at the touch, the front of her neck bared to him and wings arching away from her shoulders in a wanton display even as her eyes slid shut. He eased them away from the main crowd when those wings threatened to impact the other dancers and carefully led her up the steps that led to their thrones. He pulled her to sit on his lap, leather-covered legs spread on either side of his thighs as he sat upon his throne. He shifted the skirt of the dress, the slit of the dress allowing him to spread the cloth behind her, keeping her lower body hidden from the rest of the room but revealing to him the black silk undergarments she currently wore.

Her eyes widened at that and a small flicker of her usual crowd-shyness started to peak through the haze of need, blood wine and lust-perfumed air. Kain pulled her in close, groin to groin and pushed up firmly to distract her. There would be no escaping to their rooms this night. A low, guttural cry escaped her and she arched at the touch, wings flaring wide as she shuddered against him. He leaned forward to nose the top of the dress lower, exposing more of the upper curve of one breast even as he lifted her enough to both ease the silk garment aside and free his own burgeoning flesh. She twitched in his grasp, a brief struggle as she tried to push against the tide of desire and he sank fangs into her breast just as he pushed into her core. He let out a muffled growl both due to the tight heat that wrapped around him, clenching at him _far_ tighter then usual due to Torpor strengthened muscles whilst he forced himself deeper into that living warmth and due to the sweetness of her blood, always a refined vintage and now filled with a greater sense of power after the aforementioned slumber. She arched against him with a shuttered, bitten off, scream of pleasure whilst her legs tightened against his outer thighs.

~So very _tight_ mine own,~ he Whispered into her mind even as he continued to draw blood from her breast.

Her mental sendings were near to wordless and gave the sense of ' _wait_!' and _'room, you bastard_!'. After he had pulled near all the way out only to ram firmly back in several times, those sendings began to rapidly give the sense of ' _want_ ' and ' _more_ ' and ' _please_!' amongst the fading mental protestations whilst she started to rock back against him. He chuckled as he pulled his fangs from her breast and licked at the twin wounds as she healed. He lowered his hands to her waist and held himself still through sheer force of will beyond a few, reactionary thrusts of his hips. Instead, he focused on watching his Little Queen as she raised her hands to his shoulders and started to ride him, heedless now of the room around them even as the others within fell to their own wanton needs at their King and Queen's open display.

" _That's_ it mine Queen," Kain purred in a dark whisper as his eyes fell half shut whilst he watched her hungrily. Sating himself with a male lover could be pleasant indeed but to have something this sweet and responsive, trained willingly to tend both his needs and her own... he growled low. "Ride me, anoint me, _please_ _me_."

"K-Kain... _oh_! _Faster_ damn you..!" her cries of pleasure were sweet as a siren's song and he had to tighten his hands briefly on her hips to keep her from moving _too_ fast, from finding that peak _too_ quickly.

He wanted this to _last_. He had been waiting for this particular situation for quite some time after all, too long denied the chance at a public claiming, a blatant showing that _she. Was. His._

She let out a small snarl of breath at the restrictive hold but habit caused her to shift her grip on his shoulders so that she could find a rhythm of movement that was more acceptable. Hips began to shift and slid as she gyrated, impaled herself upon him and he let out a deep, rumbling growl of pleasure as those inner walls milked at his length with carefully cultivated skill. They continued like that, a slow and sensual pace, others within the room finding completion _long_ before he noticed that the extra strength behind the grip of her hands upon his shoulders would have broken any humans bones. Said pressure had built enough over time to elicit a dull ache that only fueled his desire when the thought of not needing to be _quite_ so gentle with her form as he had been passed through his mind. He licked his lips and let out a predatory hiss as he tightened his grip on her hips and forced her form down _hard_ , harder then he'd ever risked since his own Torpor as he'd had to maintain _just_ enough control to keep from causing true damage.

She arched with a wail of pained pleasure as the head of him knocked violently against her cervix, wings fanning wide, body clenching tight 'round him as she convulsed at the harsh impalement. Another pleased snarl escaped him and he forced her down harder and harder still in testing strokes. Her resilience in enduring such pleasant abuse had obviously risen as her cries of pleasure only grew louder and remained tinged with just the _edge_ of pain. Her body was now able to handle so much more and he took immediate advantage of such knowledge to plunder the tight core of her clenching body, forcing her to take his length at a slow yet viciously forceful pace that would have torn apart and _killed_ a human woman within moments.

She arched at his continued thrusts and tried to force herself down faster only to have her movements continued to be stoppered by his grip on her waist. A snarl escaped her, claws starting to scratch and dig more and more into the armored flesh of his shoulders the longer he kept her on that edge. The pain was nothing more to him then a spur to push her that much more, to wrench her head back by her hair and bare that sweetling throat. To stroke talon tips through durable feathers at the base of her wings in a gentle counter-point to the harsh claiming. To sink fangs into her partially exposed breast and feast upon lust-tinged blood. Her wings beat harshly at the air, one heavy beat even made her right wing catch against her own throne and caused the heavy stone-work to actually rock backwards from the force behind the blow.

Kain shifted his posture, leaning forward as he pulled his fangs free and forced her backwards to just that perfect angle of impalement that wrenched shrieks of pleasure out of her. Only once her mental sendings and that pert mouth had failed to form coherency beyond the mindless sense and sounds of ' _more_!' did he move faster, no longer teasing and drawing out the violent pleasure. He pounded harshly into her depths, deep enough to take him as if she had been made for him alone and the darkest, most animalistic and distinctly male side of his instincts that had _nothing_ to do with being a vampire, wanted to plunge deeper still, to open and stretch and _break_ into her womb, to leave his seed so deep within her that she would be leaking his essence for _weeks_. Later Torpors would bring more changes to his entire body, might well give him the length needed to do so, to have _need_ for the opening spells he already knew, but for now the mere _thought_ of such an act, such a claiming... to own even that part of her, to find out if it really _was_ possible to Quicken her, even though the thought itself was unreasonable what with how _long_ he had been a vampire, was enough to cause him to draw up, to send him roaring over the edge with his head thrown back. The violent sensation of him spending himself within his Little Queen was just enough to send her over the edge along with him and her own roaring cry of release echoed his and filled the room as her legs, her wings, hells, her entire body, tightened and bucked around him, milking him for every drop of seed as her body tightened like a vise around his length.

She fell forward against him with a shuddering groan once he released her hair and she started nuzzling, nipping and licking at his neck as her limbs fell limp with pleasure. He let out a deep, sub-harmonic rumble that echoed through the room as he leaned languidly back in his throne. He kept one arm around her waist as he rested his other on the arm of the throne and he looked up slowly, eyes half-lidded with pleasure and a deep sense of entitled power suffused him as he gazed around the room. Most had fallen to their own lusts, Vorador himself had laid full claim to the nubile human that had been on his arm, now a fledgling Bride for him to tame. A handful of vampires, and humans, had been unable to turn away from their royal coupling and of that handful a few eyes did not turn from his piercing gaze, instead eyeing the form that rested, still impaled, upon his lap. He bared fangs faintly as he flared his aura and all but two immediately looked away. He made a mental note to deal with those two particular human whelps later.

There was always _someone_ who needed to be forcefully made aware of their place in the world...

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

The two centuries following that celebratory event were just as fraught with dangers and politics as the previous years. Kain and I were comfortable with each other, each of us content with the other and those few who were allowed to join us such as Alma. This by no means meant we had a _perfect_ relationship. Even spending four-hundred years with a person _did not_ equate to a lack of arguments, misunderstandings and angry words. While we did not fight _often_ , the results were often described by my 'Brother' as 'awe inspiring' when the dust had cleared.

At one point, after a fight concerning human/cattle rights and restrictions, we even ended with both us on opposite ends of the Western lands; Kain at his estate in Coorhagen to the North, myself at an estate he had commissioned for me in Meridian to the South with the two of us communicating tactics and battle plans through horse-messenger.

 _That_ poor human soul put up well with our dark moods, delivering messages swiftly despite his fear of us both and was both promoted and turned once our moods had abated and we were once more on speaking terms.

Good messengers could be hard to find...

Vorador was again the Sire as for some reason as Janos simply did not want to have more fledglings of his own running about. He never did explain 'why' and Vorador was not one to explain our Sire's thoughts on the matter. I knew Janos had made more the one Childe, Vorador had merely been the Eldest, the 'first born', as such it was likely that Janos had simply given up on making more Childeren due to all the previous losses he had faced. That he had 'adopted' me so readily was... curious, when one put much thought behind it. It didn't help that one could often find Janos in a state of melancholy that only Vorador, Nikolai or I, myself, could pull him from. I worried for the Eldar and shared my fear for his mental health with Kain as the careful experiments on the Path Stone proved more and more fruitful regarding safe travel back to Nosgoth, as well as the idea that, if my world proved safe enough, Janos and Nikolai should make a permanent move.

"It may do him well to potentially be around other winged vampires again if they prove trustworthy," I said to him one night after one of Vorador's ravens safely made it back to Nosgoth and we were alone again in our room. "To be away from here. Janos' faith is beginning to wane and I wonder if he hasn't figured out, or perhaps somehow overheard us, about the parasite..."

"He may well have," Kain answered with a small rumble of noise as he removed his armor. "He is a grown man however and can hold his own council."

"Even grown men can fall to depression and need help," I said with a frown.

"I do not question that he is in a rut, Dear Katrina," he said with a shake of his head. "Merely that poking and prodding at the Eldar will not help things. Still, your idea to send him to your home realm has merit. Him, Nikolai, Vorador and Alma at the least."

"At the least?" I asked as I set aside my own greaves. "And why Alma? Vorador I understand in part, Janos would do well with his Childe nearby and you would do well with Vorador out of your hair..."

"..." Kain was silent for several long moments and when I looked up at him I realized that his expression was decidedly _pensive_. "We have a rough idea now, due to the Chronoplst, of how long you will be gone from Nosgoth. We have no way yet of knowing how much time will pass for _you_. I would not leave you without someone I might trust at your side to tend your needs. Alma... has proven trustworthy."

"Kain..." I frowned faintly and moved to his side to run fingers through his hair. He closed his talons lightly on my hips and pulled me closer.

It was the first time that this had really, seriously been brought up. His words amounted to 'I will miss you' and 'I will worry about your safety' when one translated his usual speech habits. Being one of those 'tough guys' meant you had to oft read between the lines of his spoken words or judge him instead by his actions.

"What of _you_?" I murmured softly as I let my wings wrap around him.

"I need no other female in my bed," he rumbled softly, "and very few males can catch mine eye."

"But you _will_ look," I stated, _ordered_ , more then asked, as I scratched claws lightly across the back of his neck. I did not make demands of Kain often, but this... "you are a horny bastard and _will_ find a male of talent to tend your own needs while I am gone."

I had a thought as to whom he might choose, but did not voice it. He tilted his head as he looked at me with those blue-gold eyes of his and he then nodded his head once.

"As you wish mine Queen," he purred as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to my lips. "As you wish."

End chappie!


	41. There's no place like Home ?

Chapter Forty-one: There's no place like Home... ?

Modified reference to Taken in this chap. You'll know it when you see it. :-)

Anyway! On to Gaia/Earth with this chapter!

Thank you again for the reviews Jess and Strife VII! I am glad you are enjoying the story!

Also, side note I am referencing two schools that actually exist in Las Vegas and Henderson NV. I do not know the relationships between said schools for sports or anything else. I did research into the schools of the area and picked from there as far as distance and other factors for character background. I am originally from the southern parts of CA and currently live in WA. I do not know the actual relations, amicable or otherwise, for the students of these schools.

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

Janos and Vorador had worked out a way to safely bring a person, or persons, back to Nosgoth using the Path Stone by using Vorador's ravens as test subjects; pieces of the Pillar of Dimension, carefully runed so that the traveler who activated it would be brought to the place where the Path Stone in Nosgoth lay active and pulsing with magic. We had just had a nervous bit of waiting while Nikolai popped onto Gaia and back. I'd told him to look for anything like a newspaper, and then had to describe it for him briefly. Nosgoth hadn't yet developed paper and still used parchment so the thought of finding a newspaper easily on a street corner was a bit bizzare. I put that on my list of things to study during my soon to be forced vacation.

 _After_ we killed Auron, that is.

I looked over the newspaper, something that did not feel like it was made of actual paper and had what looked to be a small computer chip at one corner, that Nikolai had brought back through. I had been strangely eager for news of my home world despite the worry I also felt for my friend. I laughed outright when I saw the main headline praising solar roadways and how they had 'finally' finished the last bit of road installation within the U.S. and as well as more improvements that had been made world-wide regarding health care and transportation. There was even an interesting image of a electric motorcycle. I turned it over to the blank back and when I turned it back around 'page 2' had appeared. Despite the bizarreness of that, my breath hitched in my throat as I saw a photo of my parents and myself as an infant along with a photo of my college badge at eighteen with me smiling happily. I'd been so excited about getting into the college I'd wanted. I hesitantly reached out to touch the image as my jaw clenched tight, my curiosity at the new tech forgotten as memories flooded to the fore. Downside of being vampiricly inclined; you did not truly forget anything. You just pushed it aside and buried it away for later.

"What is it Childe?" Janos asked as he leaned close, noting my unease from the sudden twitch of my wings.

"That's... _my parents_... and _me_ as a babe..." I pointed at the two photos, "and this is my college school photo. Why am I...?"

I shook my head and focused on the article itself as I read aloud.

"'One hundred and twenty-five years ago the vampire society that had been living in the shadows of our world revealed itself. Despite the rough transitional period as our societies meshed and unified around the world, the progress we have made as a society has been completed in leaps and bounds as age old historians and scientists came forth to share their brilliant minds with us once more. Today, June sixteenth of twenty-one-fifty-seven, we celebrate the Unveiling.

Yet this day is also filled with sorrow. Altair, the long standing King of the Draconian vampire Clan, has called upon us all once more. From Breed to Blood, Human to Half-blood he asks us to share any information on one of the missing daughters of the sky. Early before dawn's light, on this the anniversary day of the Unveiling and also the same date their kinswoman went missing, he called for a rally and said this to reporters;

'The gift of a child born and not made is a rare event even when one is dealing with a newly made vampire. For those of us who have reached a thousand years or more it is thought to be nigh on impossible. And yet there was a true miracle.

Calder Eklund,'" I let out a faint, choked noise as I tripped over the name of my father but cleared my throat swiftly and continued to read, "'was my right hand, my Captain and had been so for over a thousand years. He had found love and received a blessing in a born child as a result. Too soon was he stripped away from his family, dying in the line of duty to protect his Lord's family. My family. Respecting our most ancient of laws, his daughter was to be raised as a human until her thirtieth year and, outside of an emergency, only then would she have been offered the chance to Awaken her Vampiric blood.

Instead she was taken in the night and has been missing for one hundred and fifty-two years to the day. The magic of our clan usually allows us to track one of our own if they go missing. Yet this magic has failed us time and again when trying to find our missing kinswoman. We have failed her as her clan. I have failed her as her father's liege-lord. We know she lives, for the magic crystal is still active, still searches for her and even fluctuated briefly two years ago to the point where we thought she might have perished, yet the magic stabilized. Even with that, we have been unable to pinpoint her location. Spell-smiths the world over have been working to try to counter the magic that hides her from us to no success.

If any of you have information that may aid us in recovering our lost daughter of the skies then please contact us.

If you are the one hiding her, then know that your days are numbered. Even were she returned to us undamaged at this point, you will still suffer for your crime. My clan has existed for over five thousand years and in that time we have, all of us, developed a particular set of skills. Skills that make us a nightmare for people like you. We will find you and we will kill you for this transgression against our kinswoman. There will be no forgiveness for you.

Lastly, if there is any chance at all that you are reading this or hearing this, do not give up Katrina Eklund, daughter of my dearest friend. We are still looking for you even now. Hold strong as the Oak Grove your family is named for. Hold to Hope. We will find you.'"

I slumped down into the chair next to me as I looked over the photos again, not really taking notice of the few tears that had started down my cheeks. Kain reached out to brush the back of his taloned claws against the side of my neck in a soothing gesture that made me start slightly and I rubbed at my face.

"'Eklund' is your family name I take it?" Vorador said from where he stood, idly rolling a small ink pot between his taloned fingers. Janos's wings twitched with worry as he watched me and Nikolai moved over to sooth his lover's wings, though he, too, shot me a concerned look.

"Yes, it is, though I have never had cause to use it while here. What would be the point? I... I can't believe it though. They are still trying to _find_ me?" I shook my head. "Fuck, shit and damnation, but _I_ would have given up on me after a hundred and fifty-two years. That they still search for me. This is... a little overwhelming. I had thought to arrive forgotten, not yet sought out for _rescue_ of all things."

"That tracking spell of theirs gave them the knowledge that you were still alive and, even once you were transported here, apparently that magic yet works," Kain said thoughtfully. "That they still look for you may mean also mean that we will have allies to help us in our hunt."

"If one of my own Childe went missing without word and I had such a spell, I would not rest 'til I found my Childe again," Vorador said suddenly. His voice went dark and cold as ice as he set the ink pot he had been playing with down. "If the crystal failed I still would not stop until I had found the responsible party and had my vengeance."

I let out a bitter laugh as I looked at the photo again. "For the first time I actually _want_ to go back, if only to let them know them know that I have been safe and sound here on Nosgoth. Sentimental of me perhaps but... better that they know to stop looking for me. Still... one hundred and fifty-two years? I have been here just over four hundred now. How long were you there by your perception Nikolai? You were gone over for three hours to us."

"Three hours?" Nikolai shook his head as he suddenly understood Janos' initial outburst of 'finally!' when he had reappeared. "It was barely a few minutes, if even that. I appeared in an alleyway, grabbed what best matched the item you described and then activated the Pillar piece immediately after."

"That's..." I frowned slightly and then twitched when Vorador idly knocked over the ink pot he had been fiddling with. I barely caught it before it could hit the ground... with the Telekensis Gift I had recently developed in the past few months. Janos said that my new Gift carried the taste of _Kain's_ magic, which meant I'd gained the Gift from him after centuries of us feeding off each other. I shot Vorador a dark look as I put the ink pot back and then continued my train of thought. "The math for that doesn't add up. The article said there was a fluctuation in the crystals magic two years ago for them, almost as if the crystal lost track of me for a few. If that fluctuation heralded my arrival here, then that means four-hundred and two years here would be equal to two years there, or two-hundred and one years here for every one year there... you... I'm no math expert, but you should have been gone a _hell_ of a lot longer then three hours..."

"Time may not pass at an exact rate between the two realms, my Childe," Janos said as he gave my shoulder a pat. "Remember that the only way for Auron to communicate with the Sarafan lord the way he did was for both Stones to be active. This would have created a temporal link despite the distance between realms. Our own usage of the Stone has been carefully worked to ensure that we do not connect with his own."

"Right... wouldn't do any good to land right in a trap," I let out a faint sigh.

"Even with all of our planning, that may yet be the scenario we needs must plan for mine own," Kain rumbled in a firm tone.

I nodded my head at his words.

"I have everything packed that I might need," I gave the expanded satchel at my waist a pat as I stood. I raised a brow at Kain. "Did you decide what weapon you'll be bringing? You said you would be leaving the Soul Reaver here."

"Correct. I will not risk anything happening to the blade," he replied and he looked me over with a small scowl. Translation of that look?; 'I would prefer not to risk _you_ , either, but needs must.' He continued a moment later. "Havoc and Malice will suit me well enough in the Reaver's stead."

I let out a soft snort at that. Kain only grabbed the twin axes when he wanted to watch something burn. He wasn't as much of a pyro as myself, as my own short sword was a testament to. It could do the same as either of the axes; at my will it burst into flame... which made me a _teeny tiny bit_ giggly on occasion. It was a gift from Vorador, something he had made for me shortly after my Torpor. I'd named it Kindness, both to annoy Vorador as well as to say that I killed my enemies with kindness.

 _Silly_ , I know... but I always tried to find humor in the small things. Kain could oft find me doing something a simple as basking in the sun or moon light, people-watching or even just watching various animals during spring and summer.

"Do we need anything else?" I asked softly.

Kain had wanted to leave as soon as the method of travel was proven safe. With that being said, we both had carefully runed necklaces with what looked to be simple charms made from the Dimensional Pillar. The 'charms' would ensure that he was pulled back to our activated Stone immediately while I would return later on. Once Kain returned to Nosgoth he would keep the Nosgothian Path Stone inert until it was safe for me to return, which would give me time to learn about certain things on Gaia in order to help Nosgoth 's restoration.

If things went as pla... Vorador knocked over the ink pot again and I snarled at him even as my thoughts derailed, yet I caught it once more with my new Gift.

"Do you mind?" I snarled. "Quit that!"

"Make me," Vorador said with a smirk.

Kain shook his head at our antics even as he pulled his axes from his magical storage space and attached them to his belt. I'd managed to convince him to wear a simple black silk shirt and had my wings drawn in so that we would be able to blend into any crowds that might be nearby when we appeared. Other then that he wore his usual armor, minus the pauldrons he'd abandoned a number of years ago thanks to the tough sub-dermal armor that protected him. I wore my usual leather armor but had it covered with a loose top and my cargo-style pants. We wouldn't stand out too badly dressed as we were.

"Let us deal with the trash that threatens you. I would put an end to him once and for all," Kain said with a smile that was all fang and death. I returned the smile with my own dark grin.

Our farewells to the others were brief, Janos and Vorador would hold the fort while Kain was gone. Hopefully this would not take too long on either side of the dimensions, but we had spread the rumor about that Kain and I were simply going on a well deserved holiday away from everyone. Woe be to anyone who caused trouble during Kain's absence.

Janos placed his taloned hand on the Path Stone and activated its' magics. A portal similar to the one that Janos himself had used to escape the Hylden's prison realm opened, only this was a blue and green portal that seemed vibrant with life instead of sickly in coloration. I kept one hand on the hilt of my sword and tucked the other into the bend of Kain's offered arm. The perfect image of a couple going on a stroll... other then the weapons of course.

We stepped into the portal and everything twisted, shivered around us. For a brief moment I felt equally as if I were about to be ill, as I did when I had imbued my Mark _and_ as I did when I was first able to fly free in the skies of Nosgoth. Beneath all that was a strange sense of 'welcome home...' and 'stay as long as you need...'. It was a perplexing sensation that lasted all of an instant before we stepped onto the concrete ground of an alleyway.

Kain sneezed violently beside me and held a hand up to cover his nose briefly.

My own nose crinkled at the scents that filled the air. Yet... it did not smell as _bad_ as I'd feared. Cars had never been my favorite things what with the foul smelling exhaust, but that scent in the air was far less then what I had been expecting given enhanced senses. The worst of the scent came primarily from the reek of booze, piss and vomit from a human that was passed out nearby. I gave a small tug to Kain's arm and we moved swiftly out of the dark alley and onto the main sidewalk.

Into a subdued neon brightness that lit up the night with a soft glow.

The roads glowed faintly with neon light. The roads themselves were formed out of hexagon shaped... blocks perhaps? I knew that there were solar panels of some sort within thanks to the article but the intricacies... another thing to look into to slake my curiosity. LED lights made orange lines across the road and clearly marked the different lanes as cars of various styles, most not releasing the scent of exhaust, went back and forth as the people within went about their business. Kain stiffened beside me as he slowly looked around and I gave his arm a small squeeze as I tugged him into walking with me along the side walk. He kept pace with me easily but I could scent his unease. He spoke after several minutes of walking in silence as I looked at street signs and tried to see if I could figure out where on Gaia we were.

"Your descriptions of this world... seem to have been somewhat lacking," he murmured softly.

"Things changed," I responded in an equally soft tone. "I described and drew what I remembered from before my capture. There were new technological advancements practically every year even before then. I _did_ say that things might have progressed to where some items might be somewhat unrecognizable even to me."

"You did at that," he said as he eyed the sleek looking cars on the road warily. "I find myself surprised that no one kills themselves with those fast moving contraptions."

"Mmm? The cars?" I followed his gaze and then chuckled. "Unless they have cured _stupidity_ at some point, people do kill themselves by crashing into each other or buildings or trees. Drunk driving and lack of knowing how to drive in poor weather conditions were some of the primary causes for such deaths in my youth. I don't imagine that has much changed."

We came to a halt at a four way street and I found myself surprised at my automatic response in stopping. It had been so long since I had walked like this and yet those old instincts to check the roads were still there. I shook my head in amusement and then looked at the street signs... and promptly stiffened in shock. Kain noticed my sudden tensing and raised a brow at me. I looked at him.

"I believe... I know where we might be. Let's get a little further into the city first," I said.

He nodded and I started us further down the path. I came to a halt when we came to the corner of Erie Ave and Bermuda Road. Things were different, the buildings more advanced but... I led us left down Bermuda Road and we continued again for several more moments. At some point I came to a halt and stopped in front of a series of buildings as I let go of Kain's arm. A gated fence now surrounded the buildings and the parking lot. As it was late, the buildings and lot were empty and thus there was only the faintest amount of light from the street lamps. Within I could see many more buildings had been added at one point, but what stood out for me was the rounded building that still had the U.S. flag painted on it. I smirked and then shook my head with a laugh. Kain tilted his head at me.

"What do you find humorous?" he asked.

"Remember how I told you about schools? This is one," I nodded my head at the buildings. "Liberty High School, home of the Patriots."

The school name and mascot names were said with a minor amount of amusement and faintly remembered disdain.

"Not _your_ school from your tone I take it?" Kain said with a raised brow. "You did explain 'school rivalries' at one point."

"Yeah, this wasn't my high school. I went to Chaparral, home of the Cow-boys and -girls," I jerked my thumb North-ward. "It's about ten and a half miles North of here if it still stands. But seeing this school... I know where we are now; Henderson, Nevada. Las Vegas, my home city, is just to the North of us."

"That is good to hear," I saw him relax faintly.

That we now had our bearings, even if we still had no true idea of where Auron was, _both_ of us were able to relax slightly. We weren't in the middle of no-where and neither of us had wanted to stop to talk to any of the people walking around on the streets. Both of us were uncomfortable, even if this was my home world... things had changed quite a bit. Everything was more advanced.

"We can head North if you'd like, closer to where I lived," I said softly as I glanced back at the school buildings. "I don't know if you want to wait and see if that crystal responds to my being back on Gaia and be found by the Draconian's..."

"A good a plan as any at this point. They may prove helpful," he said with a nod. "Are you able...?"

"Excuse me," a kindly voice interrupted Kain and we both turned to face the male human that approached us. A cop who looked to be in his forties, though if we were still on Nosgoth I'd have guessed younger. I had no idea what the current lifespan for humans was now for Gaia. I'd already advised Kain to be mindful of Gaia's 'constables' and their duties, we didn't need any immediate trouble. The cops hands rested lightly on his belt but in easy reach of the stun gun, and odd looking gun, holstered on his hip. "Don't mean to bother you, but I do need to stop the pair of you and ask about those weapons."

"We aren't carrying concealed," I said as I patted the hilt of my sword lightly. Kain stayed silent next to me but I could feel his disdain at the humans interruption.

"They are real then? Ah," the human started faintly when Kain crossed his arms suddenly in his annoyance and made an idle claw sharpening motion. The human then nodded his head faintly in Kain's direction as he shifted warily. "Of _course_ they're real. My apologies, vampires don't have a habit of carrying fake weapons like some of the human cos-players. I just needed to see if they were real and ask that you not cause any problems. If you're hunting a rogue though, I'll need to see a permit."

Kain and I shared a mildly confused look before I turned back to the officer with a shake of my head.

"We aren't intending to cause problems. These are just a bit of protection as we pass through the area," I said in a reassuring tone.

"Good to hear," the officer nodded his head.

"You are not... afraid?" Kain asked suddenly as he held up one taloned hand.

"No sir," the human said with a small smile. "Like most officers these days, I'm partnered with a vampire cop. He's a bit old fashioned, but Jon's a decent sort. Has talons like yours. Actually does the same thing when he's upset about something."

The officer mimicked the sharpening gesture Kain had made and I had to smile faintly. Kain let out a huff of breath a my amusement. I sent out a small, testing pulse of Aura energy to get a sense of the immediate area, no further, and then tilted my head.

"Where is your partner then?" I asked. "I don't sense anyone nearby."

The officer jerked a thumb east-ward.

"Jon needed to feed. He's visiting the nearby Red Cross blood donation center," he said. "If you're new to the area and need a bite to eat, pardon the pun, just head about a mile that way. Just remember to look for the Red Cross symbol that's emblazoned on a set of wings. They'll have chilled blood packs for you if you're in a hurry and often have willing donors milling about inside. Mind ya, don't take offered blood of anyone hanging around _outside_ of the center. We've been having some issues with blood junkies lately."

"'Blood junkies'...?" Kain asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah, like adrenaline junkies but they go after that euphoric buzz caused by a vampire's bite," the officer shrugged. "More fatalities with blood junkies too 'cause the idiots keep offering blood beyond what's healthy just to get that buzz. Bad too when they start hovering around the centers like they've been the past few weeks, because if they get themselves killed then we have to pull in the big guys to make sure it's not a case of a vamp gone rogue if the vamp who was offered the blood _bolts_ thinking that they lost control and drained more then they meant to. A bit of a headache, that."

"Well..." I blinked at that, not surprised as I reached up and gave my braid a small thoughtful tug, mindful of the currently non-lethal spikes. We had actually started to run into a _similar_ issue in Nosgoth over the past few decades. I'd worked with Vorador and our Sire to make jewelry that would glow red when a willing donor was health enough to survive a feeding or blue if they were still recovering or ill. I wondered briefly why they hadn't thought to do the same thing here? Or perhaps they _had_ but only those _within_ the centers wore them? "Thank you for the warning. We will keep that in mind."

"Right then," the officer nodded his head and he offered a tight-lipped smile that didn't bare teeth. If he spent a decent amount of time around vampires the he'd gotten into _that_ habit to avoid misunderstandings. "I'll leave you folks to it. Take care now."

I offered a thankful nod to the officer as he walked away and shook my head slowly as I looked back at Kain.

"That was a good bit of information," I said thoughtfully. "Not surprising that the police force is partnering officers like that since this 'Unveiling' occurred."

"Indeed, that your world's society seems so accepting of it is... strange," he frowned as he watched the officer walk off and then he started walking again, headed North. "A by-product of the education system you spoke of?"

"Possibly, the more you understand something, the less you fear it," I responded with a shrug. "The article _did_ allude to the fact that things did not go smoothly during the first days after the Unveiling. How violent things went, or didn't, may have had to do with how vampires were revealed as more then myth to the general public. Did they do it preemptively before technological advancements would have forced the issue or was it a sudden incident caught in a way that could not be denied? Controlling how the information was _released_ to the public would have made a hell of a difference regarding human reactions. The fact that there are blood banks tailored to suit vampiric needs makes me think that vampires took the initiative though."

"True enough," Kain said with a thoughtful nod. "Controlling the release of knowledge can have as much benefit as obtaining said knowledge in the first place. When one holds all the cards, one cannot have the deck stacked against them."

"It helps that a lot of old vampiric books rather romanticized the 'vampire myth'," I said with a chuckle. "To find out that a vampire's bite _can indeed_ be orgasmic? Probably made a _lot_ of people more excited about the prospect of vampires being real then cared to admit it."

Kain let out a snort of amusement, "You have always said that a healthy herd is a docile herd. I wonder if the humans here are even aware of the yolk that hangs around their necks."

 _Always about the potential power-plays with him,_ I thought in amusement even as I spoke. "If vampires are _indeed_ running things in the background, they'll be doing it in a way that gives humans the illusion that they are in control. It may be more of a Democracy though."

Kain snorted at that, "I doubt that mine own. This Draconian Clan is led by a proclaimed King, is it not?"

"Doesn't mean that everything in the world is under his control," I responded with a grin as I waved my hand. "Keep in mind how many world leaders I knew of at the time of my capture. That lot got together in various meetings on occasion to make sure certain policies were held true the world over. Head of State meetings like that are essentially negotiations between different kingdoms and the Draconian King may just be one more face at those meetings, not in control of them."

"Hnnn," the noise he made was thoughtful and we continued walking in companionable silence.

Vampiric stamina meant that we did not need to stop and rest as we made the ten and a half mile walk to where my old home was. Had Kain been the gawking type, he would have been staring blatantly at all the brightly lit casinos as we entered Las Vegas proper. As it was he merely raised a brow and looked about with his usual aloofness even though I could sense his unease with how active, bright and noisy the city was. At one point we stopped at a cross-walk to wait for traffic to change. A woman was also waiting to cross, dressed in a gothic style that still seemed popular, or had made a resurgence. She offered a small nod in our direction and the her nose crinkled as two motorcyclists came to a stop next to us at the light. Both without helmets. One looked me over blatantly and let out a wolf-whistle as he ignored Kain and the fact that I had my hand tucked into the curve of my Mate's arm.

"Heya baby, you want me to show you a good time?" the man said with a leer and a distinctly Texan drawl. His buddy laughed next to him and was eyeing the other woman but without the leer. "Bet the dried up bastard next ta ya can't even get it up. Ain't ya supposed to be _old hat_ by the time ya get those things?"

The human raised his hand and made a mocking gesture as if he had talons like Kain's. Kain stiffened next to me and a low rumble started in his chest. I tightened my grip on his arm slightly and offered the human a smile that was all fang as I nodded toward the woman next to me.

" _Deary_ ," I said as I did my best to mimic Alma's cold drawl. "If I wanted to have sex with another _woman_ , I'd have asked the lady next to me."

Kain blinked and the low rumble stuttered in his chest. It didn't fade completely, but it was obvious that he was a bit confused at the verbal by-play. The one who was talking to me let out a human-weak growl even as his buddy laughed.

"Talk about a _burn_ there mate!" the other man said with an Australian twang as he whooped with laughter. "Need me to call an ambo?"

"Shut _up_ ," the first on said as he kicked at the others leg, to no effect, before he turned back to me. He offered a dark grin as he eyed the sword at my hip. His eyes lit up with what was bound to be another horrible pick up line. "Ya like swords? I can show you a _real_ one."

I snorted and both Kain and the woman next to us echoed the sound. I shook my head as I spoke, "I am sure that your skill as a cunning linguist is equal to that of a _teething babe._ If your feeble mind failed to understand that by the by, I do mean that you have no skill, nor ' _sword_ ', of any great merit."

The Australian burst into whooping laughter and damn near fell off his bike. The woman beside me laughed merrily into her hand and Kain coughed into his own as he smirked. The Texan male snarled, revved his engine and then made a sharp right turn, cutting off someone who was making a light-approved left. The sharp sounding horn made both Kain and I wince. The Australian face-palmed even as he continued to laugh.

"Sorry about that, bit of a runnin' bet with him this evening to see if he can manage to pick up a nice sheila with his horrid pick up lines," the male said as his laughter faded enough for him to talk. "You're the _tenth_ to turn him down."

"Perhaps he should take that into consideration and modify his practices then," the woman next to us said with a muted valley-girl accent. "That or tuck tail and go home."

"Yup," the man nodded his head. "If you'll excuse me sheila's, sir, I'm going to try to keep that daft dingo from getting himself killed. G'day."

The light turned green and he made a safe right turn to follow after his buddy at high speed. I flinched and shook my head as I yelled after him.

"Helmet!"

"Vampire!" came the answering shout and I blinked.

I hadn't even _thought_ to do an Aura pulse, the male could still have passed for human at first glance. Half-blood? I did let loose a soft pulse and the woman raised a brow at me even as I looked at her as my own brow raised.

"Bit rude that," she said with a small smile that showed a _hint_ of fang. "Not from here I take it?"

"We are passing through at the moment," Kain said with a soft rumble. "Are all human males in this city as... _crude_ as that fool?"

"Some more then most," the woman said with a shake of her head as we crossed the street as a group. "Most are all bark and no bite like that one."

"Is Winterwood Park still open?" I asked after a few moments of silence, suddenly feeling nostalgic.

She looked back at me with a raised brow and then nodded her head.

"It was expanded a _long_ time ago actually. Nice little oasis park now," she tilted her head. "Been a while since you've been here, eh?"

"A bit," I said vaguely.

Her eyes narrowed on me and she frowned in confusion even as a faint flicker of almost recognition flashed in her eyes. I kept my expression carefully neutral. She shook her head and shrugged a minute later as she stopped at the next light and pressed the button to cross the main road...

"You two take care," she said as we continued to cross as the way was still clear for us to cross. "Fair nights and good hunting."

"To you as well," Kain said smoothly. Once we were out of ear shot he spoke softly. "I believe she almost recognized you from that... _newspaper_ image."

"Most likely," I answered as I frowned. "Indulge me?"

"It is your world mine own," he rumbled soothingly. "We have the time if you wish to visit old memories."

I nodded and steered us in the direction of the park I had mentioned. The city noise quieted as we distanced ourselves from the main streets. We came across and passed my old school. I eyed a few spots that had changed, places that had been fast food joints where I had hung out with old school mates, a place that had been a library and had been turned into a museum at some point. Many things were the same, only with newer paint or newer materials and I found myself lost in the more pleasant memories of my childhood. We stopped at the park and I blinked in surprise before we started in.

It was indeed changed to look like a brilliant oasis-styled park.

Palm trees were spaced randomly through the park, giving it a more natural feel then the palm tree lined streets. Instead of grass, a bed a clover had been laid out and the soft plant crinkled pleasantly underfoot. I remembered that clover was easier to tend to then grass and, depending on the type of clover, it could survive some of the hottest Nevada days with just a little bit of tending. As we moved deeper into the park I took note of the fact that several spots looked the same. Even an old stone bench still stood under one large palm tree, worn even further by the elements then it had been in my youth. Kain gave my arm a tug as I ran my fingers over the time worn stone and drew my attention to the now enlarged pond nearby. My eyes widened and, had I not had centuries of practice maintaining a calm expression due to both courtly and battle-time duties, my jaw would have dropped in shock.

In the center of the large pond... was a statue of _me_... or what _looked_ like me when I was yet eighteen.

I let go of Kain's arm and approached the pond as I looked the statue over. I had been fit in my youth but the statue had captured that still somewhat gangly aspect of those younger years. Muscles that had not filled out yet, a body that was still in the stages of that last growth spurt. As it was, I knew that I looked harder then that young image caught in stone, years of battle and activity had shaped me into a sleek hunter, a 'stiletto blade' as Kain had called me. One thing remained almost the same though; my smile. The stone mason had used an image of me taken by friends after I had managed to get approved for the college I'd wanted. I'd been in my usual cargo pants, a loose shirt and my old zip-up hoodie. My friends had snapped a picture when I had been smiling and turning to walk backwards at the same time. My smile had been happy, nervous and just a tiny bit predatory as we had been joking about my taking over the college library and just how I would 'maintain iron control over the wisdom of the ages held within'. The stone mason had caught all of that, from the twist of my hips as I'd been turning to the flick of my hand as I _had_ been in the process of flipping one of my friends off. The photo actually made it look like I'd been turning to hold out my hand to someone, not about make a rude gesture, and the statue captured that instant _just_ before insult perfectly.

A well tended gold plaque was embedded in the base of the statue and I blinked as I read it over.

"Well..." I said as I tilted my head. "They turned the park into a memorial park... for _me_. That's... _nice_... I suppose? I mean it is... pretty damned accurate. I even know what photo they used..."

"Interesting at the least," he tilted his head as he looked the well-tended statue over. "This is accurate? You look so... young."

"Clueless more like," I said with a hint of bitterness. "I only knew about the human dangers of this world at that point... lesson learned..."

He reached out to run the backs of his talons down my shirt covered back. I eased into the touch as his hand settled against the base of my back. His Aura brushed against mine in a soothing wave and I relaxed a little more, shoulders no longer so tense as I looked over the statue.

"You still have the same impishly shy smile," Kain said with a bit of amused pride in his voice. "Life's lessons did not break you."

"Here or on Nosgoth," I said.

I rolled my shoulders and started to say something else when the sound of wing-beats, _heavy_ wing-beats, filled the air. Kain and I were instantly back to back with weapons drawn and held ready as we looked skyward. Ten winged vampires, seven with taloned hands and swords, three with human-looking hands and guns that looked like Colts but... _weird_ , landed around us nary a second later. One of the younger looking males with human-looking hands stepped forward with a snarl that reverberated through the air.

"Get the hell away from her now!" he roared, his ire and gun both directed firmly at _Kain_.

 _Fuck, Shit and Damnation!_

End chappy!


	42. Hear no Evil

Chapter Forty-two: Hear no Evil...

Thank you again for the kind reviews! I am so happy that the story is being enjoyed!

Thank you as well to AssassinAngel92 for the kind review!

Here we go!

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

My shoulder shifted against Kain's and we moved as one in instinctive steps born of centuries of fighting back to back on the battlefield together. Kain growled faintly as the rotating movement I had initiated put me between him and that raised near-Colt that had been aimed for his heart. I bared my fangs in warning and pushed my Aura toward the winged vampire in front of me that held the gun. My Aura still wasn't as strong as Kain's, never would be given the extreme age difference that would face us by the time I returned to Nosgoth, but I had gotten better at stream-lining my Aura in order to focus it on a single person and enforce my rank.

"Drop the gun," I said in a low and commanding tone of voice that would normally have had my soldiers back on Nosgoth wondering what the _hell_ they'd just done to piss me off. The press of my Aura combined with the tone would usually send my men to one knee with their necks bared.

The gun did waver briefly at both tone and Aura, but was raised moments later to aim over my shoulder at the back of Kain's head since the male no longer had clear aim at my Mate's chest. The other nine vampires had their hands on their own respective weapons, swords drawn and held loose at their sides or guns held low, muzzles pointed at the ground. Each looked ready to move in an instant of blinding speed, yet they waited and made no direct move as they watched us. I had the sense that the young looking vampire, half-blooded like myself most like given his hands, was older then he looked. They all seemed to be following his lead and there was also the sense of age behind his anger filled Aura. He felt older then I but younger then Kain. I half lowered my blade and held out my hand with a calming pat at the air even as I shifted my Aura to give off a more calming press of power as if I were trying to calm a fellow vampire that had ended up trapped in a rage-state or fear-state due to injury or incident.

"Drop the gun," I said in a soothing, yet still commanding, tone.

One of the others spoke up instead of the half-blood in front of me. A low growl filled the male's tone. This one had a British accent. I wondered briefly how many accents would be represented in this small group alone but pushed the thought away.

"You were stolen in the middle of the night and have been missing for over one hundred and fifty years," the male with the British accent growled out. "If this man is in _anyway_ aligned with the ones who took you..."

"Do _not_ insult my intelligence!" I bit out with a growl even as I kept my gaze locked on the male in front of me. "Do you truly think I would travel with one who _harmed_ me?!"

"We do not mean any insult," one of the female's said in a soothing tone. Canadian accent for her. "Merely that we worry for your state of mind. If your mind was broken, you would know not..."

Kain cut the female off with a snarling exhale of breath and I could see him pointing Malice at the woman out the corner of my eye.

"She has survived horrors you could not _begin_ to imagine with her mind and will intact," Kain said with a low, threatening growl. "Do not speak of things you know nothing about as if you know her. _You do not._ "

One of the other human-handed vampires visibly twitched, his wings flaring at Kain's voice, but otherwise the male made no other move. I shifted just enough to bring that particular male more into my line of sight without looking away from the one with the raised gun and again Kain shifted with me to keep my back covered. I did not want to miss seeing any sudden moves from a twitchy soldier. Twitchy soldiers could be far more dangerous then their elder counterparts as you never knew when they might break the rank and file.

" _You_ can keep your damned mouth shut," the male with the raised gun snarled at Kain. "Until proven otherwise, you'll be considered a _part_ of the guilty parties who took our clan-mate from us. If anyone here is lowering their weapons, it is _you_."

"Your intelligence is severely _lacking_ if you think for a moment I would relinquish my weapons to _you_ ," Kain snarled in return as he stiffened at my back.

The male growled and I saw his finger tighten on the trigger. I couldn't, _wouldn't_ , take the chance that he was planning to just fire a warning shot at Kain. I spun around to yank Kain to the ground even as I extended my wings from my body to act as a shield. With my Torpor, the feathers had grown strong enough to deflect arrows and crossbow bolts fired at a distance. Not something that was tested a purpose mind, but something that had been learned in the middle of several battles. I had to take the chance that the bullet could be deflected or at least slowed by my wings, though the firing speed could be beyond what I knew of. I braced myself against the potential for pain. The gun went off within seconds of my twisting around and grabbing Kain. It helped that he didn't fight my tug as I yanked us down as fast as I could.

Brief pain flared along the upper edge of my wing, clipping against the bone, yet the familiar sound of a ricochet rang through the air seconds later followed by the dull thud of an impact against wood. My wing had held, if barely, against the brushing impact. It felt like the bullet had just skimmed over the surface of my wing to clip against the bone, which changed the angle of the bullet enough that it pinged against the statue behind us to then end its' trajectory in one of the trees. A straight-on impact would definitely have been ill advised. I grimaced as I shifted my wings to keep the both of us covered as best I could manage even as Kain shifted to a low crouch beside me. His deep, sub-harmonic growling filled the air in response to the obvious attack and the growling thrummed against my skin. I carefully peaked from under the edge of my wing and watched as the other vampires took shocked steps back, horror and rage plain on their faces and in their stances. It took me a moment to realize the cause of their reactions as I had long gotten used to the reddened color of my wings. Their own wings were all still brilliant white, white and silver or solid silver in comparison to the blood ruby and silver of my own.

The Aura's of the male and female winged vampires around us flared with intense rage. Our own Aura's flared in challenge and my own sub-harmonic snarl rose to echo Kain's in dual warning for those around us to _back off_. The weight of the groups combined Aura was strong, at least two of them felt as if they were twice Kain's current age, but we were both stubborn creatures and refused to back down from the threat that surrounded us. We started to rise up in tandem in order to strike out and break free of the circle that surrounded us when another's Aura suddenly slammed into all of us. An Aura as strong, if not somewhat stronger, than Eldar Kain's Aura. The ring of winged vampires around us instantly fell to one knee, weapons now held loose in their hands. Even the one who had seemed to lead the group lowered to the ground with his head bowed. A strange pull echoed at the back of my mind at the heavy weight of that Aura and I had to work to fight off the urge to bend knee myself. _I will only ever bend knee to_ Kain, I thought to myself with a soft snarl of defiance.

" _Enough_!" a commanding voice snapped out. The accent was tinged with hints of some middle-eastern country, but only tinged as if it was rage alone that made the accent audible. "Lower your weapons, calm yourselves and _sense_ her Aura! Can you not feel the willing link between them? She is Mate Marked and obviously _trusts_ this male."

Kain and I forced ourselves to our feet despite the pressure of the Aura bearing down on the area. We remained wary with our own weapons yet held at the ready even as a finely dressed vampire landed just outside of the circle around us. His outfit was a strange cross between robes and a finely tailored suit that somehow just worked despite the fact that it should have looked ridiculous. His eyes were a solid gold, hair a dark, curly brown spun with silver and a face that looked equally young and worn by time. His skin was toned the light brown of those who were born to desert life yet had spent most of their lives out of the sun. Similar to Eldar Kain, bone structures had grown in a way that left this Eldar with a horned 'crown' that had a single point on each side of his brow compared to Eldar Kain's twin pointed 'crown'. He held a crystal of some sort in his left hand and it pulsed softly within his grip.

I frowned as I eyed the new male carefully. I did not recognize his face but the Aura tugged at the very edges of my memory.

~Kain, I believe that this male might well be Altair,~ I said in a tightly-beamed Whisper.

~Perhaps,~ he rumbled back, anger yet suffusing his tone. ~But what gives you that impression beyond their reaction? They could merely be showing respect to a commanding officer.~

~It's his Aura,~ I said thoughtfully as I rolled my shoulders. Kain and I had stood up such in a way that we could both keep this newcomer in our sights yet remain back to back with my wings half spread. ~It tugs at the edge of conscious memory. I don't recall ever actually _seeing_ him, yet my instincts still seem to recognize him all the same.~

~What do your instincts tell you mine own?~ he asked.

~Nearest I can tell?~ I mused as I tilted my head as I looked the male over whilst he eyed me in turn. ~'Former Alpha or Pack Leader'.~

~Hnnn,~ he still sounded upset yet I knew he was pleased by my saying 'former'.

~Proprietary bastard,~ I murmured to him.

~Yes,~ he Whispered in an amused tone before he continued in a more thoughtful tone. ~Most likely you were presented to him as a babe and _that_ is why your instincts recognize him. A birth such as yours is rare from what you read, thus it is reasonable that your father's Liege-Lord would wish to be present at such an auspicious event. Even with your vampiric nature slumbering at the time, those buried instincts might well have imprinted on him enough to recognize him in the future.~

~Possible,~ I responded.

Kain's Aura pressed lightly against my own in a subtle, soothing caress and I had to fight the shiver that wanted to shoot down my spine and keep my frown in place even though I wanted to smile at the metaphysical touch. The male that had just arrived stepped slowly into the circle but stopped a good distance from us when we both tensed at his approach. He rolled the crystal in his hand and I frowned faintly as I eyed it. I slowed my breathing in order to slow my heart beat on a hunch and the crystals pulsing _did_ seem to waver briefly but did not slow to match my heart beat exactly. I let out a thoughtful hum of noise and was about to ask something when the male who had fired his gun spoke up.

"Father, my apologies," the male said softly even though he continued to glare at Kain. There was something else in his eyes now, a different kind of anger. "I did not sense the link between them. Yet this male is still an _unknown_ quantity and should be watched."

Kain bared his fangs in a brief warning at that statement.

" _Enough_ son," the male said firmly as he tucked away the crystal into a robe pocket and his golden gaze focused on Kain. "Do we have you to thank for our clan-mates rescue?"

"Hmph," Kain's sneer returned in full as his eyes narrowed on the Eldar. " _Again_ you are operating on the assumption that she needed rescue. She _saved herself_ from torture and torment over four hundred years ago."

"That is not possible!" the younger male snarled as he surged to his feet. The Eldar clamped a hand on the younger male's shoulder to keep him from lunging forward even as his own eyes narrowed in thought. "She had not been missing that long!"

~That's _one_ way to lead into telling them where I was...~ I Whispered to Kain, both amused and exasperated with him.

~I find myself lacking the patience to deal with pointless banter after being attacked,~ he growled.

~Understandable,~ I responded soothingly.

"I would ask that you explain what you mean by that statement," the Eldar said slowly even as he kept a firm grip on his son's shoulder.

"First, what is your name?" Kain growled. I felt another wave of amusement flash through me. _First_ he was upset at the idea of pointless banter and _then_ he had to take control of a situation by making demands which might well result in the pointless banter he wanted to avoid. _Ah, Kain. Madness suits you at times_ , I thought to myself. "I will _not_ speak to one who remains nameless before me."

"I apologize for my rudeness," the Eldar said dryly even as he bowed his head, though his gaze did not drop from Kain's. "I am Altair, King of the Draconian clan of vampires. And yourself?"

"Hnn," Kain's eyes narrowed and I knew he was debating briefly on how to introduce himself. Play the Pauper or the Price? His eyes flickered white for a second and I had to fight a smile as I knew pride had won out. "Kain, King of Nosgoth."

Altair's brow rose and at the same time the male vampire that had twitched at hearing Kain's voice earlier fell out of his kneeling stance to fall flat on his ass. We all turned to eye the male with a raised brow and he shifted into a respectful sitting position even as he flushed under our combined gazes. I might be a lenient commander myself, but even _I_ did not tolerate such a break in decorum during times such as this. His mouth opened and closed a few times before his gaze finally landed on me.

"Never mind how you _ended up_ there! How in the hell did you end up _Mate Marked_ by _Kain_ of _Nosgoth_?!" he blurted out after a moment.

I blinked in surprise and shared a brief look of amusement with Kain at the reaction before I turned my attention back to the male.

"Honesty really is the best policy with him," I said with a soft chuckle, though I would not clarify further. "I take it you know his story?"

"Y-yes ma'am. I was born a year after you were..." he shrugged. "Still enjoy those kinds of... stories... even now."

I smiled faintly before I turned my attention back to Altair. He had tilted his head as he looked between Kain and I before he finally shook his head.

"Everything you are saying... should _not_ be possible," he said slowly. "The time you say has passed...? Travel to another world? I _do_ know of artifacts that will allow such dimensional travel. Point in fact, the Four Great Clans had to use said artifacts to escape our _original_ world when our sun was in the process of dying. Those artifacts were hidden away however and should yet remain hidden even now. One I hid personally and the other was hidden by one that I trust."

"Artifacts," I repeated slowly and then tilted my head as I held up my fist. "Would those artifacts be called 'Path Stones'? An amulet about this big, part of it a deep sapphire in color that looks like a jagged crystal, the other part a deep red that looks like a large drop of blood?"

"Yes," Altair said with a dark frown. "Those are the artifacts in question, the Path Stone amulets. They allow for travel between dimensional realms. It takes a very _specific_ spell to open a path to another dimensional world, especially one that is habitable. That or a very lucky set of circumstances."

"Massive magical and chemical explosion count?" I asked in a dry tone of voice.

"It could at that," the Eldar shook his head and spoke thoughtfully. "Still, travel in such a manner _should not_ have been possible, though... it _can_ explain the tracking crystal's sudden fluctuation two years ago. As I said, one of the Path Stones was hidden away by my own hand and another was given to one of the original half-blood survivors from those dark days. A veteran of great honor. No one should have been able to obtain them both."

Kain and I shared a brief look before Kain looked back at Altair.

"Obviously your protections of the Stones were lacking," the others all stiffened and Altair's eyes narrowed. Kain continued to speak as if he hadn't thrown the insult. "You said a half-blood? Male?" Altair nodded silently at Kain's question. "Was the male's name Auron?"

"Yes..." Altair responded warily.

"Auron is the name of the one who took me," I said in a dark tone. "I am certain at this point that he was a half-blood, as he felt old enough to have talons yet still had human-like hands."

The others stiffened further at my own words and several let out angry hisses of threat-denial at my words. I felt my wings flare in warning and I let out a low growl of my own. Altair held up a hand to silence the others and I maintained my growl just long enough to make a point that I was not obeying him, merely giving him a chance to speak. Kain shifted his arm and his elbow brushed lightly against the bend of my wing in an approving touch. The only one I would submit to was Kain and I wanted them all to understand that while they might be my Birth-Clan, I was _not_ bound to obey _any_ of them. We'd work on subtle ways to show that fact first and if they didn't get it, well...

"That is a hefty accusation," Altair said slowly. "As I said, the Auron _I_ speak of is a man of honor. The years before our migration to this world were dark indeed. The radiation from our dying sun killed the humans so easily if they remained above ground and caused rapid death even below. This caused the half-bloods to become the primary source of blood for the Clan's that survived the panic and madness. We were forced to turn our half-blooded children as young as fourteen and no older then twenty-five, else the radiation would poison their minds or kill them. The Auron that we know is one of the few half-bloods that yet live and survived those dark days. There are only a handful of vampires, Full-Blooded or of the Breed with that name, and only _one_ half-blood."

"Auron the half-blood is reclusive," Altair's son said in a firm voice as he eyed me. "Yet he is respected as all others from those days for the sacrifices made. I would be mindful of just _whom_ you accuse, clan-mate."

I stiffened and bared my fangs faintly in warning at Altair's son, "I am merely stating what I _know_. The male who took me called himself _Auron_. All of those that he _broke_ called him Auron and I long lost count of how many pets he had twisted to his will. Stands roughly six-foot-two or -three. Human like hands. Hair a dark silver and his eyes were a darker green than my own, like a shadowed forest canopy instead of a bright emerald. Spoke fluent French and had what I now believe to be a strong Charm Gift."

I could see the recognition in the eyes of those around us even as they fought visibly to deny my words. Most of them looked at their King with concerned or questioning expressions. Altair's son reacted the worst of the lot as he shook his head violently and slashed his hand downward.

" _You lie!"_ he hissed at me.

"Armon! Silence yourself! She is only stating what she knows of her attacker. Do _not_ deny her that right," Altair said as he cuffed his son upside the head.

The younger male snarled and backed out of range of his father's corrective hand and out the circle as a result. He glared at me with eyes dark with rage and denial. Even Altair had said that there was only _one_ half-blood that bore the name of the one who had captured me.

"You _insult_ one of our most honored _clan-mate_ ," he said the last words with a sneer on his lips and in his tone. "To think that... Bah!"

He turned and was air-borne a moment later. Kain and I both glared after his retreating form, insulted by the male's reaction. We then looked back at Altair who had started to rub at his forehead and begun to mutter faintly in an Arabic dialect. A small growling rumble escaped him after a moment and he signaled two of the others to follow after Armon.

"Keep my son out of trouble," he ordered softly and the two nodded and leapt into the air after the younger male. He turned back to us with a bow of his head. "My apologies, over a thousand years old and he still has the temper of a fledge at times."

"It is difficult when the blinders are pulled from one's eyes regarding one's personal hero's," Kain said thoughtfully before his tone hardened. "But the boy's rage will not deter us from our goal."

"What _is_ that goal if I may?" Altair asked warily.

"I intend to _kill_ the one who captured and tortured me," I said firmly in response. "To free those who might yet be salvaged from his grasp and to grant a merciful end to those who are beyond help. As I said, I was _not_ the only one caught by him. There was an _entire castle_ filled with slaves and victims bound to his will. There were _children_ within as well, kept as blood slaves... and possibly worse."

A cold silence filled the air for several minutes at my words as the others left behind glanced at each other.

"We _will_ help you find your tormentor, though I yet doubt that we speak of the same Auron," Altair asked softly after he processed my words. "After we have brought your kidnapper to justice though? Will you stay? Regardless of _where_ you have been, this is still your home world. You _are_ welcome here, despite the appearances caused by my son's foolish temper tantrum. You have a Clan who will welcome you home with open arms and wings. 'Fly safe, fly high...?'"

"'And may no arrow mar your skies'," I finished softly as I recalled that long ago phrase that my Father had taught me.

I looked away for a moment and wondered briefly what my life might have been like had Auron not taken me captive. I frowned and squared my shoulders, my wings twitching faintly. It would do no good to dwell on the unchangeable. I had been forged, willingly, by Kain's hand to be an effective Commander and Queen. My past could not be altered nor did I wish it altered. I was more than content with what I had.

"I... understand what you offer," I said a few moments later even as I shook my head in negation of the offer. "Yet I intend only to stay as long as it takes to learn a few things to help Nosgoth recover from the cancerous parasite that infects her. I have _no_ intent to stay here overlong myself."

I did not yet believe that those here could be trusted with the knowledge of my hopeful intent to bring Janos, Nikolai and the others through to keep them safe and away from the Parasite's grasping tentacles. Time alone would prove if that was to be a viable option to keep some of my Chosen Clan safe. I could only hope that my home world would prove to be a safe haven for my adopted Sire.

"What could this Nosgoth offer you that _we_ cannot?" one of the female's in the ring that yet had us partially surrounded asked suddenly, breaking my train of thought. "A Mate Mark does not mean you are bound to remain by this one's side indefinitely. You would not waste away like a human claimed by a Master's Mark. You have a _home_ here. A _Clan_ here. Your Father's Liege-Lord and _King_ are here on Gaia. You inherited a high rank due to your father's lineage, My Lady, enough to even be considered as a potential Mate to the _King's own son_. What can _this one_ offer you, this self-proclaimed 'King of Nosgoth' of another world? Merely to be his _Consort_? One amongst many?"

She indicated Kain with a wave of her hand and Kain sneered at her even as he shifted his grip on his axes. No one had yet sheathed their weapons and neither I nor Kain yet felt safe enough to put our own weapons up. Kain shifted a step forward toward the female and I curled one of my wings up behind him similar to how one might wrap an arm around their partner's waist even as I frowned at the female whilst my grip tightened on my own sword. I was _angered_ at her words, her audacity in seemingly trying to _buy_ _my favor_ with potential rank and status were I to remain. Altair had tilted his head and was watching our reactions closely while the female spoke, though he did not interrupt her presumptuous speech. She _was_ correct in the fact that Kain could Mark others as his own whilst I would need his permission. He was not the Marked one in our relationship, _I_ was. But that had never been an issue for us and I would not ask him to allow me to Mark him. I was no jealous creature that was so unsure of herself as to request such a thing of him. If he ever offered it I would take it as the gift it would be, just as Janos had taught me.

"Katrina has a home on Nosgoth, an adopted Sire, an Eldar Brother and a strong Clan," Kain said in a low purr that held a subtle warning in the undertones. "She follows me willingly, serves as a Captain in my armies and is not my _Consort_ but my Mate-Marked _Queen_. I would not deny her the right to choose to remain here should she decide to do so once I have defeated the parasite that infects Nosgoth and send for her to return, but that is not for _any of you_ to decide. You will show her and I both the same respect you would any other visiting monarch couple."

The last was meant for Altair even though Kain's gaze did not leave the females. Said female swallowed heavily and looked down several moments later when his glare and my own did not abate. Altair's wings twitched and drew our attention back to the Draconian Clan Lord.

"A Queen in your own right? Soldiers at your command?" he asked in a thoughtful tone as he shook his head. "It seems you have done well for yourself indeed, if you both speak true. You are... happy then? On Nosgoth with this male you allowed to Mark you?"

"'Happy'...?" I echoed and then offered a half shrug even as I smiled faintly. "Nosgoth is my Home now, just as Kain said. He is the one I chose to trust, to follow, to..."

I shook my head again as my wing tightened slightly around the edge of Kain's form. He shifted his own arm against the inside of my wing so that his elbow briefly brushed against me, unable to touch the inner feathers with his talons what with his hands being full, but the intent was there. Centuries later and still I could only _act_ on my own feelings, not voice them. Still, actions spoke louder then words and I had devoted myself to Kain, loyal to him even when we fought as all couples do. Cillian had not been the only jealous traitor to attempt to do me harm or drive a wedge between myself and Kain with darksome rumors during those times that Kain and I had fought over the centuries. All of those fools met a painful fate at the end of the Reaver.

"The only reasons I meant to return was to destroy an enemy that could potentially do me further harm, to find a place to bunker down until it was safe to return and, after reading an article, to let you and the others know that I was safe and no longer needed to be rescued," I said firmly as I shifted my grip on my sword and shot another glare at the female who had insulted me. "I would in fact prefer that our arrival here be kept secret if at all possible so that my attacker does not go to ground and make my hunt that much harder."

"I see," Altair turned to eye Kain for several long moments before he flicked his hand at the others and they all sheathed their weapons.

Three took to the skies moments later and left, following the same path as Armon and the other guards, while four remained behind. Those that remained moved to flank Altair, obviously his personal guards. I found myself briefly amused when I saw that the young male who had reacted so strongly to Kain's presence stood at the far left of the guard. I slowly sheathed Kindness while Kain moved Havoc and Malice to hang once more from his belt. Altair's wings spread faintly before he moved them to rest on his shoulders. He took a few steps toward me and both Kain and I bristled at the approach. The Eldar stilled briefly as he watched Kain warily for a moment and his attention turned to me a seconds later. The Eldar slowly knelt in front of me and I felt my wings twitch in surprise when he tilted his head to expose his throat though he kept his gaze on my own.

I... suddenly had the _weirdest_ sense of deja vu for some reason...

"I had promised my former Right-hand, your Father, that I would ensure that you had a normal human life. That you would be watched over from a distance and kept safe until you could choose for yourself to accept or deny the Awakening of your vampiric blood," Altair said softly. "I could do nothing for your Mother, though I tried. Master Marked as she had been the Mark would have continued to affect her, drive her to further madness, even if we had turned her. Only your Father could have turned her and changed the Master's Mark into a Mate's Mark. But I could still do my duty to you, keep a guard over you. Yet I failed in that duty..."

"I will not dispute that fact," I said coldly as I tilted my head and drew my wings to rest on my shoulders. I knew he spoke true of my Mother thanks to Janos' lessons. "There was no one to even witness or sense when I was taken, was there? Was there supposed to be a constant guard and that guard became lax in their duties or did you merely have people check in on me once every so often?"

"The former," Altair responded with a soft growl. "Believe me, daughter of my dearest friend, the _rage_ felt when I found out that your guards lackadaisical attitude led to the theft of your person was _absolute_."

"Does that former guard yet live?" Kain asked thoughtfully as he rubbed thumb and fore-claw together.

"No," came the cold-voiced answer. "When it was proven that he was not involved directly with the one who took her beyond his blatant carelessness, I handled his punishment personally. The longer she was missing the greater his punishment. After the tracking crystal _nearly went dark_ several times, I had him slain as the crystals darkening meant she had been near death."

I was silent for several long moments as I stared down at the kneeling Eldar's form. As much as my human side felt uncomfortable with him kneeling before me, my vampiric instincts were just as equally satisfied by his supplication. He had failed me, even if I had been unaware of his duty to me at the time. I had lost count of the amount of times Auron had driven me to the edge of death only to bring me back. I shook my head finally and took enough of a step back that I was once more shoulder to shoulder with Kain.

"I know you continue to doubt my words, my descriptions, of the one who took me. I say to you this, Altair, King of my Father's Clan; Help me slay the one who took me, the one who captures and tortures human and half-blood alike," I said finally in a dark tone. " _Even_ if the one who took me is proven to be the _very_ veteran you speak of so highly. _Only then_ will I forgive you your failure."

Kain's mind brushed mine in a brief, approving touch even as Altair bowed his head in thought. The Eldar nodded his head and stood moments later.

"As you will, Katrina Eklund. You have my word that I will assist you within the full power available to me, even if your tormentor proves to be whom you described," his wings twitched and he nodded his head. "First, I will need to confirm that the Path Stone that I hid personally is indeed missing and if there are any signs of a thief left to be found. In the interim, I would offer you all the comforts that the Draconian Clan can provide. Will you allow me such?"

I glanced a Kain and he nodded once.

"We will accept the offer of such comforts," Kain said firmly. "Though neither I nor Katrina will allow you to teleport us anywhere."

I chuckled faintly at Kain's words even though my expression remained hard. "I agree with Kain on that. We will fly ourselves, walk or find a car to any destination you might lead us to."

"Ah?" Altair raised a brow at Kain. "You have a Flight Form?"

"Bats," Kain said simply.

"I see. Allow me to call a limo then. The flight to the nearest mansion would be a long one, especially for one whose Flight Form takes the shape of a Cloud of bats," Altair said with a wave of his taloned hand.

"A limo will be fine," I said with a nod of my head.

Kain's expression remained the same, a darksome if somewhat bored look, but his mind touched my own in a questioning brush.

~Think of it as a high quality carriage,~ I Whispered to him.

~I see,~ he responded.

Altair nodded to me before he moved off to the side and pulled out what looked like the glass screen of a smart phone. I felt my wings twitch outward with my surprise and tried to shift faintly to watch him as he used that thin piece of glass or plastic as it suddenly went opaque. He was using it just like one would use a smart phone when I was younger. The younger vampire from earlier nudged one of the older guards and took out a similar item before he nodded his head toward me. I raised a brow at the pair and the older guard let out an amused sigh before he waved the younger male away toward myself and Kain. Kain frowned at the males approach and the younger vampire froze for a moment before he bowed his head.

"Ah, pardon but... I am Lucius, the youngest of our King's personal guard," he held up the small piece of clear glass/plastic that had a small chip at one corner like the 'newspaper' toward me. "These... you looked interested in this...? Yes..?"

"Yes actually," I said as my wings twitched again with my curiosity. "These... replaced smart phones?"

"Ah... yes mis... ma'am..." he blushed suddenly. "My Lady. I... apologize. Today has been a... bit of an intriguing day. Dimensional travel is discussed in theoreticals, historical fact from ancient days... not..."

"Actively practiced...?" I said in an amused tone.

He nodded to me even as he handed over the small object. It felt like plastic and looked like glass as was barely even a quarter of an inch thick. Lucius took it back and tapped in a short pattern, then twisted the thing back and forth briefly to show the devices flexibility before he handed it back to me.

"It's very durable and flexible," he said with a smile. "Hard to break. Have to be considering how easily we could damage them. There are other kinds of designs, more solid and some shaped like crystals and... oh! There are even a few retro old-school designs from when we were younger! With the technological advancements there is a lot of variety."

"I can imagine," I murmured softly in amusement at his enthusiasm even as I started to work out how to use the interface.

It had been so long since I'd used anything remotely like the object in my hands so it took me a few moments to figure out the basics of the blasted thing. Many icons were the same or similar to what I had been used to in my youth but there were a lot of things I didn't recognize. Kain reached out a talon and lightly tapped the edge of the device.

"With the way Altair is using his own... device... this is your world's version of a communication crystal?" he asked.

"Communication crystal and a... kind of mobile library," I said as I flicked through a few screens and managed to find the yet familiar Chrome icon. I blinked in surprise. " _Google_ still exists?"

"Vampire owned company ma'a... My Lady," Lucius said with a nod of his head.

I eyed the younger male out of the corner of my eye.

"You said you were born a year after I was? You're around a hundred and fifty then. How did you manage to end up as part of the King's Personal Guard?" I asked.

"Some positions have a hereditary advantage," the older guard said suddenly, "and are permanent outside of death, betrayal or willing retirement. I myself currently hold the position that your Father did as our King's right hand. It was meant to be a temporary placement as this was the very position that you would have had the potential to be groomed for had you been able to make a choice in your Awakening. This young pup is being groomed to replace his Mother. So far he has proven adept... _decorum_ is yet an issue for him however."

"Mother is a half-blood like us and is expecting again," the younger vampire said in explanation as he scratched the back of his neck and blushed due to the Eldar's words. "She is going to pursue other interests now that she has the option available. She will be getting back into the space programs that are available. Once my new sibling is born she will be working in mechanical engineering and, once my sibling is old enough, she'll be focusing on joining the international space station as a crew member."

"Foolish," the Eldar grumbled. "Too many things can go wrong even for a vampire and she does not have a teleport ability to rely on should something go wrong."

"How can you keep saying that?" the younger said with a frown. "You were a part of the more recent programs!"

" _Enough_ lad," the male growled as a Scottish burr snuck into his accent. "I need not explain myself to _you_."

I raised my head in confusion and blinked at the pair. I had only explained some of the basic of space travel to Kain, mainly because I only understood the basics myself. While I knew it could be dangerous, I imagined that vampires might have an easier time of it... unless...

"What other dangers does a vampire have to worry about with space exploration other then the norm?" I asked, my tone curious. "Is there a greater risk due to direct sun-light or something?"

"No, My Lady," the Eldar guard said even as Altair walked back over to us. "The unfiltered sun-light is not a major concern for older vampires or half-bloods. There is even the benefit that a full-blooded vampire does not need an oxygen supply and a half-bloods air tank can last four to five times longer then a humans. It is merely the usual dangers of space travel during launch and re-entry... for most at least. I lost my taste for space travel shortly after the Unveiling."

"Why? Was there another Challenger incident?" I asked with a frown.

"Ah... no," Altair said slowly. "A tragic event that and yet something of that nature... might have been preferable in a way."

"How could another Challenger incident have been _preferable_?!" I asked in an incredulous tone.

Kain raised a brow at me, uncertain of what I was talking of but he stayed silent as he listened to us. He even plucked the cellphone-like object from my hand to fiddle with it briefly himself.

"It _has_ been a cloudy night til recently..." Altair said softly. "You have not noticed the moon yet, have you?"

"No...? Should I ha..." I broke off as I looked upwards and felt myself pale even as the clouds shifted enough for me to get a good look at the moon.

There was a huge, very much visible crater on the moon. I stiffened at the sight and when Kain looked up to follow my gaze he let out a shocked hiss of breath at the obvious, _unnatural_ , damage to the pale surface.

"What the _hell_ happened to the moon?!" I shouted in shock.

end chappie. pls review!


	43. See no Evil

Chapter Forty-three: See no Evil...

*-*/-Katrina POV-*\\*-*

I closed my mouth, my jaw clenched tight as I looked back at Altair with widened eyes. Kain could not seem to avert his own gaze from the damaged surface of the moon and his mind was a firm weight of confusion against my own as I spoke to the Eldar.

"The article made it seem as if the Unveiling went smoothly!" I pointed up at the moon. "If that occurred during the Unveiling, I would argue the supposed _smoothness_ of said transition!"

"Indeed," Altair responded with a faint, bitter smile. "For the most part the initial years after the Unveiling _did_ go smoothly. We made certain that the human society was informed concerning the nature of both Breed and Blood, we reintroduced many of written histories greatest minds that had been Turned and we aided during times of disaster in more open ways then we had previously through the centuries."

"'More open...'" I fell silent with a blink. Even with the shock of seeing the moon damaged the way it had been something suddenly clicked. " _Wait_... those stories of people saying they were rescued by an angel or a mysterious figure that could never be found later on...?"

"Were vampires," Altair said with a faint smile and a nod of his head. "We knew with the advances in technology that we could not remain hidden for much longer. We used those incidents to help build good will as we released information to the public about the truth of our existence. There were many heartening news stories of humans meeting their rescuers ten to fifty years after they were saved."

"The problem came about due to one simple truth," the Scottish accented vampire said darkly. "Regardless of the amount of good will built up between two peoples, some individuals, either by nature or nurture, will always promote hate. I believe the phrase popular in your youth was 'haters gonna hate'?"

"Indeed," I said with a wince as I glanced at Kain.

I had never liked that particular phrase despite the truth found in it. Kain tore his gaze from the sight of the damaged moon and looked at me with a frown.

"You have mentioned over the years that despite the educational system of your home world, some were willfully ignorant and that, without an obvious target, some humans would turn on their own simply due to a simple difference in skin color or region of birth," Kain said thoughtfully. Even though I could detect the faint strain in his tone, he hid his unease well and kept his overall expression blank. "I had wondered if that rage would not turn upon the vampires and had thought the apparent smoothness of the transition mentioned in that... article... seemed odd. What _precisely_ occurred during that time to cause such damage to your world's moon?"

"A faction of humans managed to somehow obtain nuclear warheads on the black market," Altair said darkly. "They were unable to obtain the actual rockets at least, else the situation may have been worse then what it was. They used the warheads in an attack that targeted what they _believed_ to be a city filled with a high vampire populace."

"They were wrong I take it?" I asked with a tilt of my head and a nervous twitch of my wings.

"Yes, there was only a _single_ family of six vampires of the Breed," Altair said with a nod. "Out of a population of just over a thousand."

"A moment before you continue," Kain said with a frown. "Katrina and I have both wondered; what is the difference between Breed and Blood?"

"Ah... my apologies," Altair said with a startled twitch of his wings. "I did not realized you did not know the difference Lady Eklund, Lord Kain."

That would take getting used to, I thought to myself at the use of my last name in association with the title.

"I was kept in a veritable prison until I landed in Nosgoth. A large prison, but a prison none-the-less," I said dryly. "What I learned about a half-blood's nature was taught to me in ways were intended to _break_ me. I learned nothing of the Breed during the years of my capture other then that they existed."

Altair's expression, as well as the expressions of his guards, darkened at my words. The Scottish vampire cleared his throat softly. If I didn't get a name from him soon I was going to be sorely tempted to start calling him Scotty...

"The Breed are the original vampires of this world," he said as the burr in his voice deepened. "They are like anemic humans in some ways. Like us, they can turn a human by draining said human to the point of exsanguination then sharing blood with the dying individual. The process, like ourselves, must be completed before true death, though _unlike_ us the genetic marker that allows the change does not exist in roughly twenty percent of the humans here on Gaia. This means that there is a possiblity that the Turning will not be successful for one Chosen by the Breed. There is no failure for those Chosen to be turned by one of the Blood."

"Any of the Breed can live as a human and not be questioned outright due to the lack of notable changes such as claws and talons," Altair continued as he held up his own taloned hands. "They only ever have strength and speed equal to that of a fledge of the Blood, regardless of their age, though they have equal longevity compared to ourselves. They have no Aura to speak of and what hunters instincts they have are dull when compared to that of the Blood. Yet those instincts make them easily superior to humans. The Breed gain no Gifts either and have little magic. They prefer to pass as human, hidden amongst the populace, as the sunlight does not harm them outright as it might a fledge of the Blood and acts as a constant irritant regardless of an individuals age when, comparatively, most Eldar's of the Blood eventually surpass that weakness entirely. They also have a severe allergy to silver that borders on being lethal."

"They do not sound like much," Kain said in a low tone that just hinted at his disdain.

"When compared to ourselves, they are not," Altair said with a shrug of shoulder and wing. "We _are_ the superior hunter, but this was _their_ world first and thus they are treated with the respect they are due when it comes to their wishes to be left alone outside of singular incidents."

"Understandable, I suppose. They sound as if they are quite set in their ways," I said with a frown. "So a family of six were the only vampires in the city? Did the attacking faction know where they lived?"

"No," the Scottish Eldar said with a wince and a sigh.

"Brice, you do not have to speak further of the incident," Altair offered in a kindly tone.

"I will be _fine_ , My Lord," Brice the Eldar said with a shake of his head. "The faction of humans, called themselves 'The Human's First Coalition', placed the warheads throughout the city itself. Managed it by gettin' agents into the cities maintenance crews. Next thing anyone knew, one of the main news channels got hijacked by the HFC, men armed to the teeth. Daft bastards demanded that we set up the vampiric equivalent of concentration camps."

"That... well," I blinked and felt my eyes widen slightly.

I shared a brief look with Kain. His own expression was grim at the other vampires words as I had shared as much about the history of my world as I knew regarding politics and wars while trying to avoid details regarding some of the weapons. I only ever advised him that nukes were... well, 'bad news', and could easily destroy an entire city. He and I had both agreed that he would not ask the 'how' of such a thing both due to my limited understanding and due to my stubborn insistence that this was something that no one on Nosgoth should _ever_ pursue. Kain shook his head in angry exasperation as he looked back at Brice.

"Did the humans not realize that such a demand would be near impossible for them to _enforce_?" he asked in disgust.

"Logic and reason were not in high abundance with tha' lot," Brice said with a low growl and a small flaring of his Aura that suddenly had Lucius suddenly shivering next to him. Kid was still young enough that the sense of an enraged Eldar nearby equated to the need to find a place to hide. _Fast_. "As it was, all the human media saw was a group of nutters threatening their own kind. We couldn't send in a strong armed force to stop the HFC and couldn't evacuate the city without them blowin' the place and the surroundin' areas sky high, so we had to go with our stealth troops to attempt to find and remove the warheads."

"Remove?" I asked slowly. "Not _disarm_?"

"Aye lass, in the end, remove," Brice shook his head. "I'm able to teleport meself and, when we managed to figure out where some of the warheads had been hidden, I popped into the area under cover of night with a few bomb squad experts. Daft human _idiots_ had done something to the wiring in the warheads to leave the bomb squad members _vampire pale_ within barely a minute of lookin' them over. Nothin' could be done to disable the damn things and they couldna do more then remove one or two panels to look inside before they ordered a retreat."

"Fuck, shit and damnation," I said with a startled hiss of breath as I struggled to recall what I could of such ordinance. "They messed with the wiring to such a point? What if it had gone off in their faces?"

"Willful stupidity is a horrible thing, especially when you're dealin' with former army, bomb squad and the like," Brice said with an angry shrug. The last two guards shared a brief look but continued to maintain their silence and I knew _why_ they had shared that look. Brice's accent was getting more pronounced the longer he spoke. "At any rate, the lads from the bomb squad said we had two choices to stop the tragedy waitin' to happen; somehow get the trigger release detonator away from the lot, which even with vampiric speed woulda been impossible, or somehow get the warheads far enough away tha' the populace and environment wouldna be compromised by the blast radius... and we're talkin' enough combined power to make Hiroshima look like a fuckin' _firecracker_ , if you'll pardon my language lass."

"No need to apologize for foul language," I said with a faint smile even as Kain's hand came to rest against the base of my spine. "I did just use worse."

"True enough," the Eldar said with a weak smile of his own that revealed no fang.

"Hiroshima?" Kain questioned.

I looked down briefly for a few moments and then sighed in dark frustration.

"I don't quite understand the inner workings of a nuclear warhead," I said to him softly as I met his questioning gaze. "But I do know the damage it can cause. A nuclear blast _larger_ then Hiroshima? Hiroshima had... a population of around three-hundred thousand or more if I recall correctly. Over... seventy...? percent of the buildings in the city were destroyed outright and the death toll before radiation sickness set in was around eighty... or ninety?... thousand. After the deaths due to injury and radiation sickness it was what...over a hundred thousand?"

I said the last part as I looked back at Altair and Brice. Brice nodded his head sadly.

"O'er one hundred and fifty thousand people dead 'cause of a single nuke and th' fallout that followed," he clarified. "There were seven warheads, each o' equal strength to th' one tha' hit Hiroshima, spaced out in tha' city of just o'er a thousand."

I looked back at Kain and saw that his complexion had gone pale even for him. He looked back up at the moon and then back to the others.

"And the damage to the _moon_ was a result of...?" he asked with a voice that did not betray the unease that tinged his Aura.

"Like th' lad said," Brice said with a shrug of his shoulder and wing. "I had been part of th' space programs both then and more recent, though I've only acted in the role of mentor in th' more recent years for the greenhorns. Had been to th' moon itself an' back just a year before tha' incident, but I ain't been back t' space itself since."

"Ah... your teleport ability allowed you to travel _that_ far?" Kain asked in some surprise as he looked back at the moon.

Brice nodded his head, "Aye. _Major_ strain on th' magical reserves tha', but it was th' only course of action available t' us at th' time. If th' things went off out there on th' moon, th' radiation could dissipate easier then here on Gaia and wouldna affect th' planet as badly compared t' th' damage tha' would have happened had th' warheads gone off planet side. I had t' be th' one t' teleport things, aye, but several bomb squad members and a few astronauts were needed t' help me. Bomb squad members helped me get things arranged planet side for each jump and th' astronauts helped me set things up on th' dark side of the moon t' keep any potential explosion from blindin' anyone and t' have th' resultant radiation goin' off in a direction pointed away from th' planet. Not an easy time o' it, getting those damn things moon side one a' a time."

"What went wrong?" I asked softly. "Detonators have a set range, I remember that much without having to give it much thought."

"Tha' they do lass, even now," Brice sighed as his wings drooped to rest upon his shoulders. "Shoulda been safe enough gettin' 'em t' th' moon t' prevent an explosion. Problem was tha' they put _secondary_ detonators within th' warheads tha' th' bomb squad couldna find what with them being unable t' dig into th' things withou' settin' 'em off. All tha' daft HFC group needed was one of th' internal detonators bein' in range o' th' others when they released th' pressure trigger and then tha' one would send a secondary signal t' the other warheads. What with the rest of 'em being all in one place moon side..."

Kain frowned at that as he tilted his head. I'd had to explain cellphones as a kind of tool that acted like a technological Whisper for humans. Like the Whisper there was a limited range. Even with the Mark granting me a greater range then most, it was still not usable after a certain amount of distance between us. I might be able to talk to him from Meridian while he was in Coorhagen, but _not_ Meridian to Janos' Retreat for example. Detonator's worked pretty much the same way.

"The last bomb t' be moved moon side was still in range o' the detonator when I went to grab it... didna have time to grab all th' crew on the moon..." Brice shook his head, his expression one of sadness and rage. "Could only grab the three closest to me before we had to jump..."

"They knew the risks and did their duty well from the sound of it," Kain said simply. His way of offering condolences. Cold and concise, yet still polite.

"Tha' they did," Brice said with a nod. "Four dead. Good people, all of 'em. At any rate, explosion caused th' damage you see t' the moon. Didna work out in th' favor of tha' faction either as the initial damage was a lo' worse then jus' the moon bein' damaged, whole _planet_ was up in arms against 'em after tha' mess."

"You mean the debris from the moon?" I said thoughtfully as I looked back up at the moon. "I imagine the debris either burned up in the atmosphere or got caught orbiting the planet."

"Correct on both parts," Altair said with a nod of his head. "Most of the debris burnt up upon entry but we had a few minor impacts from chunks of moon large enough to remain intact through the entry process. The rest of the debris now orbit the planet itself. We had to help with an emergency evacuation of the International Space Station itself as the Station was then in the way of the newly formed debris field... and became a part of the debris field as a result. The vampiric community has helped over the years to fund the needed programs to rebuild the Station. The new International Space Station houses Human, Full-blood, Half-blood and Breed alike with at least three members on board at any given time that have a strong teleport ability. Though the numbers of Human and Half-blood on board do outnumber the number of Breed and Full-blood."

"To keep the vampires well fed or due to lack of training?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Both," Brice said with a bitter sounding chuckle.

I shook my head faintly at that and looked at Kain. He was once more looking at the moon with what the others might take as a blank expression but what I knew to be him hiding his pensiveness. He looked back to me with that yet serious expression and I felt his mind brush against mine.

~I do believe you were _correct_ to keep what you knew of such weapons to yourself, mine own,~ he said, his mental voice somewhat shaken even though his expression did not change. ~The technology of your home world, the warmongering sort based on this advanced technology at the least, remains here.~

~As you say,~ I responded softly.

I felt that small knot of worry deep within me unravel as I looked back at the moon. As much as it pained me to think such a thing, I felt especially grateful that there had been such a horrible confrontation after the Unveiling. The loss of life and blatant damage to the moon had given me the opportunity to drive home the validity of my choice to withhold what little I knew of such weapons from Kain. I had been worried that he would yet try to gain information on such weapons in order to obtain an overwhelming advantage over the Sarafan controlled lands of the East so that all of Nosgoth would be his that much faster. His choice now alleviated that concern. This also meant that I could focus primarily on the tech that might help to restore Nosgoth upon my return.

I still wasn't sure what to do about the loss of souls that had been consumed by the Parasite... Janos had taught me that without the _smallest_ mote of soul-stuff, that even grass could not grow. What Nosgoth would need most of all would be the soul equivalent to a blood transfusion once the Parasite was dead... and I had no idea how to go about helping with _that_ just yet.

My thoughts were derailed as a sleek limo pulled up just outside the gates of the park. Altair bowed his head to the both of us and indicated the vehicle.

"Our ride is here. Shall we?"

Kain and I shared another brief look before he once more offered me his arm. I took a moment to slip off my wing-torn shirt and then tucked my hand into the bend of his arm. Maintaining a careful air of battle-ready-nonchalance, we moved over to the sleek limo. Altair fell in step beside us even as Brice and Lucius moved forward to open the double doors of the limo. An odd design for a limo but it worked well enough. We slipped into the wide spaced interior and sat down together on the back, very plush, velvet lined seats. We sat just enough apart from each other to insure that we would not interfere with each others movements if it became necessary. Altair, Lucius and Brice moved in after us and at at the seats closest to the currently lowered drivers window. Altair turned his head toward that open window.

"To the Imari Estate, Johanna," he said softly.

"On it bossman," came a chipper, female voice. "Be a good hour before we arrive."

Altair made a sound of acknowledgement and the window rolled up a moment later. The silence continued for several long minutes, the lot of us still firmly uneasy with each other. I shifted a bit and leaned back, mindful of my wings and focused my attention on Altair once more.

"My Mother..." I asked slowly. Old memories were flaring up the longer we remained and I found myself wondering... "Where was she buried?"

"She was buried beside your Father at the Woodland Cemetery. She was forty-six when you went missing. The madness and self-starvation claimed her at fifty-three," Altair said in a gentle tone.

"Wait..." I blinked in surprise. "Mother was Master Marked from what I had initially inferred with how she declined, constantly in a drunken stupor, and what you yourself confirmed. She still survived for _seven_ _years_ after I went missing? You said you could not help her."

"I could not _prevent_ her _decline_ ," Altair said as he tilted his head. "But that does not mean she simply _faded away_ upon your disappearance. Your Mother was a strong willed woman before your Father's death; fierce, stubborn and proud. His intent was to turn her when you reached your mid-teens. An extended holiday with you being left with family friends as he worked her through the initial stages of controlling the Hunger so she would not be a danger to you. What with your Father's death, the older you became, the more she declined, true, as you needed her less and less as you aged. Your disappearance... it had been as if she had regained herself in full as the search for you began... for a time."

"I..." I looked away for a moment and cleared my throat. I felt a faint, near to comforting brush of Kain's mind against my own as he spoke.

"So _that_ is where she gets her stubbornness and pride," Kain said with a faint smirk. "I had wondered."

"Her Father was just as stubborn," Brice said with a laugh. "When those two had a row, ye left the general area for yer own safety ye did."

"Truly?" I asked with a pained laugh and a glance at Kain.

~Sounds like us...~ I Whispered to him with a fond yet sorrowful tone.

~It does,~ he responded with a mental purr. ~Mine stubborn Queen.~

I turned back to Altair as my smile faded.

"How was she able to hold on for seven years exactly?" I asked.

He pulled out the crystal he had been holding and held it out briefly. I looked it over for a moment before I nodded my head and answered my own question.

"She knew that I was alive just as you did and used that knowledge to keep going," I said in a soft tone.

"She did," he said softly as he tucked the crystal away once more. "Turning her might well have meant she would had lived to see your return, but it would also have meant her mind would have shattered in entirety by now. Her last days were spent in the crystal room watching over the one that tracked you. We could not move her else she would enter a state of wild madness. She would only stay calm when she could see your crystal and, at first, she would eat and drink what we offered her. Eventually she stopped doing even that."

"Most humans perish after three days of no water," Brice said softly. "She lasted _nine_."

I closed my eyes at Brice's words and rubbed at the bridge of my nose as I fought off the brief urge to cry. Mother had been _long_ dead for me by this point but the firm, painful knowledge of just _how_ she had died, staring insistently at the tangible proof that I was alive, still tugged at my heart. Kain shifted and I felt his taloned hand move to rest at the base of my back in a firm and comforting touch. I took a slow breath and looked up with a small wince as I thought of something.

"Did the crystal ever start to go dark in those first seven years?" I asked.

"No," Altair said in a voice that was both soothing and dark with contained anger. "Fifty years passed before the crystal first went near dark. Around the same time your wings would have extended."

My wings tightened at my shoulders at the memory those words tugged upon and I could not help the small shudder that ran through me from toe-tip to wing-tip. My voice was all but void of emotion as I spoke.

"I thought I was going _mad_ when the itching and agony started flaring along my back. It was a violent sort of relief when they extended," I clenched my jaw tight for a moment before I turned cold eyes on Altair. "Ten... maybe fifteen minutes later Auron came in and, after pausing in shock and making a few comments about me being a Draconian Half-Blood, he tore them off."

Lucius' wings tightened close to his own body as his eyes widened and he paled at my words. Brice and Altair shared another dark look. Kain shifted his hand where it was hidden behind my back and lightly rubbed the knuckles of his talons along my spine. His expression had not changed, yet I appreciated the soothing touch. Four hundred years of freedom to grow did not simply eliminate the memories of a hundred and fifty years of torture and torment. He had oft had to make me speak to him of those memories when they threatened to overwhelm me and had helped me to work through them many a time simply by lending an attentive ear. Some of my worst fits of anger over the years had only been able to be tamed by his hand. He had never once held those fits of rage and violence against me, merely assisted me through them so that the memories could no longer control me.

I took a slow, calming breath and rolled my shoulders even as my wings gave a twitching ruffle that fluffed the feathers up despite being held so close. Altair cleared his throat softly and tilted his head.

"If I may... what did he say of your revealed nature?" Altair asked.

"At that time not much," I said with a shrug of my shoulders. "Shock at the wings... a comment on how ' _lovely_ ' they were, followed by a statement that he could not let me live because of how highly regarded the Draconian Clan was... is... and his fear of retribution at _your_ hands as the King. He then said he would keep me a 'little longer' before killing me."

"I am glad you were able to hold onto yourself," Altair said softly after a few moments of silence.

"As am I," I tilted my head as I glanced at Kain with a raised brow. He nodded his head and spoke.

"The fiend had intended to force her into submission in order to stop the pain," Kain said in a dark tone. "To Mark her and then kill her after breaking her mind and claiming virginity. I know very few people who could survive such tortures intact."

"Bastard let it slip at one point when I was near unconsciousness that he wanted me to _willingly_ spread my legs for him," I said with a soft growl. "Knowing exactly what he wanted made it easier for me to _deny_ him and continue to fight back as I lost track of time."

The expressions of the two Eldar's across from us darkened and their Aura's flared briefly just as Janos' had when I had first figured out Auron's intent to force a Mate Mark me to stop the pain. Lucius warily eyed the two Eldar's beside him and then turned toward me with a raised brow and a nervous look that made plain his comparative youth.

"Wait... so you were around one hundred and sixty-eight by the time you reached Nosgoth and you were _still_ a...?" he started with a joking yet nervous tone that made it rather obvious he was trying to do something, anything, to alleviate the sudden tension in the Eldar's next to him.

"Finish that sentence and I'm bending you over my knee, _whelp_ ," I said in warning even as I offered him a half smile that was meant to take the bite out of my words.

He tilted his head and put on a mock-contemplative look as he tapped his chin. I raised a brow at him and tilted my head.

"Do not think that I jest, youngling," I said as my smirk grew. "This confined of a space? I can catch you easily."

"Hmmm... and yet the sunroof is open," he said in a yet nervous tone even as he smiled and pointed at the aforementioned opening.

The Eldar's were eyeing the byplay with dry amusement even as their Aura's fluctuated with their upset as they reigned in their combined anger. Even Kain seemed a touch amused, more at the boy's nervous energy then anything else, but then he oft enjoyed mental mind games. Kain shifted where he sat, lounging in the leather seat as he would on his throne and rested his chin in his free hand even as the other hand continued to trace delicate, shiver inducing whorls along the bared portion of my back. I had to fight to contain the twitching of my wings even as Kain spoke.

"You would have to move forward _into_ her range to reach that little window," Kain drawled in dry tone. "And what with your wings extended as they are, your movements would be severely hampered in this enclosed space. You would be at a tactical disadvantage if you truly dared to push Katrina with your sudden childishness."

"I... _uh_..."

Lucius seemed to be caught flat-footed with Kain's matter of fact statement and I had to laugh at his flabbergasted expression. Altair and Brice both relaxed further, though they shared a look that spoke volumes of their intent to ask more questions of what happened to me later. Later was fine, but I did not wish to speak of my past when confined in a fast moving car. I welcomed the younger vampires attempts at distraction at the moment.

"He's teasing you," I said with a chuckle.

" _That's_ him _teasing_?" Lucius asked incredulously.

"It is," I said with a nod of my head. "He has a dry sort of humor."

Even as I said that, I found myself amused at the simple fact that Kain could still catch me off guard with his mercurial moods despite the long years together. He was functionally insane and had been since his birth due to the corruption of the Pillars. As such, he could be as capricious as a cat; equally likely to find amusement in one thing today, but annoyance in the same thing the next.

Lucius and I continued to talk for the remainder of the drive as the youngster eagerly shared details of the changes I had missed over the years I was on Nosgoth; movies, best selling books, sports, etc. Kain pretended boredom but I could sense his attentiveness as he too soaked up the information the youth was freely offering, though some of it needed more context that could only be clarified by using the various video applications on Lucius' phone to call up recorded incidents. I'd had to liken videos to scrying crystals at first and Kain seemed duly impressed by the details of the videos shown to us though his expression did not much change. On occasion Brice or Altair would offer up a bit of information regarding the political climate of Gaia such as the fact that the U.S. currently had its' first half-blooded President in office with the usual term restrictions, England currently had a Queen again after seventy years with a King, so on and so forth. It was interesting to see that so much had stayed the same.

Eventually our conversation came to a close as we pulled into the long road leading to a rather impressive estate. Kain's brow rose slightly as the large mansion came into view and I had to stifle a chuckle as he looked over the functional opulence of the building Altair meant for us to use with a sense of approval in his Aura. A butler moved up to open the limo doors as we came to a halt near the large main doors. As we exited the vehicle I raised a brow at Altair.

"Anyone else staying here that we should know about?" I asked.

"The mansion is not being used at the moment," he said with a shake of his head. "The only people here currently are the live-in staff and the gardeners that tend the foliage weekly. This is to be your personal residence while you are here if you find no fault with it, unless you wish to visit your Father's own estates in Ireland."

"I... may wish to visit said estates later," I said with a small blink. I was still somewhat surprised at my Father's status amongst the Clan.

What followed was a brief tour of the building, I could tell when Kain found the room he wanted us to use during our stay by the way his hand tightened briefly on my hip, before we moved to the main library of the large estate. Kain and I took the couch while Altair sat in a lounge chair with Lucius and Brice at his back. Altair seemed briefly uncomfortable and eventually let out a heavy sigh.

"You have already shared details of what you have been through," he said slowly. "Yet I must ask if you can recall anything further of where you were taken. Building layout, surroundings, anything that can help us pin down a possible location for where you were kept."

"I understand the need for more information and I can still remember details even now," I said calmly as I leaned a little against Kain. His hand wrapped around my waist once more as I spoke, both possessive and comforting. "I only saw the outer part of the place during my last, successful, escape attempt. A castle on a large cliff that overlooked a massive forest. It never got very cold in the basement levels and it rained often, possibly somewhere near the equator? There were four upper floors and three basement levels. I can work out a floor map of what I memorized of the lay out."

"You were not kept isolated in a specific room?" Brice asked.

"I was moved around quite a bit," I said with a shrug. "I believe it was meant to leave me in a state of constant confusion with the consistent changes, but instead it helped me memorize the layout enough to help me during my escape attempts."

"How many times did you try to escape?" Lucius asked softly.

"I lost count," I said with another shrug. "I took _every_ calculated opportunity that I could to escape or at least do damage to Auron and his pets if the attempt failed. Sometimes I'd get caught within minutes, sometimes I was close enough to a viable exit only to be caught last second. Auron learned fast that he needed to keep me mostly starved to keep me... _docile_ isn't quite the right word... hm, _sedate_."

Brice shook his head sadly at my words.

"Almost sounds like you were a POW being held by a hostile territory," he said with a growl. "Shouldna had to go through that lass."

"POW?" Kain looked at me for clarification.

"'Prisoner of War'," I said and I raised a brow at Brice. "A near enough description."

"How did you manage a successful escape?" Altair asked.

"Developed my first Gift and used it to bolt," I said.

The three across from us blinked with various expressions of shock. Kain and I shared a brief look before we turned back at the others.

"Why such surprise to her gaining a Gift?" Kain asked in a careful tone.

"A half-blood..." Lucius paused and then continued when Brice waved his hand at the younger vampire. "A half-blood doesn't _naturally_ gain their first Gift until their _sixth-hundredth_ year. We can only gain Gifts before then by sharing blood with one or more of our Eldar's for at least a century or more."

I stiffened at those words and the tips of Kain's talons dug lightly into my skin in a steadying press of almost pain as I realized what their words meant for me. I swallowed and let out a slow breath before I stood up and Kain's hand fell away as he felt, and agreed, with my intent. I allowed my Gift to briefly coil around my body and disappeared from sight. Altair let out a pained sound as I reappeared and he lowered his face into his hands.

" _No_. Auron... what have you _become_?" he asked the air mournfully. "You are the _only_ one of us with such a Gift..."

I suddenly felt _sick_...


	44. Speak no Evil

Chapter Forty-four: Speak no Evil...

Thank you for the kind review Strife VII! I am so glad to hear that the story feels like it could be one of the games. One of my main goals has been to keep everyone from the LOK'verse in character as much as possible while also putting them in unique situations. ^.^

-mild glare shot at Kain- There wasn't supposed to be any fun-times in this chap you know...

-Kain just shrugs and flashes a satisfied smirk-

Yeah, yeah...

Same warnings, watch for ** if you want the smexy stuff with somewhat important dialogue mixed in.

* * *

*-*/-Katrina POV -*\\*-*

A full-bodied shudder of disgust ran through me and I turned on my heels to move over to the wide balcony that was connected to the library. I badly needed fresh air after the painfully sharp truth that had just been revealed regarding my first Gift.

I pushed the wide doors open and stalked over to the balcony. I braced my hands on the balcony railing and gripped the wood just hard enough to hear that first satisfying creak of noise the precluded shattering before I stopped applying further pressure. I heard booted feet shift in the room behind me as Lucius started over. He most likely meant to offer some sort of kind word, one half-blood to another, and I mantled my wings in a threat-gesture that ruffled and raised my feathers which made my wings seem larger then what they actually were. I did _not_ wish to hear false platitudes from the younger male. A low, sub-harmonic warning-growl escaped Kain and I clearly heard the sound of booted heels clicking together in response to the noise. Lucius had likely slipped into an instinctive 'attention' stance at the Kain's growl but I refused to look back to find out for certain.

"Leave her be for the nonce," came Kain's low voiced warning.

I was too damned angry as well as nauseous and had to swallow down bile as I glared up at the now unfamiliar star-scape above me even as I continued to ignore the males behind me.

I had long thought that my Gift was either something unique to me or a direct boon of my _Father's_ bloodline. A Gift from a long dead man to his flesh and blood daughter. I had known that Auron had force fed me his own blood over the long years of torture, but I had thought it had only been an _occasional_ thing. To find out that the fiend had fed me enough of his blood over time that I had gained _his_ Gift as _my own?_ That I had not yet gained a Gift of my own and would not for another _thirty to forty years_? That one of the most valuable tools in my arsenal of skills originated with that _monster_?

I was on the edge of one of my rages and I knew it as I could feel my Aura fluctuating with small pulses as I worked through my upset. It did not help that I could scent Lucius' growing fear, which only helped fuel my rage to further heights. I would not harm him and I felt that his fear was foolish, but then the younger half-blood did not know me nor my moods, thus he did not know that there was no _reason_ to fear me. I was not one to lash out at an _easy_ target just because I was upset.

Taloned footsteps approached me several minutes later and a soft rumble filled the air as Kain warned me of his impending approach. I twitched my head slightly in his direction and then let go of my grip on the railing as I crossed my arms over my chest, widened my stance slightly and lowered my ruffled wings to rest along the line of my back. I kept my gaze skyward as I glared at the stars above us even as Kain slowly ran his talons through the feathers of my wings with knowing movements as he eased the feathers out of their ruffled state and smoothed them back down into place. The two of us remained silent and I barely twitched under his touch. Reacting how I wanted to, with violence at his unyielding and currently unwanted touch, would _not_ be wise. One; the others were still unknowns and, despite their _apparent_ willingness to help, I did not want show any weakness that might be exploited later beyond what I had already let slip in my anger. Two; if I _did_ knock Kain away, violence would be met with violence and I had no true conscious desire to fight with him at the moment even if my instincts had me chomping at the bit and eager for a quick skirmish with my strong mate. I took a slow breath and let it out as I rolled and then straightened my shoulders. I forced my body to relax as much as I could and tilted my head as I frowned. I _had_ to think of this in a different way. This was... a _good_ thing, finding this out _now_. The knowledge, while painful, was being revealed in a _controlled_ situation and not at a critical juncture and thus could not be used against me later on in the middle of a combat situation. It would be just like Auron to sit on information like this until _just_ the right... moment...

I blinked and let out a rumbling hum of breath as I realized something. Kain's mind brushed mine a moment later in a questioning touch.

~Something just clicked,~ I Whispered to him.

I turned away from his touch in order to turn and lean against the balcony railing. Kain let his hands fall away from my wings then moved to stand next to the open doorway and crossed his arms over his chest even as he tilted his head at me expectantly.

"We need to operate under the assumption that Auron knows that I have... _obtained_... his Gift," I said in an even tone.

"There can no longer be any doubt regarding the validity of your claim, not with such a blatant sign as you bearing such a singularly unique Gift," Altair began slowly as he raised his head from his hands. His expression seemed almost haunted. "But _why_ would you want us to assume such a thing in our efforts to bring him to justice?"

" _Ah_ , I understand what you speak of, mine own," Kain blinked and tilted his head as his blue-gold eyes narrowed on me. "You mean to bring up the first time you acted as a scout for me."

"When I went to the Sarafan Keep, yes. Exactly that," I acknowledged with a nod of my head. "The then Sarafan Lord seemed to know _exactly_ where I was standing. We know now that he was using the Path Stone to communicate with Auron here on Gaia. Auron had to have told him what to _look_ for regarding the... shared... Gift between us for the boy to know roughly where I stood at the time."

"How would Auron have known that you had received his Gift though?" Lucius asked. "You said you were successful in your escape. He wouldn't have seen you."

"I was successful, true, but that does not mean that he was not left with a way to _gain_ said information," I said with a tilt of my head and a wave of my hand. "All Auron would have had to do was talk to the guard whose grasp I had slipped from and all _she_ would have had to say was ' _I couldn't see her_ '. He would have then realized that I had gained his Gift after his rage abated."

"I see," Altair said with a frown.

"Makes a fair bit of sense lass," Brice said as he tilted his head.

Silence filled the room for several long moments before Kain spoke.

"Now that there is no longer any doubt to Katrina's words," Kain started in a low tone as he looked over the talons of one hand, "do you know where we might _find_ the Auron we seek?"

"As the King's son mentioned," Lucius started as he shifted nervously in place, "Auron the half-blood is reclusive and hard to contact on a _good_ day. He visits his own Clan only once a century and is normally at one of his hidden estates otherwise."

"'Hidden estates'?" Kain questioned.

"Yes, hidden," Altair's wings twitched and he looked back to me. "Depending on how strongly the Gift develops in you, you _may_ be able to eventually do as he can and place charged runes powered by your magic around buildings to conceal them. Once we arrived here on Gaia, and the need for the restrictions on half-bloods were lifted due to new access to a ready food source, he demanded his privacy most of all. He then worked to build homes in remote places where he could not be easily found. The century visitation with his Clan was merely something agreed upon so that the Kelborne Clan would know that he yet _lived_ as the years progressed."

I blinked at that flood of information. Knowing another Clan name was all well and good but it was the information on _how_ Auron used his Gift that intrigued me the most. I had only recently developed my Gift enough that I no longer had a shadow. To find out that there would be the potential to _imbue runes_ with said power enough to hide _entire_ _buildings_? A strange thing that, but tactically speaking it had the potential to be useful if I ended up gaining that aspect of the Gift.

"Yet I saw the castle as I fell from the cliff," I said as I tilted my head as I thought back to the day of my escape. "The runes... do they have a bubble effect? And do they have to be charged or would they fail upon death?"

"Aye lass," Brice said with a nod. "Once you're in range of the area of effect you can see the estates, otherwise you'd just see an empty bit of land. Last we knew, Auron had to charge them every decade else they would start to fail. May have changed by now."

"I only know of _two_ main locations that belong to Auron outright, lands and estates gifted to him by his Clan," Altair said thoughtfully. "Yet he is almost never at either location and to visit either area might tip our hand. I do not think attempting to draw him into a public location for capture would be wise either."

"No, perhaps not," Kain frowned at Altair. "It would perhaps also be wise for you to put a leash on your son as well. His aggravation with what Katrina said may lead him to aiding our enemy in his haste to believe the best of the fiend."

"My son can indeed be head strong," Altair said as he narrowed his eyes on Kain. "But he will _obey_ my commands even if I must pound the order into his skull. Do not doubt my ability to control my men. I have been alive _far_ longer then you, Young King, and have survived the loss of my original home world amongst many other horrors. Do _not_ think me weak simply because I have been courteous and genial since our meeting."

"You have been a... _gracious_... host thus far and perhaps you do have an iron hand when it comes to your men," Kain said as his own eyes narrowed on the Eldar King. "What I question is your ability to separate out the difference between your _son_ and a _commander_ in your armies."

There was a subtle rearing in the Aura's of both men as they started to size each other up. Brice and Lucius both stiffened where they stood, ready to assist their King if called upon and I found myself tensing as well. Altair's accent had thickened a touch when he next spoke.

"And I suppose _you_ can easily do such with _Katrina_?" a testing, somehow _loaded_ question that.

"Of _course_ I can," Kain growled out with a sneer as his blue-gold eyes narrowed on the Eldar. "Katrina knows well the times when she must face me as her King and General and not as her Lover. She has enough _sense_ in her head that she has only had to face correction at my hands _twice_ over the past four hundred years. Somehow I find myself believing that your own son has disobeyed you far more often then that given his vocal, _and public,_ outburst. At least _mine own_ know to bring issue with any orders or instructions to me _in private_."

Altair stood at that point, his wings fanning away from his shoulders a few inches. Not quite a threat-gesture, but the potential was there.

"You think it _wise_ to tell me that you have taken a corrective hand to _a Daughter of my Clan_?" Altair asked in a low voice.

Kain bared his fangs with a warning snarl and I pushed away from the railing with a low growl of my own as I took a few steps toward Altair. Kain had that slightly mad flicker in his eyes that meant he was itching for a fight. Being in unfamiliar surroundings with strange technology and unknown people had been putting us both on edge this entire time but I could tell he was fast reaching his snapping point. This conversation needed to be over before blows could land. This was yet unfamiliar territory and Altair was an unfamiliar Alpha that we did not need to get into a territory fight with. Nor did I wish to be the reason or excuse behind such a dispute.

"Altair," I started in a low voice that drew said male's attention. "Perhaps I need to make this clear, as you and the others seem to keep making the same mistake. The Draconian Clan is my Birth Clan and I will respect that. You were my Father's General, Liege-Lord and King and I will respect _that_ as well."

Altair's focus was now firmly on me, his eyes yet showing a hint of that white glow of power, and I felt more then saw as Kain moved to stand at my side. He placed a possessive hand at the base of my back even as I continued to speak.

"What you are _not_ ," I said with a low sub-harmonic warning-rumble of noise whilst I also slashed my hand downwards in a cutting gesture, "is _my_ General, Liege-Lord or King. Your presumptive defense of my person regarding _any_ corrective processes for the Clan I am now a part of is egregious at worst and unproductive at best. I am _in no way_ beholden to you or to _any_ of those within the Draconian Clan."

Altair gave a slow blink and tilted his head as he eyed the pair of us carefully. His eyes narrowed, rounded pupils dilating suddenly to cat-like slits as his wings gave a shivering ruffle of movement before they settled on his shoulders once more.

"Perhaps it would ease my mind, daughter of mine friend," he started in a carefully blank tone that no longer held any accent. His Aura suddenly gave off a more potent and dangerous air then previously felt and I tensed, "if you advised me on the _exact_ reasons this Young King would have had to raise a corrective hand to you."

I narrowed my own eyes on the Eldar in front of me and knew they had flashed white briefly as my Aura gave a warning pulse at his demanding 'request'. I held my silence for several tense moments before I tilted my head and bared one fang even as I allowed a small snarl to escape me.

"You ask questions that have _nothing_ to do with our reasons for being here on Gaia," I said in a low tone that made it clear that I was making an allowance for him. "But if it will cease your _overprotective actions,_ very well. The first incident occurred during a time when our enemies were actively trying to capture me. My haste took me away from the guards assigned to me, guards I had been _ordered_ to stay with for my own protection, and led to my capture. The second was due to a tactical error on my part that cost the lives of nearly a _forth_ of the men under my command at the time, a tactic that might have worked had our enemies not had a hidden force of mages."

The last was said with an internal wince. I had _barely_ managed to turn that particular battle around. The then Sarafan army leader had hidden mages amongst the armies archers, clad in a similar enough garb that my scouts had not taken immediate note of it. I had ordered a pincer attack that would have dealt with the enemy troops easily enough... had it not been for said mages.

"You did not know to watch for such a thing?" Altair questioned thoughtfully.

"The leader of our human enemies had changed, as it oft does given their short lived natures," I tilted my head as I shrugged one shoulder. "Had I had my men scout ahead more in depth, they would have seen that a large number of archers had not been carrying bows. That would have helped me to realize that the new leader was _by far_ more clever then his predecessor. As it was, I did not. I had _assumed_ the same level of competence and thus barely managed to pull off a victory by the skin of my teeth. Yes, the battle was won... but at the cost of more lives lost on our side then we could afford to lose at the time. Would you have allowed _my Father_ to make such a mistake without having _him_ face correction?"

"No," Altair said several long moments later as his Aura calmed and quieted. "I would not have allowed for such a mistake to go without correction, that is true."

I wave my hand in a 'there you have it' gesture and the Eldar nodded his head in acknowledgement. He turned a yet wary look on Kain and I had the distinct sensation that the Eldar would continue to watch our interactions. The Eldar had readily acknowledged the fact that I had trusted Kain enough to allow the white-haired male to Mark me. Though it was a subconscious action at the time and I wasn't about to share _that_ little fact with the Eldar. It was obvious that the Eldar was yet judging Kain's worth as a strong Mate for me and I felt a brief flash of annoyance at his continued presumption.

"I find that there is no longer a need to check on the Path Stone that I hid," Altair said thoughtfully as if the near confrontation had not happened. "I will instead begin to look for potential locations for us to check regarding the castle where Auron held you captive. He may yet be ensconced in the same location, which would make confronting him easier. In the interim, I would not leave the pair of you without allies I can trust at your side. Shall I leave Brice and Lucius with you?"

"Spies to watch over us?" Kain growled out as a sneer crossed his lips.

" _No_ ," Altair said with a growl of his own as the pair went back to glaring at each other. "I failed her _once_ , I will not allow such to happen _again_. Brice has served me for near as long as Calder had before his death and Lucius is both loyal and young enough to help the pair of you acclimate to any unfamiliar technologies. They are _both_ skilled warriors. They would remain, if you wish it, to act as your _bodyguards_ , not as my _spies_."

I shared a brief look with Kain and felt his mind brush mine.

~The boy would be easily dealt with given his youth if they prove false,~ he Whispered. ~It is the Eldar that we would have to be mindful of. Given his taloned hands, he is a full blood and could have Gifts enough to hinder us.~

~True,~ I responded. ~This would likely be a case of 'friends close, potential enemies closer'. I would rather have them within our sights then watching us from a distance, or do you think it unlikely that Altair would simply have them stay out of sight if we declined?~

~He seems protective enough that he would indeed order such a thing methinks,~ Kain murmured thoughtfully. ~You would also be able to question Brice further concerning your Sire and Dame, as he seems to have known both well enough by the way he speaks of them.~

~There is that,~ I responded with a thoughtful hum and a nod.

We looked back to Altair and Kain gave an idle wave of his hand.

"They may stay," Kain said with an imperious tone.

Altair seemed to visibly relax at our acceptance of the continued presence of the other two males. He then reached into one of the pockets of his robe and pulled out a silver chained necklace. He then held it out in my direction, palm open, and I saw... that it was my Father's necklace. The sword with the triquetra design etched into the hilt.

"This was your father's," Altair said softly. "It is also his Symbol. I would like to return this to you."

"I..."

I looked at Kain and raised a brow at him as I idly scratched at my adorned ear. He did nothing to acknowledge my signaled request and, even as I looked back to the necklace and reached for it with a hesitant air, he sent out a subtle, testing pulse of magic that I could barely sense. Altair's wings, as well as Brice's, twitched faintly with annoyance while Lucius remained clueless to the subtle magics, _and_ minor insult, that Kain had just worked in the room. I took the necklace into my hand as if nothing had happened and my apparent cluelessness as to what had just occurred kept the two Eldar's from reacting any further, just as I had hoped.

"Thank you," I said.

I turned the small sword over in my fingers and looked over the forgotten details of the Symbol. I'd only recalled the sword and the triquetra symbol at the hilt but there looked to be more runes along the blade itself. I looked up at Altair and he offered me a small, pained smile.

"I will take my leave of you for the moment and return when I have a few promising locations," he said. "We will start with areas along the equator. Katrina... even if you do not intend to remain overlong... welcome home Childe."

"...Thank you," I repeated in a softer tone.

He nodded his head to the others before he turned and left via the balcony.

"...Ya need some time to yourself lass?" Brice asked after his King was gone.

"Your exit _would_ be prudent," Kain growled in an aggrieved tone that made Lucius twitch.

"Indeed," I said with an internal wince at his openly upset tone. I moved back to Kain's side within the library proper and out of the cool outside air. "Leave us be."

Lucius all but fled whilst Brice left the room at a much more sedate pace as he moved after the younger vampire, likely to help the boy calm down. Kain let out a frustrated snarl of breath after they were out of hearing range. I reached out with both my hands and my Aura as I moved to rub at Kain's shoulders with a soothing pressure. He rolled his shoulders moments later to push my hands away and a flurry of telekinetic energy flooded the room as the balcony doors and main doors were slammed shut and then the draperies in the room were closed with rough tugs to block any outside eyes from prying.

***Smexy stuff alert!***

He tugged me over to the couch and sat down, pulling me to where I could sit straddled upon his legs. He pulled me close and took a deep, open mouthed breath of my scent before he buried his fangs into my neck over his Mark in order to take several swift swallows of my blood. I bucked, held within his unyielding grasp around my waist and my wings fanned wide as I gasped with the pleasure that bite induced. I knew that he was suffusing himself in the scent and taste of me, the only thing that was yet familiar to him here on my strange home world. I turned my head as much as I was able in order to nibble along the top of his ear whilst I stroked my claws lightly through his silvered mane of hair. I flared my Aura gently, letting it coil around him and brush against him in a metaphysical touch meant to sooth as much as my physical touch was designed to.

A low, satisfied growl escaped him as he suddenly pulled his fangs free and pushed me back to my feet whilst his talons deftly undid the clasps of my leather armor with a delicate swiftness that always seemed out of place given how _unwieldy_ the talons appeared to be. He let the armor fall to the side before he shifted to undo the clasps that held my top in place and I sucked in a sharp breath as the coolness of the rooms air passed over my now bared skin. A low, rumbling purr of noise escaped him as he reached to brush the backs of his talons over my now hardened nipples and I let out a soft, chuckling purr of noise as I reached to run my fingers through his hair again.

" _What_ is going through that head of yours?" I murmured the question to him softly, wondering if he would share his obvious concerns or if he would simply choose to voice his darkly perverted thoughts.

It was always a flip of the coin to see how he would answer whenever I asked about his darksome moods.

Kain let out a thoughtful hum of noise even as he leaned forward to sweep his tongue across my stomach in a slow pass. He followed that up by blowing a cool breath over the wetted skin, which caused me to shiver and my wings to twitch with pleasure. He pulled me back down to sit upon his lap and spoke in a low rumble whilst his hands started a slow, sharp pointed dance across my skin.

"I dislike the amount of unknown factors that face us," he said in a low tone.

His fangs brushed along the skin around one nipple and drew small, swiftly healed cuts that left small lines blood. I let out a moaning hiss of breath as he licked the blood away. I rubbed my hands over his shoulders even as I spoke in a breathy tone.

"I do not much care... _nngh_!" I could not help but gasp as the tips of his talons trailed along my spine. I swallowed roughly and continued my train of thought. "... much care for the situation either. There are too many variables. At least A-Altair... _mmmnnuh_... seems to wish to remain in my good graces."

I shuddered and mantled my wings higher when his talons brushed lightly along the base of my wings. Just the slightest increase in pressure would turn those gentle, teasing passes of the tips of his talons into cutting strokes, but that inherent danger was part of the thrill of it all and my pain tolerance had risen over the years to the point where such pains could easily be tolerated when mixed amongst the more pleasant touches. Kain let out a dark chuckle as he turned his head in order to draw his fangs in a cutting line over my throat.

"He does indeed," he purred against my neck as he licked away the drawn blood. "A _clever_ bit of manipulation, mine Little Queen. Had he reacted negatively when you seemed not to have sensed my magics, he would have appeared once more the over-protective Lord of a Childe _not_ under his protection. His desire to make amends for his failure _seems_ genuine."

"Yes," I let out a soft grunt as he tilted me backwards and trailed talon tips of one hand over the planes of my stomach as the other remained a steadying weight at the base of my back. "As long as Altair continues to maintain such a stance we can continue to treat him as... _mmnh_... an ally. It is not just... _ah_!... his son that we need be mindful of."

I had to brace myself with my hands on his knees to avoid falling back and angled my wings carefully to try to maintain my balance. The _problem_ was that this angle made plain the top-heavy weight of my wings and I was as equally reliant on Kain's steadying hand on my back as I was my own grip on his knees in order to remain stable.

"True, mine own, very true," he purred low as he looked me over with lust filled eyes that had started to show hints of power. "The female that dared an attempt at near blatant bribery and the others who clearly voiced their denial must needs be watched closely if they approach us. Your tormentor being what amounts to a war hero means that he will have allies that will continue to believe the best of him."

"And that is just counting... _eep_!" I couldn't help the surprised noise that escaped me as he forced me forward and up so that I had to brace my hands upon the back of the couch lest I go flying over the furniture as he raised me to suddenly be standing, feet spread wide on either side of his legs on the cushions of the couch. I let out a faint laugh as I continued to speak. "... those amongst the Draconian Clan. How many allies could he have spread amongst the Kelbourne Clan and the other two Great Clans? How many he could have amongst any lesser Clans that are out there as well?"

"As long as we can continue to surround ourselves with allies and yet remain watchful for a dagger to the back," Kain rumbled as he caught the ties that held my leather pants bound in his teeth to tug them undone before he continued to speak, "I _do_ believe we can deal with this swiftly. Stealth and timing will be the key to catching your captor."

"Hnnn," I growled faintly in anger. A noise that rapidly turned into a gasp as he both nosed open the leather and tugged my pants down a few inches in order to lay bare the prize he sought. He let out a deep thrum of noise as he started to lave at my clit. " _Aaah_! I... I dislike the thought of... _mmmph_!... bearding the lion in his own den. He had at l-least a hundred different 'pets' bound to his will that I can recall."

"Mmmm," he pulled back enough to tug my pants down further. "You kept count by scent?"

"Y-yes," I arched back and had to struggle not to grip the couch hard enough to rip into the suede leather as his taloned hands clamped tight over my ass and he started to lave at my now fully exposed slit. "I... t-they had... Kain! _Nnnngh_! _Yes_... more!"

~Ah, mine own,~ he purred into my mind as his tongue pushed inside me, fangs pressed against soft flesh in a tantalizing warning to hold still. ~Such _sweet_ sounds you make for me. Continue.~

"You make it d-difficult to focus, you heartless bastard," I growled out in pleasure filled exasperation even as I reached to fist my hand in his hair. "They h-had all been broken to his w-will, like whipped and... _ooooh_ yes!" I bucked against him as he curled and twisted his tongue with a deft sureness of long practice against that sweet spot within me. " _Mmph_... whipped and beaten dogs too cowed and cowardly to unite against him."

~Beaten animals do not an army make, my Little Queen,~ he rumbled in my head as he pulled back and started to apply a sucking pressure directly to my clit.

I shifted enough so that I could move my hand from the couch to his shoulder in order to sink my claws into his flesh and force the scent of his blood to perfume the air. I let out a low groan as I looked down to watch him and my wings gave a strong enough beat through the air that the resultant wind ruffled his hair. I licked my lips and then hissed at the sudden warning press of fangs against sensitive flesh.

"I-it may not make an army, but _can_ m-make for distraction enough for him to p-potentially slip our grasp," I gasped out as I struggled to maintain my thoughts through the growing haze of pleasure. Sometimes I could succeed, sometimes I lost focus. Success or failure in this each had their own kind rewards. "It may prove more... _mmmmmnnnhhh_... prudent to attempt to... attempt to lure him into a public confrontation where he will not have his... _oh_ , that feels _good_... his enslaved servants to help him."

Kain slid one of his hands from my ass and I could feel the magic barrier coil over one of his talons as the cutting pressure disappeared. His tongue laved and lapped at my clit in a steady, flicking, teasing touch as he pushed that thick, magic sheathed claw into my wet core. My breath hitched and I arched backward with a low moan as the thick talon pushed into me. His primary talon was as thick at the base as the head of his length and I bucked down into his touch, trying to force that thick digit deeper, to impale myself further upon it. He chuckled darkly against my mound and he started to suck on my clit once more even as his other hand tightened on my ass to hold me still and prevent more than the smallest of abortive movements. He curled and twitched that talon within me right against that sweet spot and I bucked again in his grasp as my wings beat at the air.

~Each option before us will require careful consideration,~ Kain Whispered into my mind. ~I believe we shall wait to see if any of the locations Altair finds bares fruit. I will allow for three locations to be searched before we move to try to flush him out into a public trap.~

"I... that... that would..." I bucked again in his grasp as he pushed me rapidly toward that peak and I growled low with pleasure. "That would be... acceptable. H-how... should we draw him out... _nnnmmmhhh_... if we are unable to f-find where he h- _hnnn_!-hides?"

Kain always liked to have several plans ready in case something went wrong and this would be no different. He pushed his taloned digit deep and I let out a ragged gasp at the movement. The digit slid partly out a moment later and he focused on curling and tapping that magic blunted tip at that singular spot within me.

~Ah, my Little Queen, _think_ ,~ Kain purred mentally as he started to suck harder upon my clit. ~What would draw him out? What would lure him to us as surely as your heart beats?~

"He... he would..." I panted harshly for breath and let out a small whimper of breath as I struggled briefly at the building pleasure. "He would... come out... to try to capture me again. We... _gahnnmmmmh_... we can make it s-seem as if... we had just a- _ah_!-arrived and... d-draw him out that... that _waaaay_!"

I howled that last word as I jerked and writhed as he forced me over that peak of pleasure all whilst he kept me pinned, standing, against him. I curled forward over him lest I fall backwards as I writhed. My wings arched wide above us and my grip tightened in his hair and on his shoulder as I screamed my pleasure while he continued to draw out my release with skilled touches and sweeps of his tongue. When I started to come down from that peak of pleasure he turned his head and swiftly sank his fangs into my inner thigh and forced me once more over the edge as he fed directly from my femoral artery.

"Kain! Ka _aain_!" I yowled as the pleasure tore through me almost violently and I raked my claws over his back, tearing the back of the silk shirt to tatters and drawing wounds that healed near as fast as my claws could rend flesh.

He let out a low chuckle as he pulled his fangs free of my inner thigh. I let out a panting snarl of breath as I collected myself and then wrenched myself backwards and out of his grasp, his talon being pulled _almost_ painfully from my core as I moved. A low growl escaped him, a sound that was swiftly muffled as I lunged forward to push my mouth to his in a bruising kiss. His hands latched tight around my upper arms even as I reached for the ties that held the top of his own leather pants shut. I tugged the ties off violently, the sound of leather string breaking filled the air as I did so, and then yanked at his hips enough to be able to wrench his leathers down in order to free the hardened flesh I sought. A muffled snarl escaped him as he nipped at my tongue but he allowed the manhandling as he knew precisely the prize I wanted.

I pulled back from the kiss and lowered myself to where I knelt in front of Kain and drew my tongue over his now exposed length from base to tip. I then blew a hot breath over the head of him that made the entire length twitch with an eagerness that was only enhanced by the pleased rumble of noise that escaped his throat. His hand fisted in my hair as I started to mouth the tip of him, mindful of my fangs, and he bucked up against me even as he reclined against the back of the couch. Power whitened eyes watched me hungrily as he spoke.

"Ah, my own," he purred darkly. "Such a _divine_ sight you make knelt before me."

~Such _heady_ control you allow me when I do this,~ I murmured back with a sinuous Whisper as I took him deeper into my mouth.

It was not an easy thing to take him thusly after his change. The Torpor had thickened him enough that there had been a few unintentional mishaps involving my fangs and his new girth in the early years following the change. The Torpor thickened flesh had greater protection what with the small layer of sub-dermal scaling, yes, but the flesh yet remained as sensitive to pleasure and pain as it had been before the change. Want to lay any vampire out, even an Eldar, for the few desperate moments needed to escape? _Always_ go for the crotch shot. As far as his girth, he was far too thick now for him to be able to pound his way to completion as he might when burying himself in my core. Internal muscles of my throat having being partly torn by just _one_ ill-timed thrust one late night had taught us both that my going down on him needed to be a _slow_ and _sensual_ form of release after his change.

As it was, I was careful to curl my lips over my still dainty fangs to prevent them from catching on that hard length and causing damage. It was slow going, relaxing the muscles of my throat to take him in one slow inch at a time. I found myself again grateful that I had no gag reflex, else my steady pace might have been impeded even now after centuries of doing this. His grip in my hair tightened and he stroked the talon tips of his other hand up and down the back of my neck as his hips gave small abortive thrusts up into the heat of my mouth. I looked up at him as I eased the last of his length into the passage of my mouth and throat and watched as he threw his head back and let out a throttled growl of pleasure.

~Oh, my King,~ I purred into his mind even as I reached to run my fingers teasingly over his testes. ~ _Now_ who is the one making sweet sounds?~

A low snarl escaped him as he looked down at me, eyes bright with power and lust.

"You will drive me _mad_ , mine own..." he gasped out in a low voice.

I hummed around him, letting the vibrations carry over the entire length of him before I swallowed hard and forced a deep throated cry from him.

~That _is_ the goal at the moment mine King,~ I said cheekily. ~Besides which, would this not be one of the more _pleasant_ descents into madness that one can face?~

" _Mmmm_ ," he laughed darkly at my words. "It would _indeed_ my Little One. More now... _pleasure me_."

I let out a low hum of amused noise and closed my eyes as I turned my attention back to my prize. I kept up a slow assault upon that thick length, an assault that had Kain exhaling hard breaths within minutes as he worked to hold still as I bobbed my head carefully up and down his length, swallowing hard or pulling back in order to sweep my tongue over the thick head at random intervals. I started to pull back completely, intent on teasing and drawing out the pleasure and his hand clamped tight over the back of my neck as he let out a low snarl of breath.

" _No_ ," he panted out the order through the snarl of noise. "No, mine Queen. _Do not stop._ "

I had half a mind to disobey the order, the results of such disobedience _could_ be pleasant indeed, but that half-mad look was still in his eye. I let out a hum of noise to acknowledge the order and set myself firmly to the task of bringing him to completion. I pulled back only far enough that the head of him yet remained in my mouth and I suckled hard upon him even as I flicked my tongue around the tip of him, the flared ridge, the line of skin along the underside of that thick head in swift and random passes. His hands started to tighten upon the back of my neck and at my shoulders in increments that drew blood at each firm press of the tips of those talons. The actions caused the air to be filled with the constant scent of my blood. I let out a strained sound at the small pain and redoubled my efforts as the skin of his testes began to draw tight under my fingertips and his snarling groans grew louder.

Kain bucked suddenly in my grasp, an instinctive need to thrust and a will unbreakable fighting each other as he prevented himself from pushing deeper and faster then was safe. Cold-fire seed spilled over my tongue as he threw his head back and roared his release. I swallowed eagerly as I wrapped my hand around the base of his shaft, intent on milking him for every drop I could, yet he grabbed me firmly by my shoulders and yanked me onto his lap. A snarl escaped him as he buried himself into my quivering core and I let out a cry of pleasure that turned to a screaming wail of release as he sank fangs into my neck and forced me to peak as those last spurts of cold-fire seed filled my core. My wings snapped back and forth with wild beats at the air as he continued to feed, continued to draw out that flood of pleasure and my cries turned to choked mewls the longer he fed.

He pulled his fangs from my neck and eased me forward as he tilted his head to the side. I let out a purring growl of pleasure filled hunger and sank my own fangs into his exposed throat to feed deep on that electricity tinged blood. A low sub-harmonic rumble filled the air as he bucked harder up into my core and I tangled the fingers of one hand into his hair even as I coiled my other arm around his waist. His hands moved to rest at the base of my wings and then tightened abruptly, hard enough that I knew the skin around the area would be purpled with bruises in short order, as my feeding brought him roaring to a forced completion that I knew bordered on painful for him what with it following so quickly on the heels of that first explosion of release.

I pulled back from my feeding and moved to kiss him slow and deep. He returned the kiss with a gentle pressure, our blood mingling in our mouths as our tongues warred in a languid dance of equally satiated pleasure. We pulled back in the same instant and rested forehead to forehead for several long moments as our breathing slowed. I blinked my eyes open as I let out a shuddering sigh of satisfaction and met his once more blue-gold gaze. I let out a faint sound of self-satisfaction when I saw that the half-mad look had faded from his gaze to be replaced by a languid and contented look.

"Shall we retire to the room you picked out?" I murmured softly as I leaned in to place another light kiss to his lips.

"Not yet," he rumbled with a soft, deep purr. "I wish us to remain like this a while. Even with your worlds rapid means of gaining and sharing information we have time yet before we will have locations to scout."

I let out a soft chuckle and moved to nuzzle his neck, "Lazy bastard. You just wont admit that you can't move yet."

"Hush woman," Kain said with an amused grumble as he slapped a hand firmly against my ass. I laughed as I closed my eyes and curled against him, tucking my wings close.

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Please read and review!


	45. Facing the Past

Thank you again Strife VII and Jess for the kind reviews! Reviews are the life-blood of authors everywhere and I am glad to see them ^.^

Also thank you avatarange for following and favoring my work! I do hope you continue to enjoy!

Next chapter up! W00t!

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Chapter Forty-five: Facing the Past

While we waited for word back from the Eldar King, Brice and Lucius were kind enough to help us acclimate to some of the every day tech that people used nowadays, which made for a few amusing incidents here and there, one even revolved around an espresso machine of all things. We found out as well that the full blooded vampires on Gaia _could_ actually Turn a Childe as Kain was learning how to via necromancy, though they preferred to scout out their future Childeren from amongst the living and turn them as the Breed did, as Janos and Vorador did back on Nosgoth, and not turn long dead corpses due to... complications.

"Easier to get a bead on a persons personality and you have less of an issue acclimating them to societal changes," Brice had explained. "Finding and Turning someone dead for even _fifty_ years tends to lead to a bit of shock regarding any changes or, if older then that, initial memory issues. We try to avoid that as it makes the rearing of the fledge take longer."

"Understandable," Kain said thoughtfully and I knew he was briefly contemplating how best to rear the six long dead Sarafan, especially as I had confirmed the lack of any human memories. "Do their minds regress to infancy or do they still retain knowledge?"

"Fledges turned when dead over seventy to a hundred years act on instinct at first," Lucius pipped up, knowing as I did the 'why' behind the question. "More like intelligent _animals_ then sentient beings really, but eventually they will regain any speech-craft, reading and writing that they had in life. Memories on the other hand are a complete loss due to the long term brain degradation in the once corpse."

"Technically it _should_ be the same for speech and reading," Brice said with a frown. "Nothing in magic _or_ science has yet explained why a fledge that long dead does not have to be retaught like a newborn babe, but they do regain the ability about a month to two months after being Turned. Extreme handful 'til then."

~I think we may need to leave Vorador and Alma with you for a time,~ I Whispered. ~Six wild-seeming fledges would be a bit of a handful for even you my King.~

~You may be correct,~ came the thoughtful reply.

Brice was also kind enough to share what he could about my parents history while we waited. Altair had not long been the King of the Draconian Clan before the Clan's arrival on Gaia. There had been a major coupe due to the horrid treatment of the half-bloods during the harshest years as their original sun was dying as older and crueler vampires took what they wanted regarding the until then beloved, treasured and protected half-bloods that in many cases became not but a food source. Altair had taken over in order to stop those atrocities with my then century old Father and several others who stood willingly at Altair's side. That had been roughly a thousand years ago. I shook my head at the information and looked at Kain.

"It sounds almost as if Auron _might_ have been one of those half-bloods mistreated and then decided to perpetuate the horror himself," I said with a frown.

"Understanding the mindset of our enemy will only help us defeat him," Kain tilted his head at me and raised his brow. "Do you suddenly pity him due to this new information mine own?"

"Pity? Mayhaps," I said with a shrug of shoulder and wing. "But sympathize? Forgive? Excuse? Never. He continued the cycle of pain, which means to me that he either had to have been one of those to break just as he breaks his pets or he had joined in eagerly from the start when it came to causing others pain. He prized virgins above all as well, which means he had a dedicated taste for the sweeter blood and chance to break the innocent which leads me to believe he was more along the lines of the _later_ rather then the former. How many of the children within the castle were un-Awakened half-bloods stolen in the middle on the night? Kept for their sweet blood and broken to his hand early on? No. Death would be too good for him, yet I will _not_ make the mistake of visiting anything but a swift and immediate punishment lest he escape and cause others yet more pain just because I want to make him suffer in turn for what was done to me and the others."

"Aye lass," Brice rolled his own shoulders, which ruffled his wings and he shook his head. "From what all you've told us, were you to issue a punishment equal to what he has put others through... he might well enjoy it and believe he still has some power over you."

"Indeed," I said with a wince. "I would rather like to _avoid_ his gloating that I have yet retained his detailed lessons regarding the torture of others."

"He would indeed take a victory in that," Kain said with a nod and sneer. "Better to end him swiftly."

"Exactly," I shook my head and looked back to Brice. "So Altair took over the Clans with my Father's help, what happened next?"

"Until that point no one had been looking for a way to survive, to see if there was a way to outlive our original world's end," Lucius interjected eagerly. "Lord Altair gathered together the greatest magical minds of our world to figure out a way to get survivors to a new home."

"Creating the Path Stones in the process," I nodded my head and then frowned. "How did Auron get trusted with one of the Stones?"

"He was The Dreamer lass," Brice said.

"Clarify that please?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

"Creating a new link between dimensions isn't an easy task," Lucius said. "I don't understand the process completely, but when a person dreams more oft then not what is seen in their dreams is actually a glimpse into other worlds."

"I figured that out already when I realized that I had landed in Nosgoth," I said dryly. "Though for a brief time I had thought that my mind had finally snapped. But I have never really experienced pain and pleasure while in a true dream state. Sleep became a refuge for me for a reason. Thus the reality of where I had suddenly ended up sank in pretty quick. Within the first _week_ of my being there even."

Kain's mind brushed my own with a distinctly smug sensation. I sent back a mental push of fond exasperation that made his lips quirk briefly with amusement.

"Fair enough lass," Brice said and he continued the narrative. "In any case, the mages used combined sleep and dimensional magics to keep Auron in a dream state for long periods so that he could use the time to 'explore' other dimensions. He was then one who found Gaia for us."

"And the rest, as they say, is history," Kain rumbled softly from where he stood leaning against the kitchenette.

"Aye," Brice acknowledged with a nod.

"And my mother?" I asked. "How did my parents _meet_? Hell, how does a _thousand-year-old_ vampire end up getting a human or half-blooded woman _pregnant_ anyway?"

"Ah... that," Lucius blushed fire-truck red and I realized suddenly that the vampires of Gaia might well be a bit more prudish then their Nosgothian counterparts.

" _I'll_ explain it lad," Brice said with a roll of his eyes. "Youngsters these days... roughly one in a thousand male vampires have the potential to release viable seed when they orgasm. Bit o' inherent magic lets others sense the viability in a particular male, even though it just becomes a matter of a little bit of extra enjoyment for the full-blooded females and even the males... an' he's off..."

Brice said the last part just as Lucius bolted for the kitchen door and as far away from the conversation as he could be whilst still able to be on hand in an emergency. I could not only sense it through his Aura, but could also smell his embarrassment as he fled the kitchen. The kid seemed a mirror of myself when I had first been getting used to Vorador's Brides, only I had at the least tried to listen in on the conversations at first in order to learn a few things. I hadn't initially bolted those first two years until the point where the conversations started going over some of the more 'kinky' aspects of sex. Kain and I shared a bemused look before I turned back to Brice.

"Most fledglings get over the whole 'casual sex-talk' thing within the first century in Nosgoth," I said in a bemused tone.

"Was the same way here for a time before humans started to get all 'prim and proper' and 'missionary for procreation only' like," Brice said with an amused huff. "Gotten better about it in the past two-hundred years, but you still end up with _a lot_ of sex-talk-shy fledges these days."

~You cannot deny your own shyness when you first arrived mine own,~ Kain Whispered in amusement.

~I had better reasons behind that shyness then 'eww sex!'~ I shot back with a mental huff. ~Nor did the shyness much long last after I imbued my own Symbol. It was more a confidence issue then prudishness.~

~True enough,~ he responded in a soothing rumble.

"At any rate lass," Brice continued with a small snicker of sound as he turned to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Way to tell if a male full-blood is viable is his seed. If it feels equally as if it is freezin' and yet warm at the same time when it comes in contact with skin, then he has a chance at... eh.. 'sowin' his oats' if you will."

I looked at Kain with widened eyes and then let out a bemused, if slightly exasperated sigh as I took in his changed stance.

~Mine King... if you had wings, you would be mantling them in an obvious display right now...~ I Whispered. He could be such a male sometimes.

Kain shot me a smug look and a smirk that flashed fang.

~I am a prideful creature, as you well know mine Little One,~ he hummed into my mind with dark satisfaction. ~Finding out that I can indeed create my own Childe and not have to rely forever on Vorador for troops was a boon indeed. To find out that there is a probability, based on your own comments, that I could also potentially get a woman, _my_ woman, _my Queen,_ with child with enough time and luck? A balm to _any_ male's pride it is to know that one has not been rendered as sterile as a _gelding_ because of the machinations of others.~

~I understand Kain, my King,~ I Whispered back gently knowing he was referencing his forced change into a vampire. A number of things had proved to parallel Nosgothian vampires and this _might_ well prove to be the same. ~It is a good thing to know that the potential is there.~

Brice turned back around and we turned our attention back to him.

"As to how your parents _met_ ," Brice started, unaware of our mental byplay, "your mum was a nurse in her younger years for the Clans. Kind, gentle, with a good bedside manner as long as you kept an even temper. Try to go off before she and the doc's said you were fit for duty and you'd wake a hell-cat you would."

"I take it that Father made such a mistake?" I asked in a dry tone.

"Aye, that he did lass," Brice said with a fond chuckle and a far away look. "You know too well how vulnerable our wings are. Eldar or youth that vulnerability remains, at least in part. You'll already have noticed your own wings have gotten a little more resilient, but are still points of potential weakness. Well, your Father and I got ourselves injured badly at one point due to an incendiary grenade. We protected a handful of men from a blast by using our wings as a shield."

I winced at that. "Burn damage does take a long while to heal."

"Not as long as loosin' 'em," Brice said with a nod as he took another sip of his coffee, "but near as bad. Depending on how extensive the damage you can still fly a ways..."

"But that's not suggested unless you have to in order to get away from an immediate threat," I finished.

He gave another nod. "Exactly. At any rate, your Father thought he was well enough to get back to the field. Your mum said 'no' to us both and told us not to go anywhere. Well... suffice to say, he ignored her."

"How would she have stopped him?" Kain asked with a blink.

Brice shot him a bemused look, "You've yet to be hit by a taser, have ya?"

Kain gave him a blank look even as I burst into laughter.

"She didn't!" I said, highly amused. "She _tased_ him?!"

"Those things are designed to overwhelm the nervous system lass," Brice said with a grin. "Doesn't have to pierce the sub-dermal scaling, just has to catch on the first few layers of skin to send the shock through someone, even a vampire."

" _Katrina_..." Kain said with a faint grumble to his tone. A demand that I clarify what the hell we were talking about.

I turned to him with a small grin.

"You remember when that one fledge that tried his luck by mouthing off to you about a century ago and you hit him with that controlled lightning burst that left him twitching on the ground uncontrollably for several minutes?" I asked.

Kain blinked at me and then nodded. Brice pulled a small object from his belt and set it on the kitchen counter. He tapped one talon tip lightly against the small device. A device that could easily be hidden in his large hand.

"This is a taser. Does to humans and vampires via _technology_ what it sounds like you did via magic to this fledge the lass is talkin' about," the Eldar said with a grin.

Kain raised a brow as he eyed the object before he looked up at Brice.

"You gave your humans access to such things _prior_ to the Unveiling?" he asked in a dry tone.

"To the healers that we _trusted_ , yes. Doctors and nurses that have trained with us and are loyal to the Clans," Brice said with another nod.

"'Loyal to the Clans'?" Kain repeated as he tilted his head. "You do not have Clan specific healers?"

"We do," Brice said with a shrug. "But we also have healers that are not assigned to any particular Clan. They take a sworn Oath to ensure that they have no affiliation to any particular Clan. This allows them to minister to any who come to them. Rather like Switzerland. If one _does_ gain affiliation for any reason to a specific Clan, the magic of the Oath then forces them join that particular Clan."

"So when Father and Mother developed an attachment to each other..." I started.

"She became a nurse for the Draconian Clan as a result of that relationship, yes," Brice nodded at me with a smile. "At any rate, even before tasers were invented we gave our healers charged lightning runes meant to act the same way. Bad manners t' drain the healer trying t' tend t' yer wounded arse it is."

I laughed softly at the mental image and shook my head.

"Any rate," he continued, "your Father took umbrage to that. 'Do you have _any_ idea of just _who I am_ woman?!' Ha! Your mum yanked his still twitching form back onto the medical bed, shoved him down onto his stomach so he wouldn't be on his wings and responded with dry tone, 'I don't care if you're the _second coming_ of Christ, Gandhi and Marten Luther King _combined_. You're in _my_ hospital and you'll do as the doctor ordered and _remain_ in that bed or do I need to hit you with the rune that I have as well?' Love at first _verbal beat-down_ it was. Your Father had his flings over the centuries, but I'd never seen him outright _smitten_ with someone til tha' day. Two could fight like cats and dogs and yet they still loved each other deeply."

Kain's lips twitched into a smirk and I chuckled softly at first before I fell into a fit of laughter.

Several more stories were shared with us as the days progressed while we waited for Altair to bring news. I had been, in turns, ecstatic and sorrowful at the history he shared with us. For history it was...

By the time Brice had shared several dozen additional stories of my parents, I found that I was anxious indeed to move on to other things. It was... hard to face one who had known both of my parents so well and to hear stories about them when I had been denied the chance to truly know either of them due to a sniper's bullet. A bullet that had been meant for _Altair's_ skull. Even a vampire's Torpor driven evolutions did _not_ protect against such long range weaponry. One shot denied me the both of them.

It had been a bitter sense of relief that filled me when Altair arrived with news. Even with advanced technology at his talon tips, it took Altair four days to get back to us on several viable locations where Auron's castle might be hidden. In all honesty, both Kain and I had expected the search to take longer then it had. Thankfully the map I had drawn up for them regarding what I had memorized of the castle layout had narrowed the search for the Eldar as far as the general size of the cliff he was looking for.

Scouting the locations proved difficult at first. We needed to be able to fly in low enough yet remain unseen and Kain refused to be left behind. What we worked out was actually simple in the end. A long rope for Lucius, Brice and Altair to hold to while I had my Gift active. It took time to perfect flying in such a formation but we were able to have things worked out to my satisfaction with another day. Kain had changed into his Cloud of Bats to act the part of a migrating Cloud. I ended up with a few small passengers holding tight to various parts of my armor as we approached each of the locations.

The first location proved to be a dud. Even flying along the full edge of the cliff revealed no signs of a castle anywhere along the rim.

It was the second location that revealed Auron's previous hide-away where I had been kept.

I say 'previous', as once we flew within range we could easily see that the castle seemed to have been abandoned and we could hear no sounds of any potential inhabitants, namely the near constant screams of pain that I could remember. I guided the others in a circling pattern and found the very window that I had been flung from by the chemical and magical explosion that had heralded my forced arrival in Nosgoth. We landed carefully and used that very 'exit point' to slip inside the building only to find said room stripped bare of objects, though there were still signs of a fiery explosion left upon the walls.

Kain reverted to his normal shape and took hold of the lengthy rope. Using the Whisper, and keeping my Gift active, we moved carefully through several rooms before we all realized that the entirety of the place had been gutted. Kain and I had a brief mental conversation and I dropped my Gift once we were done. There was no point to having the Gift active it seemed, but I was ready to conceal myself and the others again in an instants notice.

I led the small group room by room through the former castle of horrors as we searched for potential clues as to where Auron had fled to. Some of the rooms still bore traces of blood stains upon the stone walls and grout, though it was plain that someone had done their damnedest in trying to remove it all. Even now, two years time since my escape as far as Gaia was concerned, the scent of bleach and lye lingered in the air.

I came to a halt at one point and crouched to brush shaking fingers against deep groves dug into the stone floor. I stared at my shaking hand and froze as I felt the aching tug of painful memories push at the edges of my mind. I might not be as susceptible to flashbacks as I had been in my early years on Nosgoth, but the memories could still try to pull me under from time to time. Here, back in the place where it all happened? The memories were _far_ closer to the surface of my mind then they had been in years.

"Katrina?" Kain rumbled a firm sounding query of noise when he noticed my trembling hand.

I flexed said hand and then slowly drew my claws along the grooved lines instead of answering him. My claws fit along the lines perfectly and Kain let out a low growl as he realized what I was showing to them. I stood and then pointed out several other claw-made groves that led away from a large set of wooden doors.

"Second to final escape attempt," I said in a voice void of all emotion. "It didn't matter at that point what I dug my claws and fangs into. I wanted _out_. I had been three levels down when I broke out that night too. Got fairly far before they realized I had gotten loose."

"Lass... if ye need to step outside..." Brice started, his accent thick with controlled anger and worry.

" _Silence_ ," I hissed out even as Kain moved to rest a calming, taloned hand against my left wing where the others could not see. The touch soothed as much as it set me further on edge and I knew my eyes had gone white with power. "This place... the past will always be a part of me but it _will not_ control me. We press on to see if Auron left any clues behind as to where he might have gone."

Lucius looked like he was about to say something when Altair's hand fell upon his shoulder and silenced the boy. He looked at his King with a lost expression on his face and I turned away from the pair to glare at Brice. The dark-haired Eldar nodded his head in a respectful bow.

"As ye wish Lady Katrina," Brice responded in a more formal tone.

I shifted as I turned and briefly caught Kain's hand in my own, the gesture was easily hidden by the angle of my body and where he stood in respect to my own position. I squeezed his hand and he let a small spark of energy zap between us using his magic, a spark of pleasing, soothing, electrical energy meant to chase away the memory of pain and anchor me more completely to the now. He had to do that covertly a number of times to help steady me as we made our way through the castle, idle zapping touches carefully ministered where the others could not see. Touches and magic that reminded me I was safe as we traversed the dark halls.

We came across rooms that still smelled of fear and torture. Across rooms that still smelled of children's blood. Rooms that yet carried the scents of acts performed that were both willing and not. Auron's hidden room behind the spear statue had been stripped bare. Only one room in the entire place remained untouched...

The room that would have been 'mine' had I broken and given into Auron's demands of me.

Pure rage filled my thoughts when we came across that last room with its' four poster bed and light colored sheets. The chains and shackles used to hold me in place were still attached to the wall and showed signs of careful maintenance, same for the second set of shackles hanging from a hook on the far wall. This was both the room that had been 'promised' to me and the room where I had been taught the unwanted knowledge of how to torture people and keep them alive for long periods of time. There was even a number of dresses hanging in plain view from a rack like a visual mockery of a ladies room. Kain, giving the illusion of a comforting, one-armed hug around my waist that was in truth a _restricting_ hold meant to prevent me from flying off the handle, looked around the room critically and sent out a small pulse of his magic.

"Strange," he said, a soothing sub-harmonic rumble echoed in his voice and along my skin.

"You noticed it as well?" Altair said as he moved further into the room.

"Noticed what?" Lucius asked as he looked the large room over and voices the very question I wanted to echo, though my current rage would have resulted in a more... _rude_... query, thus I kept silent.

Brice's expression was grim, "Look around lad. There's no dust and no magic to preserve the room. Yet the room is neat and smells like fresh cleaning oils. Someone was here. Recent like."

I turned my head to look at Brice and then let my breath out through my nose in a strong huff to clear it. I took several careful scenting breaths of air and then let out a low, enraged growl.

"Other then the cleaning oils I can smell the scent of Sakura blossom oil... he liked that scent for some reason," I rolled my shoulders and shifted as my as Kain's firm grip allowed for. "I also... there is another scent that is familiar to me and yet... it is not a scent that was well known to me."

"Someone newly broken to your tormentor's hand mayhaps?" Kain asked as he looked to the rooms entrance. "Or someone you did not oft have contact with?"

Brice was closest to the doorway and had moved so that he could keep watch in case of an enemy approach. It was obvious now that we weren't the only ones here.

Kain's words struck a cord of memory though and I closed my eyes and just let my mind wander for a few moments as I simply focused on breathing. I hummed a few bars of a song to myself as my mind wandered before an image of a door slamming shut and the enraged pounding of a fist against a steel door popped into my head. A woman shouting at me to open the door as fear-scent filled the air to make a scent that smelled like bitter almonds and cinnamon. My eyes flew open.

"The guard I escaped from just before I landed in Nosgoth," I said. "It's her scent."

"Good mine own, very good," Kain murmured softly next to my ear. "Can you track her?"

"I... believe so," I said as I looked around with a small frown. "The sheer amount of cleaning solvents and solutions that have been used here cloud the scent however."

"Do as you can," Altair said softly. "We may yet have the chance to capture and question the female."

"Right," I rolled my shoulders and pushed one wing lightly against Kain.

He released his hold on my waist a moment later and I started for the door. Brice moved out of my way and the others immediately moved to flank me once I was back in the hall. I carefully scented the air for the females scent and found it stronger in the direction opposite of where we came from. I led them quietly, a pack on the hunt, as I tracked that scent. The smell of bleach and cleaning oils grew stronger and I had to let out several silent huffs of air to regain the females scent hidden beneath the fouling smells. Kain, Altair and Brice all had various pained expressions while Lucius' face was twisted in a faint grimace. The full-blooded vampire's superior sense of smell compared to a half-blood's was a detriment due to the harsh scents in the air.

I slowed my pace as we neared a set of doors that led to a grand stairway. Below would be a mockery of a ballroom. I signaled the others and they fanned out carefully, Kain staying close to my side, and I eased the door carefully open. The soft yet rough sound of a scrub brush against stone filled the air. I eased carefully toward the grand stairways banister and looked down. Even with centuries spent on the battlefield and helping to tend to various injuries and illnesses it still took my mind a moment to process the physical state of the girl below who was working diligently with one hand to scrub away a stubborn stain on the stone floor.

The girl only _had_ one hand... one arm... to use in order to complete her given task.

She wore tight fitting clothes and the top was specifically designed to show off the missing right limb. A limb that, one could easily see by the scaring that was visible even at a distance, had been ripped clean from its' socket in a single harsh rip. I felt a flash of pity as I looked at the girl and I knew, just _knew_ , that the loss of that limb had been because of my successful escape. A punishment for failing to keep me in line. Kain and Altair both moved to either side of me while Brice and Lucius remained close to the doors to watch our backs. I looked at Kain with a pained frown.

~She looks to be alone and I can scent no others beneath the cleaning solutions,~ I Whispered to him. ~Shall I risk approaching her?~

~Do so carefully mine own,~ he responded after a moment. ~We do not know how she has been trained to react to an outside presence.~

I nodded once in response and looked at Altair.

~I am going to approach her,~ I told the Eldar. ~Watch my back.~

~Are you sure that is...~ I held up my hand in a 'halt' gesture and frowned at him. He nodded his head. ~Very well. Be wary~

~Of course,~ I responded.

I moved to the stairs and as I did so I brought my feet down with more force then usual. Mind you, that meant that I walked at that point with human loud footsteps instead of the silent pace that I normally moved at. The girl dropped the scrub brush she had been using and twisted her form in my direction. We both froze and stared at each other for a long moment before she let out a soft whimper of noise.

"Our Master was right... you came back," she whispered softly. Her voice seemed louder then it should in the empty castle.

"I have _no_ master," I said with a quick sneer. I tilted my head and frowned at her as I took a few further steps down the stair case. " _Nor_ should you. What was done to us and the others here should never have happened."

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda. It still happened," she murmured as she stared at me with blank eyes and she settled into a respectful kneeling position with her hand on her knee.

I took a moment to look her over. She had soft, Asian features and a slight build. Chocolate brown eyes and dark hair that was cut raggedly short, as if a child had attacked her hair with scissors. I brushed my Aura against her in a light touch and could feel how drained, tired... and _afraid_ she was. I took a few more steps and her hand clenched tight enough that I could smell blood as her claws dug into her hand. I went still.

"Shhhh now Childe," I said softly. "I intend you no harm unless you lash out first. You do not have to be afraid of me."

"Why... _why_ did you have to come back?" she asked with a whimper in her tone.

My hand tightened on the barrister and I shifted my stance enough to be ready to leap aside if there was a need. I did _not_ like the way she asked that question.

"I came back to kill Auron," I said in a gentle tone. "To stop him from hurting others further."

"You couldn't have just... _stayed_ wherever it was you went to?" she asked softly. She shook her head a moment later. "Master _knew_ you would come back... he said you would want revenge and that he would bring you to heel instead."

"I will _not_ leave an enemy at my back, _nor_ would I ever yield to him," I said to her firmly. I softened my voice when she flinched. "Let me help you Childe. That monster is _no one's_ master. He is just another mad man that needs be put down."

"..." she looked down at her hand and then back up at me. A small flicker of almost defiance flickered through her eyes before they went dull again. "I... I _can't_."

"Childe... he held me captive for a over a hundred and fifty years and I _still_ got away from him," I took another step, almost to the bottom of the stairs and I carefully held my hand out toward her. "You are _not_ a slave. You can be _free_ of him. Let me _help_ you."

"I... I..." she took several, near hyperventilating breaths before she froze. "You came back... just like he said you would..."

Everything felt wrong. It was like talking to a fledge who had given up and was about to jump into a lake to... _oh shit!_

She looked back up at me with those dull, dead eyes and spoke in an equally dead voice.

"'Know that this is your fault'," she whispered and her voice was somehow painfully loud.

She pulled a gun from its' resting place beside the bucket of water, put the muzzle to her temple and pulled the trigger all before I could begin to react. The explosion of noise caused by the gun going off rang violently through the air. Blood, skull bits and brain matter went flying across the room and I flinched back as her body thudded against the ground. The gun fell from loose fingertips to clatter against the stone.

Lucius let out a choked sound from up at the top of the stairs as if he were about to throw up. Altair was in front of me a moment later, back to the body and wings spread in a shield as he forced me low. Not to protect me from the gruesome sight in front of me but to shield me from any other potential hidden surprises. Kain was next to us a moment later, the energies of his magic coiled and ready around his hand with a shielding spell if needed. Brice landed close to the body and carefully approached the broken form.

"Be careful Brice," Altair hissed out as he looked at Brice over his shoulder.

"I know what to look for my Lord," Brice said grimly as he moved the gun away from the body and slowly started to check the fallen form over. "Stay over there, keep yer heads down and let me do my job, aye?"

Altair let out a huff of breath at that.

"Are you alright?" Altair asked as he glanced down at me.

"I am fine," I growled out in an angry tone.

" _Why_ did she _say_ that?" Lucius asked as he moved down the stairs to our side. He glanced over his shoulder and around the room carefully, having pulled himself together.

"A message from Auron most like," Kain growled, his magic still crackling unformed around his hand. "Something meant to dishearten Katrina."

"The only thing he succeeded in doing is making the desire for his death more solid in my mind," I said in a low, dangerous tone.

"Calm mine own," Kain rumbled.

"I _am_ calm," I responded in a level tone.

"Odd..." Brice muttered as he stood up, something held in one hand. "All clear."

Kain, Altair and I all stood up and slowly made our way over to where Brice stood. Lucius remained at the stairway and kept an eye out. Kain let go of most of the magic he had pulled forth but I could still feel the tingling edge of power that signaled his readiness to act. I looked at the object in Brice's hand and did a brief double-take. It was an old iPod touch with a cracked screen.

"Brice... may I see that?" I held out my hand to him.

"Here lass," he passed it over to me.

I turned the iPod over and, sure enough, there were my initials scratched into the metal back.

"This is my old iPod... why the hell did she have it?" I muttered as I turned it over and tapped the power button. "Thing still works..."

I opened up the menu and then blinked when I saw a series of recently dated, voice recorded audio files. I say recently dated but it was more that the audio files started roughly half a year before my escape and there was a file dated every few months. I rolled my shoulders and felt my wings give a small, volatile jerk against my back. I tapped on the first audio file.

-Oh... it... it's _recording_?- the girl's voice filled the air in a soft whisper of sound. -Still pays music and the recorder works... lot of old _stupid_ classical shit... but...- There was a long period of silence. -I... I think I'll keep this hidden... I hope that Au... no _no_... remember to call him _Master_... _have_ to remember... have to _remember_...-

The recording ended there and I let out a soft growl. I tapped on another file dated a few months later.

-Master doesn't know I hid this away. I make sure to get all my tasks done and he's done with me before I take it out of the cubby...- a soft whimper. -I hope he doesn't find it... he doesn't like us having things he didn't give to us directly. I don't want to tell him though... I'll be punished... I don't want to be here... wanna go home...-

Again the recording was brief. Kain's hand settled on my hip and I took a slow breath before I jumped ahead six months in the recordings.

-Angry... Master's _so_ _angry_ with me. I'm _scared_ ,- she was crying. -I let her _trick_ me. I let his pet l'ange get _away_ from me when I went to move her to his chambers like he told me to. He threw me into my room... he said he's going to 'talk' to me later,- _sounds_ of panicked sobbing filled the air. -I've _seen_ the results of him 'having a talk' with the others... I don't want.. I don't... oh _god_... I can _feel_ his Aura... he's coming...-

There was a scrambling sound, stone shoved against stone, the crack of glass. A few moments later an angry, french accented voice sounded but was muffled by where ever she had hid the iPod, but the sound of flesh tearing, bones breaking and her sudden _shrieks_ of agony were easy to make out. There were no recordings for another five months. I moved to tap the next recording and Brice's taloned hand closed over my smaller hand.

"Lass... ye _don't_ need to listen to all of these," he said in a kindly tone. "Let me deal with it and we can store it as evidence for later if need."

I stared at his hand for a long moment before I shifted my hand out from under his. I did lean subtly against Kain, but I still tapped on the next recording.

-I'm alone now, it's safe to keep this with me now that Master is gone. The music helps, a little, so that I don't hear the phantom screams of the other... I'm to clean the _entire_ castle within the next two years. I have just enough blood available to me in the cold storage room to last me that long,- the girl's voice sounded dead. -The only room I'm supposed to keep intact is _l'ange's_. Master said she will come back. That all of us come to heel at his feet eventually. If she comes back... I'm to deliver a message to her... Master taught me how to use a gun _just_ so I could deliver the message _properly_ to l'ange. I _remember_ the message... I... I'm a g- _good_... g-g-girl...-

There was a long, painful pause.

-Don't come back l'ange... he wants to make you... just _don't come back_.-

The rest of the recordings were nonsensical. In most of them she would sing a few broken bars from the songs on my old playlist and then ended each of the remaining recordings with 'please don't come back' and 'I'm so t-tired...'. It was heart-wrenching to hear the deterioration in her voice. So completely broken...

I looked back down at the body and let out a soft sigh as I powered off the iPod.

"He'll pay for this," I murmured softly to the corpse of that poor girl. "Rest in peace childe. Be free."

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Dark turn with this chapter but hope you all enjoyed. Please read and review!


	46. Unexpected Revelations

Thank you again for the kind review Strife VII. I do hope you continue to enjoy the story.

New chap up folks!

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Chapter Forty-six; Unexpected Revelations

The third location Altair had found for us, which we had decided to check anyway on the off chance that Auron had moved to said location, proved to also be a bust. There were no signs that _any_ kind of building had _ever_ been near that last cliff. We regrouped back at the Imari estate and, before anything else could be said or done, Kain pulled me into a rather vicious one-on-one spar to work off my pent up rage due to being back at that prison again and due to the needless death of the younger half-blood girl. The spar left the others suitably impressed with my fighting prowess, though Kain still won, and it led to a more sedate spar with Brice immediately afterwards once my initial rage had abated. All my hard training over the years with everyone on Nosgoth allowed me to be on almost equal footing with the Eldar vampire once I got a bead on his fighting style. It was by no means an _easy_ spar, with either of the males, but both fights took up almost four hours of time and by then my anger had dulled to a far easier to contain simmer and night had fallen once more on our part of the world.

Lucius played the part of man-servant and poured the lot of us goblets of chilled blood to help assuage our growing hunger. I sat down on the couch a little more forcefully then what could be considered lady-like even as I raised my wings up enough that I could lean back comfortably against the soft couch. I then took a deep gulp from the goblet handed to me and let out a contented rumble of noise at the taste. The blood was fuller, richer then what I and Kain were used to back on Nosgoth, another small sign that healthier conditions made for better quality 'blood-stock' as Kain oft termed it. Kain sat down next to me a moment later and let his taloned hand fall to rest on my thigh in a careless, yet blatantly claiming, gesture.

To say that Kain and Altair did not get on _well_ would have been putting it mildly. It did not help that Altair, both during the journeys to each location we'd had to check as well as on the trip back to the estate, had continued to throw small tests Kain's way.

Kain had not been amused by Altair's tests and neither had I to be honest, but each test had been subtle enough that neither of us could call out the Eldar directly. Mostly those 'tests' were in the form of idle seeming questions about life on Nosgoth and how we had handled certain situations in the Dark Age environment that the planet's populace lived in. All of said questions seemed as if they were meant to be a 'friendly' means to pass the time as we initially traveled by private jet to various cities near the search zones. Dependent on how each of us answered his quires the Eldar either relaxed faintly and questions turned to more lighthearted quires or he would press for further information in a tone that held an _almost_ hidden threat. I could only imagine that he was doing what he could to act in my Father's place, that whole judge/attempt-to-scare-off the boyfriend/lover thing that father's often did, but it was getting annoying.

Oddly enough, the spar and the claiming hand on my thigh did not set off another series of questions from the Eldar King. Instead, Altair had picked up a tablet-like object and had started to look over whatever information was on the screen. I took another sip of the chilled blood and found myself relieved that he had _finally_ decided to stop pestering us, even if it _was_ just for the time being. Barely a _week_ back on Gaia and I was already longing to go home to Nosgoth.

"As we were able to find the initial place where you were kept," Altair started with a small frown. "We no longer have a viable lead as to where to find Auron. I have a few contacts who might be able to lure him into a meeting spot but that may result in tipping him off and forcing him to ground."

"What we need is a way to draw _him_ to _us_ ," Kain grumbled as he finished his goblet. Lucius was quick to offer a refill from another blood pack and Kain passed him the goblet. "Katrina and I have already discussed this possibility. Can you make an announcement or set up an event that makes it seem that we have only just arrived? This will likely draw him or an agent of his out from hiding."

"Possible," Altair said as he tilted his head. "We can always announce that you had rescued Katri-"

I cut the Eldar off with a low growl and I narrowed my eyes on the older male.

"'Had tended to me after I had made my own escape from my captor'," I said in a low tone. "We stay as close to the _truth_ as possible and let others come to their own conclusions so that I might not be accused of lying later on."

The item left unsaid was that I _would not_ _lie_ regarding my escape for anything. I had fought tooth and claw to escape that place _on my own_ and I would _not_ have the victory that was my escape hidden for anything. I took another swallow of blood and then waved my free hand angrily.

"If we deviate from the truth in this," I continued, "there is also a high probability that he will be able to tell from the onset that we have set a trap if we try to, _somehow_ , conceal that I escaped on my own."

"A far point lass," Brice said from where he stood by the windows. "He _knows_ ye got away on yer own."

"Exactly," I rumbled as I finished off my drink. Lucius was kind enough to refill my goblet as well and I gave him a small smile of gratitude. "There is another question that I wanted to ask; is there normally any disorientation when using the Path Stones to travel between worlds that we could use to our advantage?"

"There might be," Altair said thoughtfully. "When we had initially developed the Stones there was a period of memory loss that lasted several weeks. We were able to stabilize the spell-work around the Stones in order to mitigate the memory loss and it was instead replaced with a brief period of unconsciousness or disorientation."

"Strange," Kain said as he tilted his head. "While Katrina was rendered briefly unconscious upon her arrival to Nosgoth, there was no disorientation or unconsciousness rendered upon either of us when we arrived here on Gaia."

"Ah, my apologies," Altair said as he shook his head. "I did not mean disorientation upon arrival but during the transit itself."

"Hmm. Feeling ill, feeling like I was falling through a whirlwind of stardust, flying free in the clouds and a sense of someone saying 'welcome home'," I murmured thoughtfully.

The others turned to me as one and Kain hummed thoughtfully.

"Other then the 'welcome home' part, I too felt something similar to that during transit," he said. "So, not a debilitating disorientation."

"No, certainly not," Altair said and he started to tap his claw lightly against the lip of his goblet. "Hmm. We _may_ be able to play into potential memory loss. The magic of your Nosgoth could be similar but not exactly the same as our own. Perhaps enough that we found the pair of you insensate when the Crystal pinpointed your location?"

"Should we truly mention the Path Stones at all in the announcement?" I asked with a small frown after a few moments of silence. "Doing so will raise questions."

"She has a point my Lord. I... don't think that we want it to get out that the Stones were stolen," Lucius said with a tilt of his head. "But at the same time... she feels older then someone who is _supposed_ to be under two hundred years old. We can't hide that either."

"We _can_ actually explain away the sense of an age discrepancy in her Aura lad," Brice said. "Torture can do strange things to a person's mind, magic _and_ Aura. Some people regress, some people loose their magic due to mental blocks placed on them and others can feel older then what they actually are. We'd have to have ya keep your wings drawn in though lass. The silvering of the tips is what would give away your true age," I nodded at his words and he turned to Altair. "But both the lass and lad are right my Lord, we want to keep what happened to the Stones under wraps for now. Least as far as the public is concerned."

We fell into a brief silence as we contemplated what to do.

"I can easily say that I am a vampire that lived in isolation from the Clans of Gaia and unclaimed by any particular Clan of Gaia after the sudden death of my own Sire, who did not live long enough to truly teach me anything of my vampiric nature," Kain said with an amused quirk of his lips. His 'Sire', Mortanius, had died at his own hands quiet suddenly indeed and had simply pointed Kain around as one might a hunting hound to kill the other Guardians before the man's death. "We can also say that I had Marked her both because my instincts demanded it and because I felt her a worthy mate for having survived what she had been put through with her mind intact. All of what I say will thus be the truth from a certain perspective."

"That works well enough, but there is still a matter of explaining _why_ we would dare risk going public with my return if we mean to catch Auron unawares," I said with a frustrated growl. "Doing a public event will catch his attention and he will know, even if the _public_ does not, as to the reason behind my return. We need something _plausible_ to tell the people that would _also_ give Auron a reason to believe that we have not set a trap for him."

"Perhaps we should proceed as if we have set a trap mine own," Kain hummed thoughtfully.

"How do you mean?" I asked as I looked at him.

"We lay careful signs of a false trap for Auron to find and circumvent while the _true_ trap remains hidden. In his hubris he would think himself the victor and fall into the real trap," Kain tapped his talon lightly against my leg. "This would also mean allowing him the chance to get close to you without us seeming to realize it."

I hummed thoughtfully and tapped at my chin.

"I do _not_ well like the thought of him getting close to Katrina," Altair growled out as he glared at Kain.

"Do you think _I_ enjoy entertaining such thoughts?" Kain asked with a snarl. "I would prefer the _only_ reason she be near him be to deliver a killing blow!"

I started to hum a melody to myself to drown out the two males budding argument as I rubbed at the bridge of my nose and tried to think beyond the simmering anger and frustration with the situation. We needed some way to hide our own defenses amongst whatever guests involved with this process without setting off Auron's suspicions and making him aware of the secondary trap. Kain's dark chuckle filled the air a moment later and drew my attention. I looked at him with a raised brow.

"I do believe mine Queen has the right idea," he said with a smug smirk.

I blinked at him in momentary confusion and then realized that I had been humming the Phantom of the Opera's Masquerade. I let out a low chuckle of my own as I realized what he meant and let my hand fall to cover Kain's where it still lay on my thigh.

"A masquerade _would_ work well," I said with a small smile. "We can use such an event to conceal our own guards amongst the guests. It will also give Auron the chance to slip in close to me and fill him with a lethal level of overconfidence in that he successfully evaded our decoy trap."

"Exactly," Kain said with a nod of his head.

Altair leaned shifted and his wings twitched in a ruffling movement before they settled again. He shared a look with Brice and one could tell that the pair were communicating via the Whisper. I shifted enough to let my wing brush against Kain's shoulder and his hand tightened briefly on my thigh.

~ _Another_ concern of mine Little One is his Charm Gift,~ Kain Whispered to me while the other two conversed. ~A strong enough Charm Gift can lead to one having the ability to affect someone's memories.~

~Such as the blocks your Eldar self placed on me or the weak blocks the little Sarafan Bastard placed on me when I scouted the Keep,~ I responded.

~Exactly,~ Kain hummed in my mind. ~I doubt at this point that it was the _boy's_ magic that allowed him to befuddle your mind that night.~

~Can we twist that to our advantage?~ I asked thoughtfully. ~Auron had tried often to make me see him as appealing with his Gift. _Knowing_ what he was trying, being _prepared_ for it, was primarily how I was able to defend against it. That and my disgust and rage. If we are _allowing_ him to get so close to me without my seeming to notice...~

~We may be able to play him the fool and lead him away from the crowd to a more private area when you seemingly panic at him being so close to you so suddenly,~ Kain responded as his hand tightened briefly on my thigh. ~Mayhaps. It _is_ worth considering. It seems they are done deliberating.~

"A masquerade _would_ indeed be a viable option," Altair admitted almost grudgingly as he turned away from Brice.

"I've got a good dozen men and women that I trust and can space throughout such an event easily under the guise of guests," Brice said firmly. "Some of which considered your Father friends of his family and one of them... count amongst his Turned Childe."

I blinked at that bit of information and glanced at Kain who had raised a surprised brow.

"I hadn't even _thought_ to ask about any _Turned_ 'siblings'," I said thoughtfully, thrown a bit off balance all of a sudden. "It is not unreasonable, considering Father's age before his death. This is... a bit of a surprise."

"In truth, I was not intending to mention such relations until you asked directly or it became a matter of needs must," Altair said slowly. "At least not until after the matter of catching your tormentor had been resolved."

"Why with hold such information from me _at all_?" I asked in a suddenly icy tone as Kain let out a soft sub-harmonic rumble of displeasure.

"More th-" Brice started and I held up my hand to silence him.

"Your King can speak for himself on this matter," I said in a cold voice. "In fact, I _insist_ that he do so."

"I with held the information as a number of your Turned siblings are..." Altair paused and let out a soft sigh. "The _overly emotional_ sort. You have five Turned siblings. Your Father was a gentle sort of Sire and tended to rescue those he Turned from rough situations. Of those five, three male and two female, only one of your sisters does not hold her heart on her sleeve. To advise them of your return or allow you the means to contact them at your discretion..."

"Would have created an information leak that we did not need at the time," Kain said knowingly.

"Are there any _other_ family members I should know about?" I asked in a slightly softer tone though my voice yet had a bite to it. I was a bit upset that he had kept the information of living family from me no matter that it seemed a good reason to do so and no matter that I did not know them. I was going to be stuck on Gaia for an unknown amount of time and having an actual Blood-line to potentially ally with... "An uncle perhaps that would prove to be as over-protective as yourself?"

It was a not so subtle hint for him to back off when it came to my relationship with Kain.

"Ah... other then a few who could be considered nieces and nephews if you use human relationship terms, no," Altair said in a slightly chastised tone. "Your Father was the only survivor of his Line to make it to Gaia, so it is from him alone that his Blood-line was able to continue."

"I see," I shifted a bit and crossed my arms as I did so. I twitched my fingers in an annoyed gesture before I tapped a claw-tip against my bicep. "Why share this _now_?"

"Honestly lass, it's so you are not completely blindsided at the masquerade," Brice said with a faint smile. "Doing things this way will mean a large event for the Clan. Even if we keep things amongst the nobles of the Clans to celebrate your return to us, the guest list will be huge. All of your Turned siblings will want to meet you, even the stoic Sigrun will be relieved. She's the eldest by the by, though you are Calder's immediate heir. Any rate, the lot will end up flockin' to ye like bears to honey and would make a good guard force even if most of 'em don't realize it."

"Well..." I blinked at that and then frowned. If I was the immediate heir due to being his Born childe, how then would that affect the moods of my older 'siblings'? Could I truly even begin to trust that there would be no hidden resentment at having any kind of succession over-turned by the mere act of my birth? This would take time to puzzle out. "Wonderful..."

"Sigrun is the one sibling we can keep apprised of the situation in full," Altair said. "She will be able to watch over you easily due to the family reunion and has a good head on her shoulders."

"Well enough," Kain said thoughtfully. "But what do we tell the public about her captor?"

"Can't we just say to the public that she was badly injured and... I don't know... hit her head hard enough during the escape and maybe a long fall that her memories were affected?" Lucius asked. "We could always lay out the knowledge of the Path Stone affecting her and Kain during dimensional transit as part of the false trap which led to us finding them in need of direct assistance..."

He fell silent when he realized we had all turned to look at him and his wings raised in a partially concealing move as he flushed.

"It's not a half bad idea actually," I said thoughtfully as I looked at Kain. "I _did_ fall through the portal and hit the ground fairly hard. I wont be lying if I say just that."

"Indeed," Kain tapped his chin lightly. "It gives another reason for my having had to 'tend' to you. We may be omitting certain truths but anything we keep silent upon will have the masses assuming what they will. Misdirection done with a grain of truth can be... effective."

 _Manipulative bastard,_ I thought to myself fondly.

"And the reason the Tracking Crystal could not find you could simply be that Kain resided close enough to the barrier that inhibited its' functionality that it was only upon venturing outside those lands that the Crystal could track her again. Perhaps as well you searched for her captor only to find he had fled the area after her escape, which we did and he did. Again all true statements," Brice nodded. "Still some holes to work out but it's a viable plan my King. Especially if the information behind the false trap makes it plain that we know what happened to her."

"It will mean _one_ chance to catch him without a long manhunt," Altair said in a wary tone. "You are aware of this."

"We are," I said firmly and Kain let out an affirmative sounding growl. "What it also does is give Auron the illusion that he will have but the one chance to slip our net and capture me again out from under everyone's noses."

Altair maintained a long silence and then let out a frustrated sounding sigh.

"Very well," he said. "This is a risky plan but it is the only viable option before us if we mean to draw him out. It will take a few weeks to lay both the false and the true trap as well as arrange for a masquerade that involves at least the Four Great Clans."

"Understandable," Kain said with a nod. "We will wait."

"I will take my leave of you then," Altair stood up ans slipped the tablet under his arm. "Brice, I will contact you later as needed."

"Understood my Lord," Brice said with a nod of his head.

Once the Eldar was gone and the sounds of the limo faded away I rubbed at the bridge of my nose again.

"This was not something I was expecting," I muttered. "Family?"

"... I am sorry for havin' to keep it from ya lass," Brice said as he shrugged his shoulder. "Altair thought it best, for the reasons he mentioned, but it didna sit well with me to keep quiet like about the Full-Blooded family that ya have amongst the Clan."

Kain shifted slightly beside me and let out a hum of breath.

"I imagine that a Born sibling was something the others were excited about considering the rarity or was there any unrest?" Kain asked. "You speak as if there was no animosity caused by the sudden change in heir dynamics her birth would have caused."

I contained a faint smile that he had voiced my very concern so readily.

"No animosity. We have a number of laws regarding half-bloods and one of them is that a Born Childe is potentially considered the primary heir at birth. Again, law dictates the right to let a half-blood live as a normal human until, currently due to increased lifespan, their thirtieth year or an emergency. They were all hopeful..." Brice responded with a soft sigh. "They are all several centuries old now anyway with their own businesses and homes. Sigrun is just about to mark her seven-hundredth year. Elijah, the youngest of your brothers, is only three-hundred. You're older then he is now amusingly enough. Most of them keep in touch with each other over social media sites. Finding out that their Sire was Blessed with a Born Childe was a major event for them and the Clan. They were, as I said, all hopeful that you would accept the chance to Awaken your Blood and enraged when you were taken and had the choice stripped from you. Any rate... there are a number of reasons the Clan never gave up on ya lass."

"You were following orders in keeping your silence," I said calmly a few moments later as I lower my arms and steepled my fingers together. "I can understand that Brice."

Lucius relaxed over to the side for a moment and then stiffened when I leaned forward with a low growl.

"However, is there anything _else_ your King is keeping from me _'for my own good'_?" I growled. Kain moved his hand from my thigh to the base of my back.

"Indeed," Kain echoed my growl. "If needs must we will continue to work with you to the success of this trap, but if the Eldar is hiding further items of important information from us, _especially_ if it pertains to potential allies or enemies, then Katrina will not be maintaining contact with your Clan while she remains."

Lucius started to say something, likely about to defend Clan or King but Brice raised hand in the younger vampires direction to silence him.

"You've both got good reason, given the lives you've lived, to be suspicious," Brice said calmly. "Not gonna fault ya that. But I can say with absolute certainty that the King is hiding nothing else from ya regarding you and yours lass and I know he'll be willing to answer any and all of yer questions regarding Clan intricacies as we go. He had only hidden this one thing from ya blatantly and _against my advice._ I _knew_ this was gonna bite him on the arse as far as your ability to trust him in the future and I warned him of it, but _a King knows best_ , aye?"

I let out a faint snort at Brice's words and shot a mild look Kain's direction. He raised a brow at me in response and pinched the skin at the base of my back. Kain turned to Brice again with a frown.

"I suggest you advise your King against keeping secrets from us in the future," Kain grumbled.

"I have no problem going to ground for my stay here if I have to," I said as I too looked back at Brice. "If that means publicly breaking ties to the Clan... well, needs must."

Brice flinched at that. A private issue between Clan-mates was one thing, but a public breaking from a Clan when a vampire had good cause was never a good thing. Very rarely was there such an event in Nosgoth, but when it did happen and a vampire struck out on their own from Sire and Clan so thoroughly... Vorador had been forced to kill a few of his own Childe when he had found out the true reason behind a few such breaks and had personally offered the vampire that had broken from the Clan the opportunity to return if they ever wished such a thing.

Some things simply were not forgivable...

"I'll pass the message on when he calls lass," Brice shook his head with a small sigh. "He keeps pushin' the way he's been, he's goin' t' alienate ya."

"Yes," I growled. "He will. He is _not_ my Father and has no right to act the way he has been."

"Ain't gonna excuse it," Brice said with a shrug. "But he's _trying_ to do what he feels best as far as makin' sure tha' you are happy since your Father can't. I'll talk to him lass. We both knew your Father, but if there's one thing I know that Altair's forgotten is that your Da would have let you have your space to grow on your own and had he still been alive t' see ya now... he'd simply say that he's proud of ya. Well... actually, let me amend tha'. He might've openly challenged your lad to a quick one-on-one to make sure he has the skills to protect ya if there's ever a need, but he would have let it go after that and not pulled the nitpickin' that Altair's doin'."

Kain waved his hand as he spoke, "I would have a greater sense of respect for a man to do _that_ then the constant questioning and subsequent judging looks Altair has been issuing me when does not like the answers he receives."

"Indeed," Brice said with a nod. "Any rate, we got ourselves a wee bit o' downtime. Can't suggest doin' anything extravagant or in the limelight but was there anything you wanted to do lass?"

I looked to the side a moment and then turned back.

"Are there drive-in's any more?" I asked.

"Missed seein' a good flick?" Brice nodded with a laugh. "There's a few old places still running. Run for nostalgia's sake. Good one about a twenty minute drive from here."

"The way you say nostalgia tells me that it's mostly vampires who visit," I said with a smile as I stood up.

"Aye lass," Brice said with a smile.

I looked at Kain with another small smile. I'd had the others grab a few books regarding televisions and other tech for Kain and I to pour through. He'd been intrigued with the idea of movies. Hell, Kain had been interested in the fact that my world had so many different media outlets available to the public. The reason he wanted the books to peruse while we waited was that he had wanted to understand the 'how' of the tech. If there was one thing most vampires were guilty of it was curiosity and an insatiable desire to learn more.

"Let's go see a movie to pass the time," I said.

"You'll have to hide your wings," Lucius said carefully. "They are... a _distinctive_ feature for you."

"Of course," I responded with a sigh. I would have to be mindful of my weak point now and during the masquerade.

"Very well," Kain said as he stood and he offered me his arm. "Show me some of your world's delights mine own."

With the time available to us thanks to the forced wait I was able to spend some time treating Kain and I to a few of the 'basic luxuries' of my world with Brice and Lucius tagging along as if we were just friends having a group outing. We had to remain low key of course, nothing and nowhere fancy, but still the places that we went were still respectable. We were careful to wear outfits at Brice's suggestion that helped us appear as though our group was just one more batch of random people on the streets that wouldn't stand out too badly. The drive-in Brice drove us to showed older movies from around the time I was taken. As I had always preferred movies with a lot of action and/or adventure, sometimes with some hints of comedy and/or romance, I picked out a double-feature showing of John Wick, which had gotten good reviews when it released five years after my capture, and an old favorite of mine; Boondock Saints. Neither movie really needed me to give Kain any real explanation to them, they were just fun shoot 'em up action movies like I had enjoyed watching in my youth.

Kain found the movies intriguing, if a little odd. Several parts of Boondock Saints were hilariously bizarre while John Wick had a more straight forward story.

We stopped by a few places on the way back to the estate. Firstly, we were all hungry so we paid a quick visit to the local Red Cross blood center and secondly, Kain wanted to try some cuisine at one of the restaurants. Full-blooded vampires could, and often did, consume finely cooked human food. Did absolutely _nothing_ for them as their bodies consumed and subsequently burned off said food within _minutes_ of consumption without any waste, but many still enjoyed the taste and texture of the finer foods. Kain would likely never admit it aloud but I had noticed a distinct favor for confectionery sweets over the centuries, such as the dark chocolate little cakes he ordered that night. I kept my own meal to a light pasta, mostly having sated my hunger with blood, but still found myself grateful that I had multiple viable food sources available to me as a half-blood. I didn't need to eat human food, and would likely have to consume double to triple what would be considered human-norm if I avoided blood for a time, but it was good to have the option if I needed to pass myself off as human in the future because I needed to go to ground.

One thing life as a Captain had taught me was to _always_ have a back up plan ready if things got ugly. Even during that night out, and several other carefully planned nights out, Kain and I were wary and watchful as we passed the time. There was always a chance that one of Altair's people that had surrounded us the night of our arrival had gone to Auron and betrayed my location. Even when Altair contacted us a few days later with the final arrangements for the plan and advised that he would want us to meet with Sigrun before the Masquerade, we had not truly relaxed. We had merely kept busy to stave off boredom.

The thought of meeting a 'sibling' was decidedly odd. Vorador had been my 'brother', a rather perverted brother who sometimes kept pushing to the point that I wanted to _strangle_ him at times, but still. Janos had taken up the mantle of Sire/Father for me, and that was something I was not ready to share with anyone on Gaia simply because, again, I didn't yet know if I could fully trust those within my Birth Clan. This meeting would be... well, awkward would be putting it mildly. I didn't know this person at all.

Two weeks before the masquerade was dated to occur, Brice announced that Sigrun would be able to meet with us at our earliest convenience. I switched off the news, which had been mostly speculation as to the reason behind the suddenly announced event for the Draconian Clan, and looked at Kain with a raised brow.

"Might as well," I said. "We've not much else to do but wait."

"Indeed my Little One," he rumbled as he rolled shoulders. The forced downtime had been grating on his nerves. "Summon this Sigrun and we will speak with her directly."

Brice nodded his head and sent off a text message with his phone. He nodded again a few minutes later.

"She's flying out now and will meet us at the main entrance," he said. "She'll be about ten minutes."

Kain and I both nodded. Several minutes later we made our way to the main doors and stepped into the wide open area that was marked by a lovely little water fountain. Brice and Lucius both moved in front of us while Kain and myself remained partly under the wide roof of the open air front porch in order to better protect from aerial attacks. A single set of wing-beats filled the air in the distance and my gaze went skyward. I watched in silence as the winged female approached our location. She dipped and turned in a tight circle before she landed near the fountain. Her wings twitched as she approached, the only sign she gave to reveal potential nerves. I looked her over as she came to a stop a few feet away and she tilted her head as she returned the examining look.

She was tall, lithe. She looked to stand at six-feet even and had the sleek build of a hunter. Her eyes were a darkened brown-gold and her golden colored hair had been tied back in thick braid. She had the taloned hands and feet that marked her as older then five-hundred. The wickedly sharp and sleek points showed signs of battle damage. A low, curious sounding rumble of noise escaped her and her Aura nudged against mine as she took another step forward. I breathed in her wary, hopeful scent even as I subconsciously let out an answering rumble of sound and my own Aura pushed back. A testing sense of power that allowed Clan to recognize Clan. The energy tasted familiar, but it was her scent that stood out for me as it triggered sensory memories of my Father. Everyone had their own scent, but each Turned vampire carried the echo of their Sire's scent and Aura. It was how one could tell who Sired whom amongst a Clan without words being said.

Kain shifted next to me with a hum and drew her attention briefly before she dismissed him in order to take a few steps closer to me. Her nostrils flared faintly as she took in my scent and she let out another rumble of noise, this tine the sound held a note to it that I was used from Vorador as my Eldar 'Brother'. It was a call to yield to, or as I was Kain's Queen, more a call to heed the council of one's Eldar sibling when the noise was made. It was, if you will, an acknowledgment of one's place in the pack. The only problem was that we were actually close to the same age...

I bared my fangs and let out a low growl of warning. Not really a threat noise but more a sound that meant that I felt I was an Alpha in my own right and that she should not demand I yield just because there was a Clan relation and the perceived age difference between us. Her wings twitched at that and her eyes narrowed for a moment before she spoke even as a smirk curled her lips. Her accent had a distinct, Nordic lilt to it.

"You have an _Alpha's_ Aura," she said. "Pappa would be stolt... _proud_."

"I am not one to simply give in," I said as my lips curled into a smirk.

"God... god," she said with a small nod of her head. "Det er bra... ah, pardon me, I have been in Norway for several decades now. It is good that you are home."

"It... is _interesting_... being home," I said carefully.

"Interessant?" she tilted her head slightly and her wings twitched. "I supposed you could say these idiont's are interesting."

"Hey now lass," Brice called out in a mock affronted tone. "No need to be insultin' now."

"Ah, Brice, but you know well my opinion on politikk," she huffed. "Why do you think I go home to Norway?"

"There is that," he responded with a chuckle and a shrug of shoulder and wing. "You never did enjoy wastin' words."

"Ja, dette er sant," when I raised a brow she chuckled. "I say 'this is true'. Now, I have something _else_ to say since I sense something unique in your Aura."

With that she twisted suddenly and launched a sucker-punch that caught Kain in the jaw and sent him stumbling back a few paces. He let out a dark snarl at the blow and his eyes flashed white. He glared at Sigrun as he wiped the blood away from the rapidly healing split lip she had caused him with his thumb-talon. She smirked at him, a wide baring of teeth that could not be mistaken as anything other then a challenge.

"Du," she said as her stance shifted to a battle ready posture. "Slass... _fight_. Now."

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Again please read and review!


	47. Familial Bonding

To Proofreader-1962; Thank you for the kind and helpful reviews! I am actually trying to go through the story to fix a few things, up to and including the 'then' vs 'than' placements. Right now edits and flushing out details are, should be, completed up to Chapter Twenty-three as I write this little a/n. I do appreciate the feedback and am trying to catch all of the little things just like the then/than issues.

Thanks as well for spotting the glutinous/gluttonous error. I'll be sure to fix that when I get to that during my editing. Computer spell checker is normally my friend... .

I am so glad that you have enjoyed the story thus far and left me such a thoughtful review. I don't have anyone who can read my story out loud for me, but I have started to try to read it aloud to myself and have already realized that a few things just _sound_ wrong here and there while I have been going through additional edits. Thank you for the advice, it is helping me out.

Though... Kain (Eldar and Younger) has a habit of tapping me on the shoulder and being scary when I forget something important and then I have to make additional edits here and there to the chapters I have finished but not yet flushed out in full.

The new job is also taking up a lot of my time as I go through the training, but yay I am employed again! Woohoo!

-A voice snarls in the distance.- 'Woman! You are _rambling_! Get on with it!'

...Speaking of Kain... hehe... heh... _ahem_. -coughs into hand-

X.x

Thank you again and I hope you have enjoyed the story despite the small hiccups in spelling and grammar which I hope to have fixed once I go back through things!

To Strife VII - Thank you again for the review and kind words. I hope you enjoy Kain's reaction to Sigrun's attack this chapter!

To Light1 - Thank you for reading my works and I am glad you have enjoyed it.

If peeps haven't already checked out Light1's 'Lessons about water' and 'Night Watch' on FFnet and Archiveofourown I would suggest doing so. They are very fun reads!

New chap up folks!

* * *

Chapter Forty-seven: Familial Bonding

I couldn't help the startled sound that escaped me when Sigrun's sucker-punch landed and the resultant challenge that she had issued to Kain. Brice swiftly placed a hand upon my shoulder to halt me from moving forward, but it was Kain's Aura pushing outwards in a testing pulse towards Sigrun and her own counter-shove of power that stilled me more then the other male's hand. I recalled what Brice had said about how my Father would have likely issued a single, testing challenge to Kain had he still been alive.

I realized with a rapid flash of insight that Sigrun was likely doing just that; challenging him outright in Father's place. I let out a huff of breath and eased back to lean against the wall with my arms crossed. I watched the pair closely as I tilted my head at them. Lucius' eyes had gone wide and Brice simply mirrored me against the wall when he realized that I would not interfere.

Kain could handle this on his own easily enough.

Kain began to stalk to one side and Sigrun mirrored him as they started to circle one another. He frowned and growled low as he came to an abrupt halt. He tilted his head and his eyes narrowed on the female in front of him. I could not see Sigrun's face from the angle that she stood at but her wings were flared in a clear threat-display which easily gave away her current mood.

"Do you have a sudden _death wish_ woman?" Kain asked in a dry tone that only hinted at the anger that currently pulsed through his Aura. The talons of his hands scratched together in an idle, sharpening gesture. "I would hate to deprive mine own of a Sibling within bare _minutes_ of you being reunited with each other."

"Godt," Sigrun snorted softly and her voice was tinged with both threat and amusement. "You are one who likes lyden av sin egen stemme, ja?"

His eyes narrowed on her and he started to circle her again. Once more she mirrored his movements with a panther-like grace.

"Would you be kind enough to repeat that in a language that I can understand?" he asked in a dry yet biting tone. "I am quite certain that you have just insulted me, but I would like to know the extent of the insult you've put to me before I _beat some sense_ into your thick skull."

She laughed and, now that I could see her expression, I watched on as she flashed him a cocky smile.

"I say 'the sound of his own voice'," she repeated in English with a chuckle. "In other words, du snakker for mye; 'You talk too much'."

Kain's eyes narrowed on her once more. Though his face did not show it, I knew that he was both angered and bemused by both her words and her audacity. My King did oft wax poetic when he got the chance and I also encouraged it in order to indulge in the dulcet sounds of his voice. In fact...

"Rather that you could say that _I_ enjoy the sound of his voice," I interjected with a smirk of my own.

Sigrun's head twitched in my direction though her gaze did not leave Kain's despite the distraction of my own voice. Kain's lips twisted to take on a very self-satisfied look at my words. She issued a low growl at the sudden, proprietary look that he shot my way as he pretended to pay her no mind. In looking away from her as he had, he had made it clear that he thought her no threat to his person.

An outright snarl of rage escape her as she darted forward with a speed that I had not quite expected, even for a vampire. She was fast, perhaps faster than even Alma. Kain was ready for her however and easily knocked aside her testing strike. He countered with an equally testing blow that was designed to disable her extended arm at the elbow. Sigrun twisted out of range of the blow and they started to circle each other once more at a sedate pace that belied their previous speeds.

"You are faster then I thought," Sigrun said. "Perhaps you are more than just a pen gutt."

" _Again_ you speak in such a manner?" Kain's expression switched to one of smug superiority. "Is your mental acumen so _poor_ that you cannot manage the simple nuances of the common tongue?"

Sigrun laughed at his words, though her wings twitched with her annoyance at his barb.

"I call you a 'pretty boy'," she said with a sneer in her voice and on her lips. "And so far you prove to be just that; a pretty boy who likes sound of his own voice. Fight me pen gutt, or are you worried that you'll scuff those pretty little talons of yours?"

My brows flew up and I glanced over at Brice and Lucius where they stood beside me. Lucius' jaw had dropped at some point and he shot me a wide-eyed look. Because of our shared knowledge of Kain's history via the games, well... he wasn't _wrong_ to assume that fireworks were potentially imminent with that latest little insult that my 'Sister' had thrown Kain's way. I waved his attention back to the fighting pair and then turned my own attention back to them.

Kain _could_ have a wild-fire temper, it was true, but normally his was a controlled fire that burned only what he wanted to burn. He had also gotten better at _controlling_ said temper over the centuries. Sigrun had only managed to push a few _minor_ buttons thus far and I only hoped she did not hit one of the serious ones as they traded words and blows.

"I assure you madame," Kain drawled with a cold smile. "It is not _I_ that should be worried about scuffing my... ' _pretty little talons_ '."

With that he darted forward swift as lightning. He launched a right-handed punch for her chest with his taloned fist. When she moved to block the blow and grab his wrist, he twisted his body and arm and caught her own wrist in his hand instead. He used the momentum meant for his punch to instead force her arm backwards. This left her side open for a blow from his other fist meant for her kidneys.

To her credit, Sigrun did little more then let out a grunt as the harsh blow landed and she swiftly twisted her wrist free of his grasp a moment later. She launched a kick for his groin and even though it was an obvious feint Kain still moved to block the blow. _Any_ male would react to such an attack defensively but the truly wise warriors knew to be ready to either block or dodge other attacks even as they protected that particular weak spot, just in case it was a false feint and the groin really _was_ their opponents intended target.

Her true attack was actually a strike with her right heel for his left knee. A human would have lost momentum and power behind such a move. Hell, a human might not even have been able to pull it off as swiftly as she did. As Kain dodged the disabling strike for his knee, her cloven foot hit the stone path as it impacted instead with said stone. A loud _crack_ filled the air as the stone cracked and chips of stone flew wide. It was quite plain that she had lost no power behind such an attack.

I raised a brow as I eyed the combatants in front of us. They leapt away from each other and started to circle one another yet again as they took each other's measure. Kain had yet to attempt an attack on her wings, an obvious weakness, mainly because they _were_ an obvious weakness and Sigrun was showing enough skill to easily be ready for such an attack from him. Kain let out a hum of breath as he looked his opponent over.

"Brice advised us that you were _skilled_ woman," Kain purred out in a dark tone. "Thus far I do not find myself greatly impressed. You seem not but a simple song-bird that should return to her no doubt pretty little nest."

"And you still talk too much pen gutt," she responded with a smirk even as her wings flared in a threat-display. "Altair did not tell me all regarding where my soster has been these long years, but he told me enough that I will not press her for too many answers. What he _was_ able to tell me, was that you are a Konge, a King, in your own right. I find I _believe_ it, even though I have never heard of you before now."

Kain raised a wary brow at her mocking words and tone.

"You are a _spoilt_ little Konge that cannot fight his own battles, aren't you?" she purred out in a dark tone. "Did you Mark my soster just so you could cling to her skjorts? Do you claim _her_ victories as your _own_ , lite pen gutt konge?"

"Oh _shit_ ," Lucius breathed with wide eyes.

I stayed silent, but I very much agreed with Lucius' reaction. Sigrun had just pressed the _wrong_ fucking button. No one accused Kain of being weak without getting a thorough lessoning as a result of their foolishness.

Kain's expression went blank even as his Aura flared with his rage. Sigrun's own Aura rose in response and I could feel that her power was _almost_ on par with Kain's own, but whatever power she had was _nothing_ compared to his ruthless efficiency. When she launched another attack, thinking that he would be blinded by his rage, he Misted and then reformed behind her a bare second later. He used that opportunity to launch a solid punch to the base of her spine even as she tried to spin around to protect her back. Kain was _too_ fast though and had used his Gift with perfectly timed precision.

Sigrun's legs collapsed beneath her due to the force behind that blow. She snarled as she fell and yet she managed to roll to the side to avoid a crushing stomp from his cloven foot. Stone fragments flew into the air and Kain was swift to follow her with a low, sub-harmonic snarl of sound as his hands clenched into fists. Lucius tried to move forward to intervene but both Brice and I grabbed onto his shoulders to stop him in his tracks.

"Jesus _fuck_!" Lucius snarled. "Why aren't we _separating_ them? He'll kill her!"

"No, he wont," I snarled as I shook Lucius by the shoulder. "Sense his Aura! He is angry, yes and this fight has turned into a matter of _pride_ for him, but sense his Aura boy! There is no killing intent behind it!"

"She's right lad," Brice said in a firm tone. "He'll likely whoop her good but there is no killin' intent behind his power. Calm yerself down."

"But he is _Kain_ of all people!" Lucius said as he looked at me with wide eyes.

"I know who he is _far_ better then _you_ Lucius. I have been at his side for just over four hundred years," I growled with a low, sub-harmonic threat as I endeavored to keep my voice low enough so that Sigrun did not hear me. "He does not kill someone simply because of an _insult_ to his _pride_. He knows that she is testing him, just as much as he is now testing her. Wait and watch Lucius! Wait and watch."

It took a few more moments to keep Lucius from interfering in a fit of near-suicidal desire to help his Clan-mate and in that span of time the fountain was damaged when Kain threw Sigrun at the fountain's statue. Her healing powers were quite good and she was back on her feet within moments despite the water-burns that now marred her skin. A burst of telekinetic energy from her sent a wave of water flying Kain's way and he Misted to avoid the wide arch of fluid.

Sigrun was swift to follow that attack up with a burst of fire magic and Kain was swift to both return to his normal form and to dodge to the side to avoid the flames that could damage his Mist form. He countered with his own fire and telekinetic magics in order to launch a fireball her way and, when she went to dodge the flames, he wrenched her form _back_ into the path of said fireball.

She roared more in anger than in pain as the flames hit, and then licked, over her back and wings. Lucius started to struggle free of our hands again but Brice and I kept a firm grip on the boy's shoulders. He relaxed a moment later when Sigrun launched herself at Kain with a snarl, obviously fine. The fireball that Kain had sent at her had been one of the more _mild_ ones that he normally used when he was training to improve his accuracy or used with recruits when he deigned to work with them directly. As such, Sigrun's _minor_ wounds were able to heal rapidly even as she launched a rapid-fire series of cutting slashes and jabs at Kain's chest.

Neither of them were holding back in terms of speed by this point. Blows were still designed to disable, magic still reduced to recruit levels, but their movements were fast enough now that no _human_ eye would have been able to properly follow the flow of combat. There was only _one_ real fault that I could find with Sigrun's fighting prowess as I watched the pair continue to fight...

She fought like one who was no longer used to the battlefield, whilst Kain and I both yet had that hardened, ready edge.

Gaia was a world at peace with itself, for the most part. Certainly, country A might be at war with country B and country C might well be facing upheaval due to a successful, or unsuccessful as the case may be, coupe. But the major countries of Gaia were not at war the way that Nosgoth was. Our world, Kain's home world, was split clean into two clear factions; those on the side of the Vampire's and those on the side of the Sarafan. Nosgoth only had the one major super-continent in the way that the landmasses of Gaia were once believed to have been a single super-continent called 'Pangaea'. There _were_ smaller islands that dotted the large ocean of Nosgoth. Islands that only had _animals_ as inhabitants. I knew that personally after having taken an extended flight around the Nosgoth one month to sate my curiosity.

With all the combatants on one large continent, there was no real escape from that division, especially as those who followed the Sarafan way believed that the vampires needed to be eradicated down to the last. They wanted the complete annihilation of the vampiric species and their genocidal war with the vampires was not just a fight of ideals, but of the survival of an entire species. They would not have that victory against us whilst Kain lived.

That actively volatile environment meant that Kain and I both were battle-honed and ready to react at any moment to potential danger around us. Sigrun however, reacted just that hairs-breath slower than she should have to one of Kain's strikes and she was forced to her knees by a heavy handed blow to the back of her neck. She shook her head and tried to stand but he was upon her less than a second later, hands gripped tight around the base of her wings and fangs sunk deep into the back of her neck in a punishing bite meant to subdue. His Aura flared to fill the area and Sigrun struggled briefly, but an increase in pressure to the base of her wings resulted in her letting out a reluctant, growling keen of submission as she let her own Aura withdraw and calm.

Kain released her with a growl and stood. When she tried to stand as well, his cloven foot slammed into her back between her wings and he held her pinned down against the ground. He looked at his talons and spoke in a near to idle tone despite the anger that still clearly laced his Aura.

"I will say this plainly and _only_ the once; Katrina is mine equal, mine _Queen_ ," Kain purred out in a deadly tone. "Her victories are not only acknowledged, but rewarded publicly in _her_ name and _her_ honor. Do not make such an erroneous assumption regarding our relationship _again_ , woman."

"You say that so _seriously_ pen gutt," Sigrun growled out in a low tone. She let out a grunt as Kain increased the pressure on her back but continued to speak despite the obvious pain she was in. "Yet how can you call her equal when Altair says you intend to leave her here with us like sheltered bird?"

"Is _that_ why you attacked me?" Kain asked with a snort. "Woman, you know _nothing_ of our reasons for her remaining here."

"Is that so?" Sigrun growled at him over her shoulder. "Pah, I also attack because if you cannot defeat _me_ , then you do not deserve to have Marked her. My soster is worth much and deserves more then a pen gutt konge who abandons her or fool of a prins, a prince, who cannot manage himself."

" _Lass_ ," Brice suddenly growled from beside me. Lucius flinched at his Eldar's tone. "Watch yourself."

"Pah," she waved her hand dismissively despite still being pinned by Kain's foot. "Boy prince is fool and needs strong female to keep him band, _leashed_. Seeing my soster and sensing her Aura tells me the pairing Pappa and our Konge had hoped for would _not_ have worked. She would not have put up with his foolishness. Deserves _best_ my soster does and that is not the boy prins nor a pen gutt that _abandons_ her side at moments notice."

I let out a soft, bemused chuckle that drew everyone's attention to me. I walked over to where Kain had Sigrun pinned with a dark expression on his face and stopped a few feet from them. Sigrun looked up at me with a raised brow from he pinned position.

"You say that I 'deserve the best', yes?" I asked with a tilt of my head and a small wave of one hand.

"Ja," came the firm answer.

"Then I also deserve what I _want_ , yes?" I crossed my arms as I asked the question.

"...ja," she said slowly.

I started to stalk around the pair and reached out to trail my claws over Kain's bared spine as I did so. He'd been going shirtless on the days in which we had no plans to explore the sights that the nearby cities had to offers. It was a look that I preferred in truth, shirts just did _not_ suit him and the thought of getting him in a tux was outright _laughable_. That the planned event was a masquerade meant that he could wear one of his ceremonial armor sets and not seem out of place.

I trailed my hand a little lower along his backside and just bared nicked his skin with my claws in order to let a hint of his power-filled blood perfume the air. His scent spiked with a flash of lust and he raised a brow at me over his shoulder, though he did not let up on the pressure that kept Sigrun trapped nor did his expression change overmuch. Her wings flared as his scent spiked and she eyed the pair of us warily as I moved back into her range of vision.

"Then I have what I _want_ and what I _need_ in Kain," I said with a low, dangerous purr. "That should be _all_ that matters to you."

I had hoped to quell what objections Sigrun had with that action alone. Willingly having another vampire at your back in such a manner, claws or talons poised in a threatening yet gentle caress. That sweet, inherent danger of another predator at your back? It was an _immense_ sign of trust. There was more then _one_ reason that Raziel had felt... would feel...? so betrayed when he gained his wings... and then lost them. In fact... I needed to remember to have a vague seeming talk with Kain at some point before he left. I needed to ask him something.

Sigrun drew my attention back to her with a vicious sounding hiss.

"He does not bare your Mark and I can tell by your Aura that you have one! Not only that, but why leave you _here_ with us if he says you are his Queen?" Sigrun snarled out, though the anger in her words did not fully reach her eyes. She was testing, watching, trying to figure out the 'why'. "If he does not trust you at his side, then he does not deserve you!"

I knelt down and grabbed her chin harshly in my hand. I pulled her head up so that the pressure of Kain's foot along her back was increased and pain flickered briefly in her eyes as a result. My voice was still pitched at a low, dangerous purr as I spoke.

"For him to have even offered me his Mark when I could have rejected it was a gift indeed," I said in a careful tone. " _Especially_ from one who does not readily nor easily make such promises. He gave me his promised protection, helped me to grow stronger and more skilled and even helped me _surpass_ what had been done to me. I am content. _More_ than content. When I ended up in his care, I had merely hoped to find a small niche for myself so that I could survive and maybe help those who had taken me in, tended to my wounds and offered me safety from my tormentor. I have _so much more_ than that now."

She was silent for several long moments and she frowned up at me from her trapped position. Kain watched silently with his arms crossed and he was more than ready to apply more pressure to the pinned form beneath his foot if there proved a need.

"You do not expect it of him?" she asked in an odd tone.

"No," I responded with a shrug. "I did not even expect to have been named his Queen. I had merely hoped to be treated with the respect of an _equal_ once I had gained in strength. The respect of a fellow _warrior_. Instead, I found a home and I have _thrived_."

"Ah. That is different then. Trust can be shown in different ways even if only one of pairing bares Mark," she said as finally seemed to relax. "Hmph. Lenge leve Kongen og Dronningen, ja? I yield to you and my soster pen gutt."

" _Still_ you persist in calling me that?" Kain asked dryly.

He moved his foot so that Sigrun could stand despite his annoyance. I straightened and moved to stand beside him even as my Sister pushed herself to her feet.

"I may yield, but you are not _my_ Konge," Sigrun responded as she tugged a few damaged feathers free from her wings. She flashed a smirk at him that showed no hint of fang. "I will retract my assumption that you are a _spoilt_ konge, but I still say you are a pen gutt. At least you can fight and hold your own, ja? Though perhaps... are you a gigantiske katt that enjoys being riper bak ørene and strikes out when attention is no longer wanted?"

I coughed into my hand and raised a brow at Sigrun. I heard the clear impact as Brice face-palmed behind us.

"Did you just...? You know, I do not believe that I need you to translate that one Sigrun," I said as I fought back a laugh.

"Indeed..." Kain said in a dry tone as he eyed my full-blooded Sister. "'Gigantiske katt' sounds too much like 'giant cat'..."

"Ja," Sigrun laughed. "I ask if you enjoy are giant cat that enjoys ear scratches and then lashes out once sated."

"Truly?" Kain asked with a sigh that sounded borderline frustrated. I had to fight back a fit of laughter as I had oft had such thoughts concerning his personality over the long years. "Must I issue a _second_ lessoning to your thick hide?"

"Nei, nei," she said with another laugh and she held out her hands with her talons pointed down in deference to him. "I will cease, for now. Though you must expect some jeering in future... Brother."

Kain raised a brow at her and let out an annoyed seeming huff of breath. I let out a soft chuckle and relaxed a little further next to his side at Sigrun's words. Her calling him 'Brother' meant that she had accepted him as my lover if not also as part of those that she considered Clan. I let my hand extend out to brush against Kain and he reached out to idly brush his talons over my wrist.

"She likes pushing buttons," Brice said in a jokingly warning tone as he approached. Lucius followed on his heels with a still slightly worried expression on his face. "It has gotten her into trouble more then a few times."

"Pah, if people cannot find humor in dark times then they are not worth following," Sigrun said with a huff. "I can be serious, ja, but even I know that darkness needs be fought with humor, even if is just _gallows_ humor."

"Sometimes a genial yet firm attitude can keep the men going through a hard campaign," I said with a knowing nod.

"I would have said you were too soft on your men had your efforts not brought about such successful results mine own," Kain said with an amused shake of his head.

"And those results do speak for themselves do they not?" I asked with a smirk and a small sniff.

"They do," Kain acknowledged.

Sigrun eyed the pair of us as we spoke and then nodded her head with a small smile. She turned to me and let out a satisfied hum of breath.

"Your pen gutt fights well and has good humor, even if I have never heard of him before now," she said with another nod of her head. "I think Pappa would have approved of him, this pen gutt Konge of yours."

"Would you kindly _cease_ calling me a 'pen gutt', woman?" Kain growled out with a huff.

"Hmm, for now," Sigrun said with a bow of her head. "Shall we go inside? I had word from Konge Altair as to where masquerade will be held and would like to go over details given."

"That would be acceptable," Kain said and we headed back inside.

We moved into the main library and each took a seat. Brice was kind enough to offer the two combatants chilled blood and Sigrun was swift do down the contents of her own goblet before she pulled out a mid-sized crystal-stylized tablet. She pulled up the image of the MGM Grand, changed yet still recognizable, and I grimaced.

"Oh by the... _truly_?" I groaned as I sat back against the couch. Kain tilted his head at the image of the hotel and resort before he looked at me.

"You have issue with the location?" he asked in an idle tone.

"The MGM was one of the larger casino resorts in my youth," I said as I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"Still is," Brice pipped up with a grin. "The owners bought out a few smaller casinos around it and others still moved to more prime locations. They expanded fifty years ago."

"Oh, how wonderful," I responded sarcastically. "Did he invite everyone and their Mother then?"

"Ah," Kain rumbled in sudden understanding of my upset.

I may have gotten used to the occasional large event whenever we had people swearing new oaths or celebratory parties to commemorate particularly successful ventures, but I did not really _enjoy_ the large crowds. It was especially annoying whenever we were invited to the 'parties' that Vorador liked to host at his large mansion. I had used the 'everyone and their mother' phrase the first time we had gone to one such party as I had been dismayed by the fact that Vorador had invited _everyone_ he possibly _could_ to fill the large mansion. I let out another sigh as I looked at the image of the MGM and wondered at just how many people had been invited to this 'private' celebration regarding my return.

"How many people did he invite?" I asked with a sense of foreboding.

Brice coughed into his hand, "Altair bought out the MGM for the week. Maximum capacity used to be listed at sixteen-thousand eight hundred..."

"Let me guess... double the capacity and that's the guest list?" I asked with a growling sigh.

"Not quite lass," Brice said with clear amusement in his eyes. "The resort can hold up to twenty thousand now with the expansions it's true, but the guest list only numbers around a thousand, with a majority of the people numbering amongst our own Clan. Keep in mind that our Clan numbers total over one-hundred thousand."

"We are the largest and strongest of the Clans," Lucius said with a note of pride in his voice.

"Only a _thousand_ he says," I said with a sigh.

That _more_ than surpassed one of Vorador's parties when counting the green-skinned Eldar's human and vampire guests. Kain twitched beside me, just the smallest of movements and one that only I noticed because my arm lay against the line of his side. I took the goblet that Brice held out to me and sipped at the blood-wine as I brushed my mind against Kain's.

~Is something wrong?~ I asked carefully.

~Over a hundred thousand strong for a _single_ Clan?~ his tone held a note of incredulity to it.

~I did tell you that I confirmed the human population at roughly seven and a half billion,~ I responded with a raised brow. ~You weren't really surprised with how prolific _humans_ proved to be. Why the surprise with the numbers counted amongst my Birth Clan?~

~Humans breed like rabbits. The sheer number that can be counted amongst one Clan however,~ came the thoughtful response. ~It is a staggering thought when our own vampiric numbers on Nosgoth are barely even a _thousand_ strong to this day.~

He looked thoughtful for a moment before a satisfied expression flickered across his face.

~Nosgoth is vast though and a vampires speed allows us to traverse in a day what it would take a week or month for a normal human to travel, less of course for those used to a long march. There is a plethora of untouched land available that would also be difficult for humans to traverse at all...~ his voice fairly purred in my mind. ~To imagine so many of us across all the lands of Nosgoth from the highest mountain to the lowest valley... _all_ of them under my banner?~

A familiar look of hungry greed flitted across his face for an instant. I felt a small flash of amusement fill me at that hungry look.

Most of Nosgoth's cities were packed close enough for humans to reach within a week or a month at a travelers pace on foot, Coorhagen to Vasserbunde for example could be a three hour journey at such a pace and had taken less the half of that for our soldiers moving at a swift and forced march which was why we had been able to take Vasserbunde and Coorhagen within the same night. A human merchant travelling from Coorhagen to Meridian however, could be on the road for a month or more depending on how many goods, mounts, wagons and guards they had for the trip. Merchants these days oft paid mightily to have even one vampire guard amongst their retinue. Between Stenchencrowe and Vorador's mansion alone was a huge swath of untouched land. Not to mention those lands that lay untouched to the north, east and west beyond the mountain ranges that surrounded the lands known to the humans.

What that all meant was that there was plenty of room and land available for the vampires to build upon and shape Kain's budding empire. Homes and towns and vast city-states. I had no true knowledge of just how many would number amongst the various Clans that his Childe would form, but I knew that their numbers would be unstoppable both before and after the Decline.

I looked at him with a dry sort of amusement. Kain was fueled by a lust for power that would only be tempered by time, not lessened, and he was proving to be a King that was equally loved and feared due to his harsh, yet just, rule. Vampire and human alike knew plain the lines that they were not allowed to cross without incurring his wrath.

Amusement dulled to sorrow as I once again thought about the heavy task of restoring Nosgoth. I glanced down with a small frown. My younger version of Kain still thought that there would be a way to halt the eventual decline and I was... unsure of the Eldar's viewpoint on the matter as I had not been able to speak with that version of him often, for good reason.

Personally... I did not believe that aught could be done until after that point in time in which Eldar Kain had dove into the time stream, Raziel upon his heels. Indeed, my younger King was not even aware yet that Raziel was the 'blue demon' that he had seen in his glimpses of the possible timelines, as he had not spent much time using the Chronoplast beyond trying to figure out a way to keep me safe outside of sending me to Gaia.

Kain's taloned hand moved to rest idly upon my knee and I turned my attention back to him with a small smile.

~Like yourself and Vorador have oft told me; time is our ally in this task,~ I told him. I then turned back to Sigrun and Brice. "You are certain that this will not be too large of a crowd for us to monitor?"

"We're sure lass," Brice said with a nod of his head. "Remember that a good number of the 'guests' will actually be our own warriors stationed at key points to best keep an eye out for danger. They know well how to play the part of both reveler and guard."

"Right," I let out another soft sigh and rubbed at the bridge of my nose.

I still had the strongest sense of reservation about this entire event despite the details that had been flushed out over the past several weeks to both mine and Kain's satisfaction. Something tugged at the edge of my mind and filled me with a certain level of dread regarding this whole plan of ours. Kain let out a soothing thrum of noise from beside me and his talons started to massage at the muscle just above my knee.

"What troubles you mine own?" he asked aloud with a tilt of his head. "We have a solid plan of attack and I can see no fault with it thus far."

"I am... not certain," I said with a small frown and a twitch of my wings. "I feel like I am forgetting something that may change the layout of the board if we are not careful."

"Like what?" Lucius as with a frown. "Brice and Altair have been working out the logistics of it all. We have multiple back-up plans in place too. Even if Auron manages to attack you outright, we will have countermeasures in place to defend you. We wont let him take you again."

I looked at the younger half-blood and felt a flash of dark amusement. Is youthful enthusiasm and blind faith in his Clan's capabilities was... _almost_ cute. It was most certainly _endearing_. I chuckled softly and shook my head as I leaned back against the couch, free to do so without pinching a wing what with them put away. I waved one hand at him a moment later.

"Do not be overconfident Lucius," I said to him in a gentle yet firm tone. "Even the best laid plans can be laid to ruin. We have back up plans aplenty, yet there is still much that can go wrong. Potential traitors, knowing or not, amongst the Clan might well be the least of our worries."

"Mine soster has point," Sigrun said with a firm nod of her head. "We must be forsiktig, careful."

Lucius seemed to deflate a bit and his wings actually drooped. I fought back a laugh as Brice clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder reassuringly.

"Chin up lad," Brice said with a grin. "Just be mindful and pay attention like you've been taught. Without givin' away your cover mind."

Lucius flushed at his Eldar's words but nodded his understanding. He squared his shoulders as he flashed a look at me. I could easily see in his eyes that he wanted to impress both Kain and myself. His exuberance _could_ become a strength if he could only temper it properly. He reminded me of many a human youth that had willingly been turned. That eagerness was near to infectious. I smiled softly as I glanced at Kain out of the corner of my eye. He too looked bemused with the boy's antics.

Sigrun derailed my thoughts when she opened up another series of screens on her tablet. Images of different styled masks, head dresses, armor and... dresses flashed across the screen. My lips curled into a brief sneer of distaste at the sight of the dresses and Sigrun laughed.

"You do not like kjoler, dresses, either do you?" she asked in a bemused tone.

"I most assuredly _do not_ ," I grumbled in a low tone. "Clear that last screen. I intend to wear my own ceremonial armor."

The others all shared a small chuckle of amusement at my discomfort. I ignored the lot of them and reached out to skim through the different masks shown on the screen. I let out a soft hum of satisfaction at the sight of a simple yet elegant design of a griffon's head.

"If needs must I would be willing to wear something similar to this griffon mask," I said as I continued to browse through the masks. I stopped on one image and looked at Kain. "This one for you?"

"Hnnn," he let out a dark thrum of noise.

He reached out and tapped on an icon below the image I stopped on and a holographic projection took shape above the tablet. Lucius had taught us about this particular feature weeks ago and once Kain knew how to do something, he did not forget how to do it. He flashed me a feral grin a moment later.

"A wise choice mine own," he purred. "A wise choice indeed."

* * *

Yay! chappie done! Next up, The Masquerade begins!


	48. Masquerade Part 1

A/N: Below are descriptions on how to find to the masks chosen for Kat and Kain.

Katrina's Mask: Venetian Colombina Barocco Grifone And Silver Burnished Masquerade Prom Costume Ball Mask. It will be the one on the left in the image online, only the center piece is a griffon couchant with wings furled up and over in an arch. 'Couchant' means the griffon is lying down, but with it's head raised.

Something simple and tasteful for her. ^.^

Kain's Mask: Search for Phantom of the Opera (2004 movie), Phantom's Skull Mask on google. Something simple that plays on the fact that they both like the Phantom of the Opera in my story and because it's one of the Phantom's scarier masks.

-Kain leans over author's shoulder with a growling thrum.- It is... passable.

-Author meeps and jumps away- Would you _stop_ with the sneaking up on me thing!?

-Kain smirks-...no

* * *

Chapter Forty-Eight: Masquerade Part 1

The day of the planned event was upon us and my unease had only grown stronger over the past several days. I was careful not to show my concern on my face, yet remained tense. We had poured over the plans and backup plans again and again in an attempt to ferret out the reason behind my misgivings. Everything seemed to be sound based on the information available to us, yet I had advised Brice to be prepared for our plans to turn to dust in the wind.

"I know lass, been at this for a bit now," Brice had said softly, his tone equally serious and wry. "Like we said before though, he wont be takin' ya from us again."

"Hnn," I growled out softly and I set aside the tablet that I had been perusing. "Well then. We need to get ready..."

Kain and I had then gone back to our room to get changed into some of our finest ceremonial armor that we had packed away. Neither of us had been certain that we would even _need_ the armor, yet we had packed the sets away regardless. Kain did prefer to be prepared and, considering that our plans had always accounted for the potentiality of meeting up with my Birth Clan, he had wanted to be certain that we would be seen with respect.

Kain's ceremonial outfit was a darker version of his noble-styled set. Instead of a charcoal grey tunic with a red trim and several gold-plated armor pads at the joints, the tunic was a black silk tunic with silver runes carefully sewn in and hidden amongst the red trim for protection. The runes that were sewn into the tunic made the silk strong enough to resist even an Eldar's cutting talons, for a time. Likewise his leather pants were black with silver runes that offered him the same protection.

The gold-plated armor pads of the other armor had been replaced with a burnished silver set that had an angry looking skull design on the low shoulder pauldrons and a matching skull design on the upper part of his greaves. In contrast, Kain's vambraces had no real decoration upon them save for further rune-work that was designed to help protect him from both water and fire, of which he was still vulnerable to. All in all it was an outfit that I enjoyed seeing him in. Regal and refined. Removing the outfit would be a treat in and of itself later on...

I smiled to myself as he slipped his mask into place. It was the Phantom's Skull mask. The bone mask had a black base with silver highlights along the bony ridges to accent the rough edges of the skull design. The mask drew attention both to the brilliance of his blue-gold eyes and also accentuated his rugged jawline. It suited him very nicely. He turned to look me over and a smirk curled his lips upwards even as a flash of hunger filled his eyes. I knew that his own thoughts had turned lewd and I chuckled. I looked into the mirror that I was standing next to in order to look myself over and nodded to myself at my appearance.

My own outfit was also quite different from my usual armor. Another design courtesy of Vorador, but thankfully it was a tasteful design and not as revealing as the initial sketch that the Eldar had shown me. Dark leathers stained a royal purple cover my legs and I had a matching purple tunic with wide sleeves that flowed over my forearms. My black leather boots, again only with an inch high heel as I had never gotten comfortable with anything more than that, were thigh-highs and had an intricate boot-string weave design up along the outer sides.

Covering the boots were a set of burnished silver greaves that were intricately laced with protection runes hidden amongst a feathered pattern. A single cuisses was wrapped around my right thigh and bore the same design. The vambraces upon my forearms were also burnished silver in coloration. The feathered design upon them ended with a design of layered and flexible seeming 'feathers' that curled over the backs of my hands and moved with my hands rather than impede them.

I wore a leather, armored vest over the purple tunic that had a single burnished silver button fastened over my chest. The armored vest covered my back as well, since I would not have my wings out, and the vest protected that vulnerable pressure point along my spine. Attached to the vest were a set of low to the shoulder pauldrons that lay like wings half-furled over my upper arms. Again the 'feathers' had been done in an intricate design that allowed them to move with me when I shifted my arms about instead of hampering my movements. Lastly, a leather belt was wrapped around my waist and attached to it was a cloth that curled around my left thigh and the cloth hung loose down to my shin. The cloth was also a darkened, royal purple. It had both my Symbol and Kain's intricately joined together in silver and red thread.

Kain let out a satisfied hum of breath and he walked over to trail his fingers down my side. He reached over to the table next to the large mirror and picked up the mask that I had decided upon. I had finally opted for a simplistic Colombina Barocco Grifone style mask. The markings upon the mask were simplistic with little wing-like whorls over the cheeks and had a single, intricate feather spread out over each brow. What had truly caught my eye about the mask though, was the center piece. It was a griffon couchant, or lying down, and the griffon's head was raised up with a proud, watchful air. Its' front paws seemed to be pushed against the 'ground' of the mask and the muscles of its' limbs were bunched up as if it were prepared to leap forward at a moments notice despite the relaxed seeming posture. The griffon's wings were extended up in a flowing arch with the very tips of the wings brushing against the griffon's feathered ears in a kind of crescent shape.

Kain shifted to where he was standing behind me and he gently settled the mask into place upon my face. His taloned fingers deftly tied the mask into place for me. I smiled at him and his taloned hands moved to rest lightly upon my armored shoulders. I reached up to rest my smaller hands over his own and let out a soft sigh.

"You are ready, mine own?" he asked in a soft yet serious tone.

"Yes," I said and I leaned my head back against his chest. "I am still uncertain what it is that is making me so uneasy but..."

I shook my head and turned away from the mirror in order to face him. I needlessly straightened the collar of Kain's tunic to busy my hands and his own hands closed around mine moments later to still them. He then caught my chin lightly in one hand and leaned down to catch my lips in a gentle kiss. I let out a soft purr of pleasure at the kiss and trailed my hands down his chest to rest upon his hips. He pulled back a moment later with a soft chuckle and bumped his masked forehead lightly against my own before he pulled back.

"Whatever has you concerned will be dealt with in time," he rumbled soothingly, "if it even becomes an issue. Come, let us introduce you to your Birth Clan my Dear Katrina. It is time for your debut."

"Yes, it is," I responded with a nod and we started for the door.

We left our rooms and moved down the halls toward the main doors of the mansion. Sigrun and Lucius met us at the large double-doors, both dressed in semi-formal outfits. Lucius wore a golden fox mask and his outfit seemed very Japanese inspired. The top that he wore was loose fitting and seemed more like a haori then anything else and instead of a hakama he wore a set of baggy pants. A ninja of some sort perhaps? Sigrun's outfit was Nordic based and seemed a modern take on the Valkyrie that she was named for. Instead of a mask, she wore the winged helm that most people associated with the battle-maidens and the armor that she wore was plain, yet functional. From the scent of it, the fur skirt wrapped around her waist was real, old and well tended.

We met Brice at the limo that had been prepared for us and I had to stifle a small chuckle behind one hand. He was dressed like an old fashioned, seventeen-hundred's Scottish Highlander, which included leather studded armor, a bit of face paint and a good ol' kilt to complete the look. He raised a brow at me at the chuckle and I found that I suddenly could not help myself.

"You a _true_ Scotsman under that kilt?" I asked as I waved a hand at his outfit.

"Aye lass," Brice responded with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Though I'm doubtin' that your King would want ya checkin' my 'authenticity'."

Lucius let out a nervous chuckle whilst Sigrun burst into outright laughter. Kain looked at me with a raised brow and I blushed even as I flashed him a small, fang-less smile.

~'True Scotsmen' don't wear anything under the kilt,~ I explained with a mental laugh.

I reached out to tug at the edge of his own leathers that fit him like a second layer of skin. Kain let out a snort of amusement at the tug as neither of us wore anything under our leather pants. I still wore bras or breast bands, as I needed the support, but I tended to avoid any kind of undies. As lace was expensive on Nosgoth, not to mention scratchy and uncomfortable, I hardly ever bothered with such items. Being back on Gaia though, meant I would be able to invest in a few softer 'dedicates' to wear later upon my return to Nosgoth. Kain looked at Brice and flashed a fanged smile at the male. A small warning was hidden in that smile.

"You would be wise to assume such a thing," Kain purred out in a dark, yet bemused, tone. "Though I imagine such an outfit can be a bit... _drafty_."

"Aye, it can be when it's cold out," Brice answered with a laugh as he opened the limo doors. "Good thing we live in warm climes, aye?"

"Well," Sigurn started with a smirk on her lips. She moved past Brice and started into the limo. "Kanskje hvis ting går bra, kan jeg sjekke din 'autentisitet'. Det har gått en stund, har det ikke ? Du har aldri beenone å skuffe."

Brice's eyes darkened hungrily for a moment and he shook his head in amusement barely a second later.

"Behave yourself Sig," he said in a bland tone, though his smile hinted at other things.

"Oppfør deg? I suppose I shall... for now," she responded with a laugh as she took her seat inside the limo.

Kain let out a snort at the byplay and we shared a bemused look. While we could not understand Sigrun whenever she spoke her native tongue, the interactions between herself and Brice over the past several days had made it plain that the pair were, or had been at one point, lovers. Perhaps more in the category of 'Friends with Benefits' than anything else from the way they acted around each other. I shook my head and let out a bemused sigh as Kain and I slipped into the limo. I sat down on the seat next to Sigrun whilst Kain sat on my other side. Lucius and Brice sat across from us and we settled in for the drive to the MGM. Sigrun, Brice and Lucius started to go over the details of those that were to meet us outside of the casino; Altair, his son, their personal guards... and my the rest of my Turned siblings.

Benedict; six hundred and fifty-two and the eldest male. Born in the year fifteen-oh-nine, Benedict had been one of the few survivors of a small, nameless village that had been wiped out during the War of the League of Cambrai, or the 'War of the Holy League'. My Father had taken Benedict in as a babe and had raised the young human himself before Turning him in his twenties when Benedict had contracted the plague in the year fifteen thirty-one. Sigrun and Brice both explained that Benedict was a gifted healer and scientist, had a kind heart and was very much an atheist after having witnessed first hand some of the atrocities committed in the name of religion over the years. Still, having survived such things he was still an open book with the same amount of patience with politics as Sigrun...

That is to say, next to none...

Cuthbert; five hundred and twenty-two. Born in Russia during the year fifteen ninety-eight to an English father and a Russian mother the same year that Boris Godunov seized the throne of Russia after the death of his brother-in-law, Cuthbert was raised during the start of what history had named 'the Time of Troubles'. Another human who had been taken in by my Father at a young age. Cuthbert's parents were murdered in their sleep for what little money and food that they'd had in their small hovel. Father had found Cuthbert tucked behind a broken cupboard during his hunt for said thief, a man who had made the mistake of attacking another family that had been under my Father's protection. Cuthbert, or Cu as Sigrun called him, was a mage and had long focused on studying souls and the power held within a soul as it moved from life to life versus the power that could be found within a physical bloodline. I had been surprised by Cu's focus of studies, but Sigrun was swift to point out that he had a long standing rule that all of his studies would be ethical in nature.

This meant that he never killed a subject to force them on to the next life and instead spent years... _people watching_ for lack of a better term...

It's not like he did not have the _time_ to do so.

Joan; five hundred and twenty. Born in Ireland in the year sixteen forty-one and named for Jeanne d'Arc, or 'Joan of Arc, The Maid of Orléans' and... that name had _not_ served her well. Joan's mother had been born in France and had been... _Devout_ in the worst translation of the word. Due to either mental illness or just being that fucked up of a person, Joan's mother _literally_ believed her daughter to be Jeanne d'Arc reborn and had somehow decided that such a thing meant that it was 'acceptable' to force a number of torments, similar to what the famed woman had gone through when she had been captured, upon my Turned sibling all before she had even turned _five_. Joan had been saved by my Father when he had raided the woman's castle-like home due to rumors of the woman holding a child captive.

The rumors hadn't been wrong... just that the woman who dared to call herself a mother hadn't had to _kidnap_ a child to carry out her depravity...

Joan was a quiet and somehow open girl despite all the pain she had been put through, though Sigrun and Brice both told us that she had not acclimated well to technological advancements over the years and preferred a more Spartan kind of life-style.

Elijah; three hundred and nine. Born in Australia in eighteen fifty-two. Out of all of my siblings, he, Sigrun and Benedict had the best personal histories, though Sigrun refused to speak of her own past when pressed. She instead continued to tell me that Elijah had been born during the earlier years of Australia's Gold Rush. Elijah had also been a bit of a dare-devil before the term had even truly become popular. By the time he was in his mid-teens, he would often go out into the wilds of Australia not only to try his luck and find gold like many other prospectors, but also to test himself against the many dangerous and deadly animals that inhabited the land. Suffice to say, he was careless one day and had slipped while climbing and had ended up trapped on a cliff edge with no way down. With he having been the middle of summer, he would have died from the heat and from lack of water. Father had been flying in the area that day and had saved him when he had seen the young man.

Being both stubborn and loyal, Elijah had sworn himself into Father's service upon his recovery and had eventually been Turned before his mid-twenties.

Father had been known for a ' _saving people thing_ ' from the sound of it.

It was interesting to learn about the various histories of my siblings, many of whom were now younger than myself. Counting my time on Nosgoth, I was now five hundred and seventy years old. Of the six of us, I was actually the third eldest with only Benedict and Sigrun being older than I. Cuthbert, Joan and Elijah were all younger than I was, though I would have to appear to be the youngest and pretend that I was still one-hundred and sixty-eight... and thus 'babyen', or 'the baby' as Sigurn put it. She had started calling me 'lillesøster' or 'babyen' shortly after her arrival and the fight with Kain.

"I know you have been through much, but you are still youngest despite this, ja?" she had said in explanation when I expressed my annoyance at the nickname whilst we were driving toward the hotel casino. Kain had simply been amused by it all. "We are all lykkelig, happy, to have you back with us. You are strong and you are Alpha, is true, but allow us this small thing, even if you do not _feel_ you are so young? Babyen should be treasured and protected. We... we all feel that we failed you. I... _I_ should have pushed to be your watcher. Would not have let you be taken like that _verdiløs dritt_ did."

I frowned at her words and then shook my head. I reached over and placed my hand upon her shoulder. I gave her a small squeeze when she looked away from me with a guilty expression writ plain upon her face.

"Sigrun, you could not have known what was to happen," I said to her in a soft, yet firm tone. " _None_ of you could have been prepared for it. Do not blame yourself."

"I am eldest," Sigrun said after a few silent moments. She shrugged one shoulder and her wings fluffed up with her unease. "Is my duty to protect Siblings when there is call for it."

"Again, I say you did not, _and could not,_ have known that there would be such a need," I told her and my voice turned stern. "Leave be Sister. I find no fault with you or and of my other Turned siblings for what happened to me."

She looked away from me at that point and focused her attention on the scenery outside. Lucius had started to say something and Brice signaled for the younger vampire to remain silent. The youth glanced helplessly at each of us and, but for a faint sigh, he kept his own council on the matter. The rest of the drive was spent in a subdued silence and I leaned back against my seat. Kain's taloned hand settled against the base of my back and I shifted to subtly lean against him in order to take comfort in his presence as I closed my eyes to enjoy the quiet of the drive. At the least, this mode of travel was a vast improvement over horse-drawn carriages and the rocking that accompanied such mode of travel when we deigned to use it back home.

I tensed when I felt the vehicle slow a half an hour later and I straightened in my seat. The others had all grown alert as well and I turned my attention toward the large resort casino. I frowned at the sight of the large crowd outside and let out a faint sigh. I glanced at Kain out of the corner of my eye and flashed him a slightly pained smile. He chuckled and gave the base of my back a small pat as the limo came to a halt. Game faces on and all that.

Brice slipped from the limo and I had to appear to fight back a frown at a sudden series of flashes when I started for the door. I pulled back, as if shy. Lucius and Sigrun slipped out of the limo a heartbeat later and a number of dangerous growls filled the air. Some paparazzi had slipped through to try to get photos of me. I glanced at Kain and he nodded his head. We had planned for this, something small to help lure Auron in. If _paparazzi_ could slip into the crowd when I had 'specifically requested' that there be no cameras, then it would show that those guarding me were being lax in their duties due to a sense of apparent 'over-confidence' in their ability to keep me safe. Indeed, there would be a number of carefully orchestrated movements on my part over the night. Kain slipped past me and out of the limo when Brice indicated that it was clear. My King took a brief moment to glare at the crowd before he turned back to hold a hand out to me. I put my hand in his and gracefully slipped out of the limo.

What surprised me was not the shear numbers, but the energy of the crowd. In a way, I had been expecting those gathered out front to be more boisterous in their talking. No, what was truly 'loud' was the press of everyone's Aura's, the massive amount of energy that screamed 'Clan' in my skull. I slipped my hand into the bend of Kain's arm and lightly pressed two fingers against my temple with a small wince. A small bit of acting on my part to make it seem that I had been slightly overwhelmed by the amount of power around me due to the 'head injury' that I had supposedly sustained upon our arrival. If Auron _believed_ the information that had been passed amongst the lower level guards regarding the false trap, then he would believe any reaction from me if he tried to mess with my mind, especially if he thought that I had been injured.

Once I had 'steadied myself', we moved along the red carpet up toward the main entrance with Brice and Lucius on either side of us and Sigrun at the rear. Altair stood at the top of the steps with his own guards, his son Armon and his guards and a group of vampires that had to be my Siblings. A startled flash of amusement flickered through me when one of them suddenly yanked up his mask and let out a squawking, choked sound of surprise.

"That sheila and the white haired bloke?!" cried a familiar voice.

I looked the male over with a blink and then let out a faint laugh as I looked at Kain. We shared a bemused look before we looked back to the male. This _had_ to be Elijah... and also the young Australian vampire that had been with the human with the Texas drawl. His outburst caught the attention of the others and various expressions of shock and annoyance were writ plain on their faces. Sigrun's Aura had gone cold behind me and I spoke before she could snap at him for not having realized just who I was when we had crossed paths on the day of my arrival.

"Did that 'daft dingo' of yours ever successfully pick up a date?" I asked him with a small grin.

"I... _no_... he," Elijah let out a weak laugh and rubbed at the back of his neck.

His own wings had pulled in close to his shoulders both due to his embarrassment and the continued, angry, pressure from Sigrun. It was obviously not a good idea to have ones wings out when riding a motorcycle, the drag of the wings would have severely hampered movement, so I had not been able to recognize him as a Clan-mate. Nor had the scents of the city at the time helped, else I _might_ have been able to scent the echo of my Father's scent upon him. Not that I would have been _looking_ for such a thing, but it still might have been an odd enough thing for me to have taken note of it. I smiled faintly at his unease and gave him an encouraging wave of my hand when he fell silent.

"Ah..." he shifted uneasily. "The dingo had no luck and his idiocy actually cost _me_ my own date later on that evening..."

"Hmph," Kain snorted beside me. "Perhaps the young fool would have been best suited to obtain lessons on decorum and tact."

"Bloody oath!" Elijah responded with a nod. "Thinkin' about havin' him do just that actually."

Elijah looked back at me and shifted uncomfortably.

"I... ah... I apologize..." he started and he had to clear his throat. "I didn't _recognize_ you... I mean... you look a... a bit _different_ than the old photos and... well it... it's..."

"Not like you _expected_ to idly run across me in the middle of a busy street?" I shook my head in bemusement. "That's alright. I have... grown older and do not look _quite_ the same. Besides which, I was yet getting my bearings and the many scents in the area clouded my own senses. Else I _might_ have been able to recognize Father's scent mixed in with your own."

"He should have recognized you," Sigrun growled at my back.

I turned to face her with a stern frown and flared my Aura at her. I allowed a small, subtle shakiness to the Aura, just a little twinge. The pulse of my Aura seemed to startle my Siblings and more than a few close enough to sense it. More than one person shot me a re-evaluating look and I took subtle note of those who did so. It was plain that they were not expecting my Aura to be so strong. Nor had they expected the tremble within it.

" _Enough_ Sister," I said firmly. "I imagine that he was enjoying a night off with his friend. He was not expecting to have stumbled across me in such a way and I do not look as... _gentle_... as I did before I was taken by mine enemy."

"I..." Sigrun let out a heavy sigh. "I will only let this drop because you wish it lillesøster."

"Thank you, Eldar Sister," I responded with a gracious smile.

I felt a small twinge of amusement from Kain as I turned back to the others. My siblings all crowded carefully close as they introduced themselves. The tallest male at roughly six and a half feet with black hair and blue eyes wearing a fox mask was Benedict. The blonde haired, green eyed male that stood at about six feet and had a raven mask was Cuthbert. Elijah himself was blonde with blue eyes and was my height, counting the inch of height my boots gave me. Joan was the smallest with black hair and brown eyes. She wore a delicate little butterfly mask and easily fit under my chin when she hugged me. The push of her Aura against my own was... as tiny and sweet as she looked... and I started in surprise when my own Aura automatically settled around hers protectively in response to that light touch.

 _An_ Omega...!? I thought in surprise.

"I'm glad," she said in a voice that was practically a whisper. "I am _so glad_ you stayed strong..."

I shot a surprised look Kain's way and I knew that, while my face remained polite beneath my mask, my eyes showed my shock. His own Aura reach out to settle across myself and my Turned Sister. He also seemed shocked at the feel of Joan's Aura. Vampires were _predators._ Even the _weakest_ Beta was still a _Beta_ and strong enough to survive on their own once they were old enough. An _Omega_ was rare and from what we knew from Janos, they _lived_ for the Alpha's and Beta's of their Clan. They were rare enough that there had not been a known Omega on Nosgoth since Janos' _youth_. This...!

I shot a wordless glance at Altair. He and his son had been hanging back to allow us our public reunion and I felt my lips curl downwards in a small frown. He had been so certain that my Siblings would be able to protect me. For them to act as an effective guard force, even with how open they were supposed to be and... actually were from how they acted. Joan alone would put herself before me and harm without hesitation or forethought because of her nature if Janos had the right of it. And yet... perhaps Omega's were more common a creature here on Gaia? I glanced around me at Brice and Sigrun and even Lucius. They were... _confused_... by my sudden, contained upset. Even my Turned siblings had started to share confused glances. I let out a small sigh and shook my head as I returned Joan's hug. Kain's mind brushed against my own a moment later.

~I wonder if they are even aware of the depths of her nature?~ he rumbled thoughtfully to me.

~That, or this is one of those things that differ between Gaian and Nosgothian vampires,~ I hummed thoughtfully. ~Still... it changes nothing in the end for our plans. I will simply question Brice later on the subject to find out more. It's not like we thought to _ask_ about such a subject.~

~A sound plan mine own and your words are true enough,~ Kain's eyes flashed with amusement a moment later. ~Am I to introduce myself then?~

I let out a mental snort and eased Joan back. She easily slid into line next to my other Siblings. I slipped my hand back into the bend of Kain's arm and brought the attention of the others to my Mate. The others looked Kain over warily and Elijah offered my silver-haired Mate a fang-less smirk.

"This is my Lord. His name is Kain," I told them in a proud, but gentle voice.

Right now, in the public eye, he would play the simple Lord and not the King that he was.

"It is a pleasure to meet the Turned Siblings of my Mate-Marked Lady," Kain said smoothly to the others.

That one sentence alone helped to calm the tension that had been budding amongst my Siblings due to his presence at my side. Joan merely smiled though and nodded her head in a respective manner to Kain. She issued a proper little curtsy to Kain and I contained a small shudder. In all my years, I have never even _remotely_ felt comfortable curtsying and had only ever bowed to Kain as another warrior might. Alma had both despaired over, and been amused by, my refusal to focus on the more 'lady-like' aspects of my tutelage over the years. As it was, Joan's action helped to make the other three relax further still and I tilted my head thoughtfully at their reaction to her ready acceptance of Kain's presence at my side.

"Do we have you to thank for our Sister's safe return?" Benedict asked as he stepped forward and held out his taloned hand.

"She escaped her captor under her own power," Kain answered smoothly and he flexed his arm enough to give my hand a small squeeze where it rested even as he reached out to shake Benedict's hand. "I merely tended to her wounds and offered her a safe Haven as she healed."

I had allowed myself to visibly tense at Benedict's words, hence the small squeeze. More subtle acting on my part. True, the assumption that I had needed to be rescued annoyed me, but _normally_ I would have contained my upset when in a widely public setting such as this. We had decided that the more it looked like I was subtly dependent on direction from Kain, the more likely Auron was to take the bait. In seeing me yield so to Kain, Auron's sense of possessiveness should lead him to act blindly under the assumption that he had bypassed our 'false trap' as if it were the _only_ trap in place. For all that I had proved my strength over the years, my tormentor had firmly believed that I had willingly allowed Kain to Mark me not because I, subconscious though it was at the time, _trusted_ Kain and was in turn trusted and treated as an equal, but that I had accepted Kain as my Master as a _slave_ might.

To Auron I was just that; a Slave, a Pet and, since he found out about my being Marked, a Whore. Auron had _repeatedly_ shown that he believed me to be as such and that he believed Kain to have usurped Auron's place as my 'Master'. In that final battle with the Sarafan Bastard, Auron had even blathered on about not 'allowing' Kain to 'keep me' and that he would 'have me returned to him' as if I were a piece of _property_ or an errant _animal_.

I would take _great_ satisfaction in teaching the son-of-a-bitch his place...

"Then you have my thanks for tending to her and helping her recover after she escaped her tormentor," Benedict said smoothly and he released Kain's hand. "I only hope that we are able to find and slay him as well."

"Agreed," Kain responded and the two males shared a vicious, hunter's smile.

Benedict stepped back and Cuthbert moved forward next and held out his own hand to Kain. Kain took his hand and Cuthbert looked down at Kain's hand with a small frown.

" _Odd_... you feel," he started to mutter softly. He shook his head a moment later and offered Kain a faint smile. "Excuse me for allowing my mind to wander. Your energy is... _unique_ and took me by surprise. I am highly attuned to such things when it comes to magic energies and allowed myself to be distracted."

"I do believe I shall take that as a complement," Kain said in a dry tone.

"Please do, as I meant no offense by my words," Cuthbert said with a dry laugh. "And call me Cu if you would be so kind. ' _Cuthbert_ ' is a bit of a mouthful."

"Not ' _Bert_ ' then?" I piped up in a sudden fit of playfulness.

"Certainly _not_ ," Cu responded with a snort and he turned back to me as he let go of Kain's hand. "Though do feel free to call Benedict, ' _Ben_ ' and Elijah, ' _Eli_ '."

"Don't you _dare_ Sheila," Elijah said and he glared at Cuthbert.

" _Indeed_ ," Benedict said and he gave an imperious sniff as he, too, glared at Cuthbert. "You are not too old to be _bent over my knee_ for correction Brother."

"You would have to _catch_ me first, Brother mine," Cu responded with a small baring of fang.

My brows flew up at the byplay and I blinked when I realized that each of my Brother's were Alpha's in their own right and had likely not been around each other for years now considering the way they were acting around each other. This was something I had seen amongst many of Vorador's Childe when a previously established hierarchy suddenly came into question amongst Siblings, either due to them being a century away from each other or after at least one sibling had gone through a Torpor. Joan stepped forward between the males with a gentle smile upon her lips.

"Please don't fight Brother's," she said in a soft voice. "This is a happy day."

My Brother's relaxed immediately and I realized that Joan's Aura had somehow calmed their budding, confrontational instincts that demanded that they test each other.

"My apologies Sister, you are right. This is a happy day that should not be spoiled by ranking disputes," Benedict said with a gentle smile. "We will behave ourselves for the time being."

"Thank you Bene," Joan responded with a gentle smile and Benedict's face seemed to soften further under his mask.

"Yea, she can get away with callin' ya Bene..." Elijah snorted softly in amusement and then held his hands up when a glare was shot his way. "Hey, hey easy drongo. Ya don't need to chuck a spaz attack. Anyway, we should get inside, yeah? Would rather be flat out like a lizard drinking, but we got some schmoozin' to do inside and have to deal with people pissing in our pockets. Least the camera's got dealt with."

Kain and I shared a confused look before we turned back to look at Elijah with equally flabbergasted expressions. Joan giggled at our expressions and shook her head. Brice coughed into his hand and let out a soft, bemused sigh as he stepped forward into my line of sight.

"To translate that mess lass," Brice started with a smile. "'Drongo' means either dumb-ass or idiot. 'Chuck a spaz attack' means losin' one's temper. 'Flat out like a lizard drinking' means he'd rather be doing nothing or more that he doesn't want to be stuck amongst such a large crowd and 'people pissing in our pockets' means people who are suckin' up to you or want somethin' from ya."

"Is what I said innit?" Elijah asked as his feathers bristled and fluffed up.

"Not quite lillebror," Sigrun said with a laugh. "You need to work on your speech patterns."

"Uh huh," Elijah grumbled. "You're one t' talk Sister."

"If you could but work on improving your speech patterns," Benedict started in a droll tone. "Perhaps your Mate would allow you out of the house more often."

"Ya wanker! Want to repeat that?" Elijah snarled as he bristled further still.

I looked at Joan and we both burst into laughter at the same time. Kain chuckled beside me and shook his head as he glanced down at me.

"I do believe I am quite content being the only Childe created by my Sire before his abrupt death," Kain said in a dry tone. "Siblings seem to be too much of a hassle if this is to be any indication of the norm."

Elijah threw up his hands at that and turned away to give the appearance of someone sulking, though if one looked close, one could see the smile upon his lips. We all shared another laugh and when Benedict waved his hand to the side, our group moved closer to Altair and his son Armon. Altair took my hand in his and offered a polite kiss to the back of my hand before he let go and shook Kain's arm, hand to wrist. Armon stiffly did the same, though I could see the strain in both his grasp and Kain's when they shook hands and the two males eyed each other warily. Still, they let go at the same time and, after a tense silence, Altair led us inside toward the main halls of the MGM without any further confrontation between the two.

The largest of the main halls was set up as a ballroom while the many connecting halls were set up as dining rooms. Altair led us up to the main podium and only then was the crowd that had been waiting outside let inside the building. Brice and Lucius tucked themselves into place to the side and slightly in front of Kain and myself whilst Sigrun remained at our backs. With Brice and Lucius standing where they were, Kain and I were mostly hidden from the sight of the crowd. My other Siblings spaced themselves around the two of us as they talked amongst themselves. For the most part they kept to playful, if somewhat sharp-edged, banter. I tucked myself a little closer to Kain's side and Joan tilted her head at me thoughtfully. I flashed her a small smile and she returned the grin before she turned to look out amongst the crowd as people slowly filled the room. Elijah suddenly nudged my arm with his wing and he leaned close to me.

"Why do I suddenly feel like the thunder's rolling in little blister?" he asked softly. The growing din of the crowd meant that only Kain and I hear his soft-spoken question.

"' _Blister_ '?" I asked, rather than answer his question.

"Aussie slang for 'sister'," he clarified. "An' you didn't answer my question."

"Perhaps you should simply trust your instincts and stop asking questions," Kain rumbled softly. He continued to look over the crowd with his usual air of assurance. As if he owned the place.

"..." Elijah blinked at him and then let out a dry laugh. "Picked a hard tack, didn't ya blister?"

"If that phrase means the same thing as 'tough as nails'," I responded with a dry tone and smile. "Then yes, I did."

"Long as he makes you happy, then I ain't got a problem with 'im," Elijah said with a grin. "Sig give him the run down yet?"

"Do you mean; did she challenge him to a fight?" I asked.

He nodded.

"She did," I smiled, a small vicious little flash of fang. "She _lost_."

"Well, bugger me dead," Elijah laughed.

He glanced back at Sigrun briefly before he winced under the sudden glare that she sent his way. His wings ruffled briefly and he let out another, softer laugh.

"Have to give it a bit, but that'll make some great ammo later for teasin' big blister later," he said wryly and he winked.

"You're likely to get your ass handed to you," I responded with a grin. "Sig seems to have a little bit of a temper."

"Eh, she's prideful. Who isn't?" Elijah shrugged. "Me? I know I'm young, but she also knows I'm just ribbin' her, so she doesn't tan my hide _too_ bad if I push too many buttons."

"Three broken ribs and a _concussion_ doesn't count as 'tanning your hide too bad' for you lad?" Brice asked in a dry tone.

"Considering you broke _six_ of his ribs and his left leg in _three_ places the last time you fought during training lessons Brice, I think he considers her lessonings to be mild," Lucius piped up suddenly.

I raised a brow as I glanced between the three males. Kain let out another chuckle and he raised a brow as he turned his focus on Elijah.

"Six ribs and a leg broken in three places and still you persist in pushing _anyone's_ patience?" Kain asked.

"Twas but a scratch," Elijah responded with a wide smirk.

I let out a soft snort.

"Really? A _Monty Python_ quote?" I asked.

"Yup," he chuckled. "If you can't tell, I like to have fun and well, push buttons."

"Sigrun _did_ mention you were a bit of a dare-devil," I said drily.

"Before it became popular too!" Elijah said with a grin.

"That is _not_ something to be proud of," Benedict said and his hand closed on Elijah's shoulder. "Be _silent_ now Brother. The crowd has almost filled the room and our King will start his speech soon."

"...wanker," Elijah muttered softly. He winked at me but fell silent as ordered.

I chuckled behind my hand and leaned against Kain. His mind brushed against my own and I could feel his amusement underneath the attentive, hunter's focus as he continued to eye the crowd warily.

~I _do_ imagine that your Siblings will... take some getting used to,~ he murmured softly into my mind.

~It will be _interesting_ , to say the least,~ I responded. ~Especially when they are all finally told how old I _actually_ am.~

~Your youngest Sister, Joan,~ Kain thrummed thoughtfully. ~Her very presence seems to sooth and calm. Janos told us that the Omega's of Nosgoth were _timid_ things, soft and quiet. In need of constant care and protection from the dangers around them that they seemed little more than the Breed of this world by his telling. Yet she seems to command them more than even the eldest of your siblings merely by asking something of them.~

~Again, perhaps a difference between the two worlds,~ I started and then I tilted my head with a frown. ~That or Janos and the others did not truly understand the nature of the Omega's that once existed on Nosgoth. Perhaps, since he only mentioned it in passing during his lessons, the Omega's that had existed _only_ existed amongst the original Ancient's. Vorador was certain that _none_ of those Turned as he was were Omega's even before the Sarafan's original purge. Still, she seems a calming force, a _mediator_... an entity that could help keep a pack made solely of Alpha's from tearing at each other's throats. Elijah feels more like a low level Alpha than anything else, whilst Benedict, Cuthbert and Sigrun are all very much Alpha's. Yet she calmed them instantly when it seemed like our Brother's were going to fight.~

~Methinks that you may be right mine own,~ Kain hummed in my mind. ~Janos and the others of his kith and kin may not have truly _understood_ their nature. From what the Old One said of those early years, it was a struggle to even understand the _basics_ of their new natures as predators. Hmm, we will speak more upon it later.~

His attention had turned toward Altair when the winged Eldar raised his arms and sent out a pulsing thrum of Aura to call the attention of those within the room. The crowd around us seemed to both perk up attentively and calm to that quiet stillness that only vampires could obtain.

"Friends and Clan-mates," Altair started with a small smile. "I have called you here to celebrate a momentous event. As you know, one-hundred and fifty-two years ago one of the daughters of the sky was stolen from us and fell magics were used to hide her from our sight. We could do nothing to aid her and could only monitor the status of her tracking crystal helplessly."

The crowd shifted, the rustling of wings and feather-tips filled the air with a soft whisper-like noise that was also somehow as loud as the ocean tide. I eyed the crowd warily and allowed my hand to tighten on Kain's arm. His taloned hand moved to subtly rest over my own.

"A hundred and fifty-two years of torture..." Altair said grimly as his smile fell away. "And yet our Clan-mate retained her mind and will. Sturdy as the oak grove her family was named for and pure as the day she was taken."

That last was a carefully worded and not-so-subtle barb meant for Auron as much as it was a statement designed to inform those here that I had not been raped during those years of captivity. Several faces had gone dark at Altair's initial mention of torture and then had filled with dark pride at the mention of my strength of will.

"She escaped, _on her own_ no less," Altair continued, "and though she was badly wounded, she found safety amongst one who offered her aid, time and protection as she recovered. One who offered to find who had harmed her and even offered to assist her in _slaying_ her tormentor. They were unable to locate the coward who took her from us and, once she had reclaimed her strength in full, she and her ally made their way back to the lands where she grew up and thus passed out of the shrouding darkness of the magic that kept her from our sight. Today, I call you here to welcome home our long-lost Clan-mate, Katrina Eklund and to welcome He Whom She Trusts, the Lord Kain, into the Clan with open arms and sheltering wings."

Kain and I stepped forward at that point in Altair's speech. Brice and Lucius moved enough to the side to reveal our until then, partially concealed forms. A ripple ran through the crowd and a heavy thrum of over a thousand Aura's reached out toward us all at once in a wave that was heavier than the subdued press that it had been outside. To have over a thousand individuals _all_ tasting of Clan brush their power against my own so! It was wild and intense and _normally_ I would have hidden how the sudden press of energy affected me, yet now... I allowed myself to wobble _just_ a hair before I steadied myself. At Kain's seeming command, we both bowed our heads faintly to the crowd, though we did not look away from the crowd nor lower our gazes. We straightened and Altair smiled once more as he raised his hands.

"Tonight is a night to celebrate the strength and will of our Clan-mate. To celebrate her freedom and return to our side! Welcome home our daughter of the sky and let the festivities commence!"

The crowd cheered at that point and the sheer joy in the Aura's of those around us was a palatable thing indeed. From there, Altair and his son led Kain and I into the main throng in order to introduce us to many of those who were highly ranked amongst the Clan. Here was Yvonne, one of the Clan's five Generals. There was Lorenzo, one of the Head Healers. Then there was Rasputin, one of the Clan's Forge-smiths. Oh, and next was Wesker, the Clan's Spy-master and then Quentin and his three Daughters, Master artisans and story tellers.

Elijah provided colorful commentary after each introduction and, despite the danger that we were actually in, I couldn't help but laugh softly at his inane jokes. Kain hummed his amusement next to me when he was able to follow along with some of Elijah's random seeming comments. Armon let out a frustrated growl at one point when Elijah's joking insults got to be too much and separated from our group to go talk to one of Quentin's Daughters. Altair let out a small, bemused laugh and then waved his hand toward the musicians. He then turned towards Kain and I.

"If I may be allowed the honor to act in your Father's stead for the first dance?" Altair asked softly. "This is, after all, considered to be your debut party as well as a celebration of your return..."

I allowed myself to tense and glanced at Kain with a raised brow. In truth, I would rather have allowed _Brice_ to have the first dance. I felt somehow closer to the memory of my Father through Brice and his stories as opposed to my Father's Liege Lord. I reached out mentally and conveyed my honest preference for the situation but knew that Kain would choose whatever path might further help in building the illusion that we wished to build regarding my 'dependence' upon him. Kain tilted his head at me in thought and then his lips quirked up in that little smirk of his that I enjoyed so much. He took my hand from his arm and placed it into Altair's.

"Brice is to have the second dance," Kain looked at Brice, who's wings had fanned out faintly in surprise. "You will then guide her back to me."

"I... as you will," Brice answered with a bow of his head. To be allowed the second dance at a debut event, especially when one already had been Mate-Marked, or at least _Betrothed_ , was a momentous honor and Brice well knew it.

Altair smiled gently, a relieved look in his eyes beneath his regal, yet unmarked gold mask. He led me out onto the main floor as the music started. The crowd shifted as one to make room for us to dance. He led me around the floor in a graceful waltz for several long moments before he spoke.

"I wished to apologize again for my rudeness, daughter of my dearest friend," he said softly. His gaze was careful, both keeping watch of the crowd whilst seeming not to break from my own.

"As long as you can continue to remember that I am not the Childe in need that you expected to find, then I can forgive your actions and assumptions," I responded in a level, yet soft tone. "Brice has done much to explain your actions and has soothed both Kain's and my own growing temper."

Altair chuckled softly. "It seems I must thank him for playing peacemaker for me."

"You should indeed," I responded in a slightly more gentle tone. "He serves his King well, but perhaps if said King would actually _listen_ to his council he would not need to play the peacemaker so..."

"I find myself suitably chastised," Altair said a self-effacing chuckle. "And I do hope that we can build a more amicable relationship whilst you are here. I do not wish to push you away from the sheltering wings of the Clan."

 _Ah,_ I thought to myself, _so Brice warned him of my intent to break from the Clan in full if there proved a need._

I shot a small glance Brice's way. Really, he was easy to spot in his Scotsman garb amongst the crowd. I smiled faintly at the other male and then turned back to Altair.

"I dislike being lied to," I said honestly, though I continued to keep my voice soft. "Even if it is by omission. I would have appreciated being told about my Siblings and I _would_ have understood your desire for me to refrain from contacting them. I _do_ hold a portion of Kain's army under my command after all and understand the need for times of secrecy."

"I allowed my over-protectiveness to cloud my mind," Altair admitted as he guided me through a spin and back to his side for us to move side-by-side for several steps. "I can only promise that I will attempt to refrain from such actions in the future."

 _Hmm, not a promise that it would not happen_ again, I thought. _But at least an acknowledgement of a revealed flaw_.

I allowed him to guide me back to him as we continued to move and I nodded my head in response to his words. He continued to lead me for the remainder of the melody and I took note of the open pain in his eyes, though the rest of his face remained a polite facade beneath his mask. A showing of weakness that would have otherwise remained hidden were I anyone else. Only when the music stopped and we had bowed to each other, even now I refused to _curtsy_ , did I speak again amidst the sounds of clapping.

"I accept your promise," I murmured to him.

"I am grateful for your kindness," he responded with a small smile.

Altair kissed the back of my hand and led me back toward where Kain, Brice, Lucius and my siblings all stood. Rather than guide my hand toward Kain's as the crowd seemed to expect, Altair placed my hand in Brice's tri-taloned grasp. A small buzz passed through the crowd at that and Brice glanced at Kain to be certain that this would yet be acceptable. Kain nodded his head and indicated for Brice to lead me out to the floor. Brice nodded his head and led me back out as the music started up again at Altair's signal.

"This... is quite the honor lass," Brice said honestly as he moved me about like a delicate flower.

"Were it not for necessities sake and to sooth Altair's worry," I started quietly. "Kain and I would have allowed you the first dance. _This_ was the compromise."

" _I_..." his voice broke off in a choked sound.

Wonder of wonders, the Eldar male's steps faltered and for a moment I thought he might freeze up completely. A deft shift of my hand helped to guide him past the shock my words had caused and he resumed the waltz easily enough. I saw the same pain in his eyes that had been in Altair's and I gave his larger hand a small squeeze as I smiled at him. He returned the smile and the pain seemed to lessen somewhat as spun me about with a little more levity in his gait.

The melody shifted smoothly into another song as Kain stepped forward to claim his own dance. Brice passed my hand into my King's and the look he shot Kain was plain enough to read. _Take care of me,_ always, that gaze said. Kain smirked into that gaze and his _own_ look was easy enough for me to read as well. _I would take care of myself,_ that gaze said, _but if my steps faltered, he_ would _be there to steady me when he was able_. Brice nodded his head once in acceptance and moved from the main floor as Kain began to lead me about the room. I let out a contented sound as we fell into a long familiar rhythm.

"There has been no sign of our prey as yet," he said softly as he leaned close to mouth his lips over mine in a light, yet proprietary kiss.

"Keep up with such displays and he will likely make a move," I murmured back in response.

Kain hummed his agreement and we continued to move together in well coordinated movements. As the melody shifted once more I found myself being handed off to a stiff Armon and I had to stifle a sigh. His obvious tetchiness made it a difficult dance compared to the smooth movements of the others. Half the time _I_ was leading _him_ about the floor! It was with no small measure of relief, on either of our parts I believe, that he passed me to the next dancer. The crowd had started to join us in dancing now that the Price had his allowed dance. I spun and danced with dozens from the crowd. I kept up a gentle smile and spoke charmingly to those whom I danced with. Oft times, I separated from male and female alike and left them with smiles and a ready story of my gentleness upon their lips. I felt a soft haze settle across my mind as the music continued to flow around us and I shot off a quick, tightly beamed warning to Kain.

~My mind feels fuzzy,~ I said to him.

~I am here,~ came the firm response.

A quick, idle seeming glance to the side revealed that Kain was not five steps from me, dancing with Sigrun. Indeed, each of my Siblings had carefully arranged themselves close by with their own dancing partners. I allowed a happy-seeming laugh to escape me when my current partner spun me about before she passed me to the next eager seeming dancer with a falcon-like mask. Dark, deep forest green eyes met mine and the odd haze settled a little more firmly over my thoughts, though I was careful to keep myself on guard against the mental magic lest it slip over me completely. I was pulled in close to my newest dance partner and he swung me in a waltzing circle. Smooth lips brushed against my left ear.

"So _many_ here to welcome you home my pet. My petite l'ange," a long familiar, sweet-poisoned voice purred into my ear. "What _carnal delights_ did you promise to them to make them smile so at you, petite pute?"

I froze.

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Chap done. Please enjoy!


	49. Masquerade Part 2

Thank you again for the kind review Strive VII! I am glad you are enjoying the story!

Rymann, welcome and thank you for the review. I do hope the collar bone heals up without any problems! Please enjoy the latest chapter!

Reila-xd, thank you very much for the follow/fav!

Thaaikje, same to you! I appreciate the fav/follow!

And another Ty to Charles_de_Mercania or Proofreader-1962. Going back through some of the chapters using your suggestions has helped me fix several things. I do appreciate it!

Thank you all for your kindness!

Edit: Thank you to Daniel Christopher for noticing the error of 'jones' instead of 'joan's'. That error has been fixed. ty so much!

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Chapter Forty-Nine: Masquerade Part 2

Auron's hands pushed at me almost gently when I came to a shocked halt. I found myself automatically following his touch and I felt my eyes widen behind my mask as I continued to dance with him rather than pull away. A heavy feeling of lethargy had started to settle over my thoughts and it took extreme effort of will to remain free enough that I could continue to think for myself. Had I not been expecting and prepared for the mental magics, I might well have fallen fully under the spell he was trying to weave around my mind. As it was, the momentary shock of him actually having the audacity of slipping onto the very dance-floor to dance with me wore off and I regained my equilibrium enough to notice that my body moved at his direction and will.

 _Well… fuck, shit and damnation,_ I thought in surprise as I worked to break free of his Charm Gift in an effort to regain control of my body.

"You are stronger now my l'ange," he murmured softly into my ear and his lips brushed feather light against my skin. "But not strong enough, I think, to fight me off. Such a _lovely_ thing in your continued defiance my petite puit."

The noise of the crowd and music meant that no one could hear his softly spoken words and thus no one could tell that I was in danger, especially as my body continued to dance as if nothing was wrong. It was hard to focus on even attempting to Whisper one of the others to warn them and I had to keep my focus centered on keeping my mind safe from his. As it was, I knew as long as I could keep control over my own thoughts that I would eventually be able to fight him off in full. He guided me in an elegant twirl and I felt my lips curl up in a small, strained smile. A laugh escaped my lips as I was pulled back in close to his body and the sound of it was just slightly higher pitched than my normal laugh. _Damn him to the pits of hell!_ He leaned in close to me once more and his lips brushed lightly against my cheek.

"You will leave the ballroom in an hour my sweet l'ange and make your way to the roof. I will be waiting for you there, my petite puit," he murmured and I felt the compulsion of his Charm Gift it tried to settle over my mind. "Say nothing to the others my pet. Write nothing to them in warning. Do not even _Whisper_ them."

His hand caressed my cheek in a mockingly kind touch. He then handed me to the next dancer as if nothing had happened and I was spun around in several care-free circles. Finally free of his touch, the haze that had settled over my thoughts faded and I sucked in a sharp breath as if surfacing from a long time underwater. The hand in mine tightened briefly and the movements of my current partner slowed to a more sedate dance.

"You alright sheila?" a voice asked in concern. "Do you need some air?"

My current dance partner was Elijah. I shook my head as I relaxed a bit and smiled at him as if nothing was wrong.

"I am alright," I said softly. "There are just so many people here…"

I trailed off, as if uneasy with the large crowd and I looked away from my Brother to further the illusion of my unease. At the same time I reached out to brush my mind against Kain's in a careful touch, mindful of the lingering presence on the edge of my thoughts.

~Auron is here,~ I said and my mental voice reflected my anger whilst my physical demeanor continued to give nothing away. ~He just handed me back to Elijah after making an attempt at rolling my mind. He ordered me to make my way to the roof in an hour's time and said that he will be waiting for me there. He also tried to command my silence; written, verbal and mental.~

Kain's mind brushed my own in a returning caress. His own mental tone revealed plain his anger, like a thunderstorm on the cusp of releasing its' fury upon the unwary.

~It does seem that his audacity knows no bounds,~ Kain growled in a deadly tone. ~I will forewarn Brice and Altair. You are well mine own?~

~I am well, though his touch enhanced his Charm Gift, just as it does your own,~ I responded darkly. ~I fear that had it not been for our preparations and training over these long centuries with your own Gift in an effort to teach me how to protect myself against such mental magics, he might well have rolled me in truth. As it was, I could not control the movements of my body whilst he danced with me.~

Kain remained silent for several moments yet his mental touch remained an angry, contemplative and yet comforting weight against the back of my mind. Whilst his own Gift allowed him to control weak willed humans with ease, he had never been able to forcibly control me or another vampire to such an extent. At least not on par with what Auron had just managed. Elijah took my continued silence as a sign that I was yet upset with being surrounded by so many different people and he frowned at me in concern.

"If the crowds botherin' you little blister," he started in a gentle voice, "we can always go off to the side for a tic? Give you some space to clear your head?"

~I thought your laugh sounded somewhat strained a moment ago,~ Kain rumbled darkly. ~Auron's doing then, in making you laugh so?~

"I will be fine Brother, I _do_ enjoy the dancing," I responded to Elijah with a smile and then answered my Mate. ~Yes. With his Gift being so strong… I am surprised that he did not use it to a greater extent against me over the long years of my imprisonment.~

"Just not with such a large crowd 'round you?" Elijah asked with an understanding smile.

I smiled at Elijah almost shyly rather than answer his question directly. Let him continue to assume for now that I was unused to such grand affairs. I disliked the continued illusion but at this point it would be detrimental indeed to bring him or the others in on our plans. I could only hope that my open-seeming Brother, and the others, all forgave me the deception by the continued omissions and the leading, partial answers. I found that I was rather _enjoying_ the company of my Siblings thus far and I hoped that by the end of the evening that things would yet be well between us.

~He long wanted you to yield to him of you own choice mine own, you know this,~ Kain rumbled with a dark purr. ~It would have made your submission, the shattering of your mind, all the sweeter for him in the end. It was a mistake on his part not to use such power against you…~

~Yes, it was,~ I growled back in an equally dark tone even as I shivered subtly.

The thought that he might have forced me to yield to him when I was younger... it was a horrid thought and I found myself glad that his hubris would be used against him now. Elijah abruptly spun me around in a circle and the movement distracted me from my dark thoughts. He then nodded his head to the side when I looked back up at him. I glanced in the direction that he had indicated before I looked back at him with a faint smile. He had indicated one of the many refreshment tables.

"Need a bit of a pick-me-up?" he asked with a small smile. "These events are always stuffy but at least the spreads are usually good. They even have high-quality blood packs, chilled and labeled by blood type if you've got a personal preference."

"I… yes actually," I did feel a bit hungry now that I thought about it. "Let me signal Kain."

"Nah, let's just grab him and Joan and get off the dance floor," he interrupted with a grin.

He tugged on my hand and barged his way through the crowd towards Kain and Joan who had just started to dance together. My eyes widened incredulously. Elijah was committing a little bit of a social faux pas by doing such a thing, yet he did not seem to care one whit. I had to laugh though, as his actions very much seemed to match with his rather unique personality. Elijah grabbed Joan's hand and yanked her free of Kain's grasp. My sister let out a yip of sound, but did not seem overly surprised by suddenly being grabbed by our erstwhile brother. Kain let out a frustrated and yet faintly amused grow at Elijah's audacity and followed on our heels. I knew that his mask hid most of his curiosity regarding Elijah's actions, but the faint quirk of his lips revealed that curious amusement plainly to me at least. Elijah let both of our hands go once we were at the table and then swiftly grabbed up a rather large grilled shrimp that had been speared by a small skewer with a grip designed with an Eldar's talons in mind. He turned to me with an eager smile and held it out to me.

"Shrimp off the barbie?" he asked.

I laughed softly at the odd eagerness that exuded from him and shared a bemused smile with Joan. She giggled and I stiffened briefly when an arm wrapped around my waist. I relaxed when I realized that Kain had caught up with us despite the large number of dancers that had still been on the floor. My other Siblings all started to slip from said large crowd and made their way toward us as well. I smiled at them briefly before I turned back to the food that Elijah had held out to me.

"I'm not that fond of fish," I told him with an apologetic smile.

"Eh, s'alright. More for me then," he said.

He then popped the shrimp into his mouth and I raised an incredulous brow at his antics. Joan's giggles grew louder and Benedict sighed heavily he approached us. His wing-feathers were fluffed up clearly with his agitation. He reached out abruptly and cuffed Elijah upside the head with one hand. Elijah let out a playful yelp and pouted at Benedict. He raised his hands when Benedict pointed a sharp talon tip at his chest and an innocent look crossed his face.

" _Every_ time," Benedict hissed softly. Elijah's faux-innocent expression did not fool anyone and I had to fight back a small smile despite the hidden danger lurking in the crowd. "Every _damned_ _time_ there is a major event, you pull something like this unless your Mate is with you. Can you not behave yourself when you are on your own for once in your life Brother?"

"I can behave myself just _fine_ ," Elijah responded and he crossed his arms over his chest. "But each time things are getting too stressful, well... I'll keep playing the fool if only to keep a smile on our Blister's faces."

"This is her _debut_ _party_!" Benedict snarled and he leaned closer to Elijah.

As my Siblings all gathered around us, I noticed that they were endeavoring to block the curious and eager seeming eyes that milled about around us. I had to hide a bemused sigh at the realization that they were used to such arguments out of the two males and had long ingrained habits to keep what they could of such spats shielded from curious eyes. It seemed that no matter the world, people loved to gossip and _I_ was the latest thing to gossip about. Especially if my Brother's were fighting about me. I kept an eye out while seeming to focus on the growing spat between the two males in front of us. Kain did the same and he continued to hold me with an idle, almost proprietary air about him. That Auron had taken our bait was ideal but… My unease only grew stronger the longer the night dragged on.

~The roof will be a more open area then the confines of the casino proper,~ I Whispered. ~He will have an easier time escaping us from up there.~

~He may at that,~ Kain's taloned hand tightened briefly upon my hip and I leaned into that touch. ~ It is good that Brice and Altair set up defensive runes designed to prevent teleportation.~

~It _is_ a good thing that those were put into place, as he would have had ample time to make off with me during the dance if they were not,~ I finished. ~There is also the possibility that he does not have a teleportation Gift, but I am glad that we did not take the risk. It is bad enough that he could force me to dance with him so easily…~

~Indeed,~ Kain started to say something more when a gentle wave of calm pulsed through the immediate area.

I could feel it clearly as that energy soothed both his, and my own, frayed nerves. We looked at each other, confusion in both of our eyes whilst our faces remained hidden and blank beneath out masks. I turned my attention back toward my Siblings and raised a brow at the suddenly contrite looks that were on both Elijah's and Benedict's faces. Joan looked at them with a gentle yet equally scolding expression upon her face as she moved to stand between them.

" _Bene_ ," she started in a soft voice as she looked at the taller male, "you are making more of a spectacle of things by confronting Eli as you are. You know this just as well as he knows that his own actions were ill advised in such a setting as this. There is a better time and place for such 'talks'."

Elijah started to get a smug look on his face and his expression wilted when Joan rounded on him. The gentle smile never left her lips, her stance never changed, her wings did not flare in warning and yet... _somehow_ her kindly expression made his wings droop low.

"Eli, you _know_ the proper way to escort your partner from the dance floor," she said.

She then reached out to touch his arm and he sighed softly at her touch. He reached up to rub at the back of his neck and he looked to the side. He shrugged his shoulder in a careless gesture a moment later.

"I know," he murmured. "I just thought she needed a reason to smile… the only one our little blister knows and trusts around here is her Mate. Hell, he's bottled his bloods worth just helpin' her the way he did. Everyone else? They've been eyeing her like dingos in heat, even knowin' that she's Mate-marked. Hell, they've been eyeing her silver-haired bloke just as much 'cause he doesn't bare her Mark and I know that a lot of the dodgy dingos are thinkin' to push for an alliance by catchin' his eye if they can. Bound to make anyone uncomfortable when someone only sees you and your bloke as a piece of meat, yeah?"

"Eli," she sighed softly and gave his arm another pat. His wings twitched upwards hopefully at the touch. "Your heart is in the right place Brother, it always is, but you need to remember your rank as an Alpha and as one of Father's Sons. We may not oft travel the political scene but that is no reason to forgot ourselves."

Eli nodded his head and my Siblings all seemed to relax once again. I shared a look with Kain, both of our expressions somewhat rueful behind our masks. I turned my attention back to those that had been nearby. The crowd that had been not so subtly around us dispersed, several with disappointment writ clear on their faces. I wondered how often my Brother's confronted each other to have garnered that kind of a reaction. I stiffened briefly when I saw a number of guests blatantly look myself and Kain over much as Elijah had just pointed out. Kain's hand tightened around my waist and I let my own hand fall to rest at the base of his back. They rapidly looked away and hid themselves amongst the rest of the crowd. I let out a faint sigh as I turned back around. The wonders of vampiric politics...

Joan caught my eye and waved away the others with a gentle shooing motion of her hands and a teasing smile. She moved to stand beside myself and Kain once they had given us a little space. My Siblings had all moved into a loose but natural defensive ring around us as they sampled the various horderves laid out on the many tables. Brice, Sigrun and Lucius all remained close to us, a clear guard but chatty seeming guard force as they talked with some of the guests that wandered over. Joan reached out and daintily snagged up two pieces of speared pineapple. She held one of the pieces to me and I took it with a grateful smile. I nibbled at the piece of fruit and fairly purred with pleasure. As good as I remembered.

"Would it be terribly presumptuous of me to assume by your reactions that neither of you know about Omegas?" she asked in that soft-sweet voice of hers.

I glanced at Kain with a raised brow in our continued masquerade. He nodded as he took the lead in our conversation.

"My own Sire was slain shortly after I was Turned," Kain rumbled in response.

He picked up one of the speared pieces of pineapple in his talons and eyed it curiously. Nosgoth did not have the acidic, yet sweet, fruit and I had missed it over the years. He slid the fruit into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully before letting out a vaguely approving sound.

"What I have learned over the years," he continued, "was hard won and barely touched upon the nature of Omega's. Katrina's time as a prisoner meant that she knew less than I about the existence of Omega's by the time she came to reside with me."

"I see," Joan's face darkened with sorrow and anger. A moment later she offered us a small smile. "I would be glad to answer any of your questions regarding my nature."

"We appreciate your candor," Kain responded. A regal smirk crossed his lips and he picked up another piece of fruit and offered it to me. I took it from him and nibbled at it, seemingly content with remaining silent even though I was bursting with a number of questions. "Why to they defer to you so readily when you are not an Alpha? You do not seem to hold some great, hidden power to force such obedience from them."

Joan looked more amused than anything else by the blunt question. His words did border on being rude. To disparage another vampire's power so in a political setting could normally be taken as an affront worthy of a challenge then and there, but she did not seem to mind his words. Indeed, Brice too looked amused from his post and Lucius looked at Kain with an incredulous expression from his own post. Only Sigrun looked to be offended on behalf of our Sister and even then she calmed when Joan sent her a small smile.

"Omega's are the backbone of some Clans," Joan answered genially. "Most Clans are built with several Alpha's of various rank making up the backbone of the Clan whilst the rest within the Clan are all Beta class. Some Clan's, or Clan subsets, are small however and only comprised of Alpha's of various ranks and skill..."

"Which would result in the Alpha's constantly testing each other for higher placement amongst the Clan," Kain finished with a knowing nod.

"Precisely," Joan nodded. "Omega's are _built_ to mediate and calm the tempers and confrontational natures of our Alpha's. If there is no true cause for a dispute or if the dispute in question would be detrimental to the Clan, or clan subset, then the Omega may choose to use their abilities to interfere. If it is instead a serious, true cause for dispute, then we remain silent. As the only Children of our Father, we are a Clan subset, part of the Draconian Clan but high enough ranked that we are able to stand on our own in power and politics. Thus, I am their Omega."

"And as such, you interrupted our Brother's as their tempers are only running so high due to my return and the fact that my tormentor is still on the loose," I said.

Kain's arm tightened briefly around my waist when another guest made to approach the table as if to speak with me. The woman instead grabbed an item from the table and made a hasty retreat rather than try and continue her approach. I had to fight off a smile, more than one guest had hesitated to approach me with Kain so close to my side.

"Correct," Joan nodded her head and smiled at me. She eyed Kain for a brief moment before she continued. "To give you an idea of the current ratio of Alpha; Beta; Omega, there are roughly four hundred Beta's for every one Alpha and one Omega to every two or three thousand Beta's."

"Rare creatures indeed," Kain murmured. "It is no wonder that you seemed to be prized so by your Siblings. Is there a way to tell who might be an Omega before they are Turned?"

"No," Joan responded and she shook her head. "There has been no revealed trait to tell us if one will prove to be an Alpha, Beta or Omega before one's Turning. Indeed, due to the many cultures around the world, one might not even know their true nature as it is often hidden behind the mask that is forged by one's nurture and one's cultural upbringing. I have known many a person who believed that they would be a strong Alpha upon their Turning, only to end up truly having a Beta's nature and several meek seeming people who thought they would be Beta's instead develop into strong Alpha's. When the Human societal constraints finally fall away as one's new Vampiric nature takes hold, the masks one had built over the course of their life often prove to be at odds with one's true self. Mind... this is not true of _everyone_ who becomes a vampire. We do _try_ to find Children who are at peace with themselves or at least know their own natures to an extent before Turning them."

"I see," Kain tilted his head thoughtfully and the tip of one talon tapped lightly against my hip. "Still, I find myself wondering what _makes_ an Omega... I had thought they were a myth."

"Perhaps you should speak with Cu?" Joan said and she turned enough to signal our Brother closer. He perked up and approached and his wings twitched with his curiosity. "Part of Cu's studies include a number of different hypothesis. One of them is regarding if being an Omega is not tied to physical form, culture or nature but instead might be tied to one's soul. Brother dear, why don't you tell them about your Soul Theory?"

"I'd be happy to!" Cu said and his face lit up with the avid expression of one who truly enjoys his work.

Kain's own studies of magic, especially considering his recent studies centered around Mortanius' tomes meant that he was able to follow along with Cu's theories readily enough. I could follow along well enough myself but I shifted out from under Kain's grasp and moved to stand between Eli and Joan. I smiled when they both gave me a playful nudge of their wings and laughed as they both started to question me about my Mate. I kept my answers vague and most of my attentions were subtly focused upon the large crowd around us. I kept watch for a falcon-like mask that hid dark-green eyes as I did not want to have Auron sneak up on me again like he had on the dance floor.

The pressure of Auron's Charm Gift had lessened by now and was almost unnoticeable save for that sense of a ticking clock at the back of my mind. It buzzed at the back of my mind like an uncomfortable itch and it raised my hackles and left me further on edge. Joan slid her hand into the crook of my own arm suddenly and a soothing, calming pulse of energy flowed through me. I leaned into that touch unconsciously for a long moment and then gave her hand a small pat even as I brushed my mind against her own in a private Whisper.

~I _do_ appreciate your aid Sister,~ I started in a gentle, yet firm tone, ~but please refrain from forcing calm upon me or my Mate. We need to remain alert.~

She was silent for a long moment and seemed to be focused on Eli's latest, poor, joke.

~I thought that there might be something wrong,~ she hummed thoughtfully even as she laughed at Eli's antics. ~You, your Mate, Sig, Brice, Lucius... even our King... their Aura's all feel tense to me. Eli was right about a brewing storm, wasn't he?~

~...~ I remained silent for several moments, seemingly engrossed by the event around me. ~You are very perceptive Sister.~

~I have had to be,~ she responded darkly. ~It is not merely my nature as an Omega that has made me sensitive to the moods of those around me.~

I knew immediately that she had referenced her own horrid past and I nodded my head in acknowledgement of the hardships that she had gone through. We had enough in common considering the darkness of our respective youth that I imagined that I might get on well with her during my stay on Gaia.

~I understand...~ I started.

I stiffened minutely when the touch of Auron's Charm grew stronger, as if he were close enough now to make the attempt to reinforce the command that he had tried to place upon me. Joan's hand tightened upon my arm and her soft-subtle Aura became a steadying weight that, while I did not need it, I still appreciated the aid that she freely offered. It did not chase away the sense of Auron's Gift. Indeed her Aura did not even challenge his power, something which might have alerted him to her efforts. No, it was merely something akin to a floating board suddenly appearing to someone that was stranded in the middle of an ocean. If they even noticed it enough to take hold of it. I allowed my hand to drift up to my head, as if fighting off the beginnings of a migraine. Kain took notice of the subtle signal and drew me away from Joan and into his arms.

"Is something wrong mine own?" he asked, playing the idly concerned Lord for any who might be watching close.

The pressure in my mind increased as soon as Kain drew me close. The twitching pressure grew in increments the longer he kept hold of me. Auron was attempting to reaffirm his demand for me not to warn Kain of his presence which was rapidly followed by a budding command to _pull away now_ from Kain's grasp. I felt my shoulders stiffen as a result of that attempted order and reached out carefully to touch Kain's mind even as I responded verbally to his question.

"I am fine Kain," I muttered and I almost winced at how sullen I suddenly sounded. ~He is nearby again, but I do not see the falcon mask. He is attempting to make me anger you by shoving you away from my person in such a public venue.~

~I see. He is trying to force distance between yourself and your allies so that no one will question it if you go off by yourself in less than a half an hour from now,~ Kain's eyes seemed to narrow with subtle warning, as if he were upset by my tone. He spoke in a soft murmur that would not carry to far, what with the noise of the crowd. "Mine own, I know that a crowd as voluminous as this has made you unease in the past, but this is neither the time nor the place for you to have a _fit_."

I allowed the small, compelled frown to twist my lips downward. ~Shall I pull away then?~

~Yes, with care,~ Kain responded. ~He likely desires a large scene from this.~

"I said, ' _I am fine,_ '" I repeated in a stiff tone and I pulled from Kain's grasp with a mildly affronted air. "I do not need to be coddled by you nor by my Siblings."

I straightened my shoulders and purposefully moved away from the others. The pressure of Auron's Gift faded somewhat with a sense of dark satisfaction and I had to hide a shudder of disgust. I noticed Elijah as he flashed Kain a dark look. He started for me a moment later and only Joan's hand on his stopped him in his tracks. He shot her a concerned look and deflated a bit when she Whispered something to him. Elijah shot Kain another dark look and crossed his arms as he glared at my Mate. Kain returned the look with a level expression and a raised brow, as if my Brother's anger was uncalled for. My other siblings all shared brief looks of concern and I allowed myself to bristle further still when Auron pushed at my mind again with his Gift. I took several more steps away from the group and only Brice and Lucius remained close enough at hand to assist me if there was a need. Even Sigrun remained at a greater distance, having likely been advised by Joan to keep said greater distance even as she remained on guard.

~Ah, they _coddle_ and _protect_ you so, don't they ma petite puit?~ Auron's voice was a serpentine slither of sound across my mind. ~They have no _idea_ about the pains that you _so_ enjoy. The sweet torments that you were _born_ to endure my sweet l'ange. If only those here knew how _readily_ you spread your legs for others petite puit, then they would not look at you so adoringly.~

I shuddered faintly in disgust at his words, just the smallest twitch of movement, and I dropped my hand away from the food that I had started to reach for. I shoved back against his power, not as strongly as I might have otherwise as we needed to keep him thinking that I was under his thrall, but still enough of a challenge to make it seem like he was winning. His power flared briefly with a pulse of command. My head jerked just slightly in what seemed like the direction that the energy came from, I almost had a bead on his location, but his power withdrew from my mind with a sickening caress.

"Are you well?" the person's voice was filled with equal measures of polite concern and disdain.

It took me a moment to place the sound of the man's voice as my mind was still rather distracted with trying to pin down the location of my tormentor. I turned to face Prince Armon a moment later with a strained and extremely polite smile. Out of everyone who had the potential to approach me whilst I was 'in a state', the Price had not even been on the list of potentials. Not when he had been outright hostile toward me regarding my accusations. He must had been able to read something in my expression though as his wings twitched with discomfort and annoyance.

"Father _suggested_ that I speak with you and mend the bridge between us," he said stiffly.

"There will be no 'mending of bridges' if you continue to deny me the right to describe my attacker as I remember him to be," I pointed out in an equally stiff tone. I reached out and plucked up a piece of cheese delicately in my claws. I eye'd it briefly and then popped the cheese into my mouth. Smooth, crisp and a little bit of a bitter bite to it.

"..." Armon's wings ruffled in agitation. "You must understand Clan-mate... Auron is the very reason that our people _survived_ the doom that claimed our original home-world. To accuse one such as he when he is the very reason that you and I were able to be born..."

He shook his head in frustration and I swallowed the piece of cheese in my mouth. The somewhat pleasing flavor was lost to me now and it felt like I had swallow a block of ash. Brice had told me Auron's part in saving the Vampiric species, so I already knew all of this, but it was a hassle to again have it brought up by the hero-worship blinded Prince. I let out a heavy sigh a moment later and brushed my mind against the Prince's rather than answer aloud and risk being overhead by Auron if he was yet close by.

~Perhaps, Prince Armon, you should ask Brice and your Father about the Gift that I _inherited_ from my tormentor,~ I Whispered bitterly. ~He forced his blood upon me so much so in an effort to addict me to his blood that his Gift became mine. A Gift that I developed shortly before my escape and in truth became the key to my escape from his clutches.~

~You...~ his mental voice choked off and his wings ruffled faintly in shock even though he continued to keep his expression carefully blank. At least the Prince had some political common sense about him... ~You have a _Gift_...? You are still so young!~

~Talk to your Father,~ I said as I nodded my head to him respectfully. "I will take my leave."

I turned away and tried to move so that I was along the very outskirts of the crowd. I wanted to both give off the sense that I wanted to be alone and that I somehow felt helplessly alone, separated as I was from the safety of the others. All done with care in case Auron tried to approach me a second time. I watched the crowd attentively for an signs of him as I kept to the edges of the Clan gathering. Brice and Lucius continued to keep a close, yet respectful, distance and the sight of them helped to temper my disquiet. As time passed, Auron made no move to approach me a second time and yet I felt his Aura dance over mine several times in a mockery of Kain's own gentle caresses. I kept my Mate up to speed each time Auron's power brushed along my own and at other various intervals of time. Kain knew that if I did not respond properly then my mind might well have been rolled in truth.

Still, as the hour came to a close, my temper was well and truly frayed as several members of the Draconian Clan approached me to either speak to me about where I had been, what my interests and hobbies were and even a few not so subtle offers to... hnn... help Kain and I in the bedroom. It did not help that the few dignitaries from other Clans that had been allowed inside, those from the Kelborne, Stylvan and Mysvanya Clan's respectively, also tried to insinuate themselves into my affairs. I skillfully dealt with their antics but the end result left me with a migraine equal to that of one received after healing from a concussion. I raised my hand to my head when a sudden pulse slammed through me and I felt a tugging sensation that led toward the far door.

~It's time,~ I Whispered to Kain. ~I can feel the tug of his command at the edge of my mind.~

~I hear you mine own,~ Kain responded. ~Go now, we will be close at hand and ready to spring the trap when he shows himself.~

I carefully slipped in and then out of the crowd close to the door that I was being pulled toward. I had to fight a smile when I heard Brice's soft but unique swearing when he, Lucius and Sigrun lost sight of me. I moved down the halls of the casino with a seemingly single-minded purpose, though I still offered a small smile to the few that I passed. I followed the tugging pull as I was led to the doors of the stairwell and I opened the wide, ornate wooden doors. I then started up the wide, elegantly designed stairwell that led up and up. Even though this was an area not often used, it had been designed beautifully even whilst it retained proper functionality. A morbid flash of humor filled me and I brushed my mind against Kain's.

~I rather feel as if I am playing the roll of Christine at the moment...~ I Whispered in a fit of dry, nervous humor. ~Only I am being led toward the roof and not down to the hidden dungeons...~

~An amusing comparison mine own,~ Kain responded and the touch of his mind so light against my own soothed frayed nerves. ~You are well?~

~His power is increasing the closer I get to the roof,~ I started, ~I dare not risk allowing him to touch me once I am actually on the rooftop but as he has the same Gift as I...~

~He enjoys his grandstanding my own,~ Kain rumbled soothingly in my mind. ~He will try to fill you with despair before he attempts to drag you away, to play with you...~

~Likely so,~ I noticed a sign that warned that the roof was the next floor up. ~Almost showtime...~

~The other guards chosen for this mission are getting into position topside whilst Brice, Lucius, Sigrun and I are yet following from behind,~ Kain growled and his voice was filled with the sweet viciousness of a hunter on the prowl. ~Still, be mindful mine own.~

~Of course,~ I responded and my own voice was an answering growl.

As I neared the final set of sweeping stairs that led upwards, the ornate doors behind me opened and footsteps approached me from behind. I went still and turned in the direction of those footsteps and then stiffened at the sight of the one behind me. _Armon_ had started to approach me and he had a worried frown upon his lips.

"Clan-mate... Lady Katrina. Might I have a moment of your time?" he asked softly.

 _What the_ hell _was the Prince doing up here?_ I thought to myself in shock.

The Prince had not been included in any of our plans for this evening, beyond making sure he was out of the way and safe throughout the entire process in order to prevent a debacle in the event the King's heir was hurt. Mostly it was because Altair knew well his son's temperament and that his son was ill-suited to aid in such a trap. The older half-blood was far more suited for direct battle rather than the subtler affairs of state or cloak and dagger espionage. I stayed tense and wary as he approached me and then stiffened further still at the sound of Auron's voice echoing from the stairs above and behind me.

"Thank you for your assistance in this young Prince," Auron purred in a cordial tone.

I barely managed to twist to the side fast enough to avoid having my shoulder caught by Auron's grasp. As it was, his claws still rang against the metal pauldron. My movement put me against the railing of the stairs rather than the wall to allow myself room to get away from both males if they both proved to be a threat. Armon took another step forward, eyes narrowed on Auron.

"You said that there had to be a mistake," Armon began in an even tone. "That someone _had_ to have committed and atrocity in your name against our Clan-mate in order to hide their deeds."

Auron made no further move in my direction and I realized that at least a portion of his Gift was now focused upon the Prince. He held out his hands in a 'I'm harmless' gesture and smiled kindly at the Prince.

~ _Kain_!~ I hissed angrily as I warily eyed the two males. ~The Prince...!~

~We know and so does his Father,~ Kain's answering growl was enraged. ~Altair can see the fool boy on those 'cameras' of yours and is equal parts enraged and worried. Tighten the reins on your temper.~

"That _is_ what I said fair Prince," Auron patted his hands soothingly at the air and then turned his smile on me. "Do you truly recognize me fair Lady L'ange? Do _I_ look like your tormentor?"

I shuddered at the feel of his power as it once more roiled over the edges of my mind like sludge. Yet that power was weaker than his earlier efforts and I knew why. Once more Auron proved to be a fool.

~He is trying to roll both of our minds at the same time,~ I said to Kain. ~Do I allow the lie in order to make the Prince leave?~

Kain was silent for only a second of time and his answering tone when he responded was a cold and calculated thing.

~The young fool has made himself a part of this,~ he said. ~We are already in position and I care not one whit for the safety of the foolish boy. We spring the trap.~

~As you wish,~ I Whispered. I then bared my fangs and hissed at Auron. "Yes, you do and you know it you bastard."

Armon's head jerked toward me and the subtle glaze that had been creeping over his eyes faded. Auron's own dark-forest green eyes darkened as he turned to look at me, though his smile did not fade. Once more I felt the full force of his Charm ability as he pushed his mind against my own. He took a smooth step in my direction, hands still out to the side and I watched his movements warily.

"Perhaps your tormentor shared some... similar... features with me, my Lady l'ange," Auron purred and he took another step forward. "But surely a _closer_ look will reveal that it was not _I_ that harmed you."

I started to snarl at him in warning when Armon abruptly moved in front of me and his actions startled Auron enough that he backed up several feet. Armon spread his wings out wide in a shielding move to protect me from Auron's sight and I felt my brows fly up with my surprise. I tilted my head faintly and stared at the males back in surprise. This was not a reaction that I had expected out of him, especially as his mind had been clearly affected by Auron's ability. Though perhaps Brice and Sigrun had the right of it, the Prince was all but useless without a clear target placed before him and Auron had just painted himself as a pretty clear threat.

" _Hold_ ," Armon ordered in a fierce tone. "You will not touch her. You will submit yourself to Clan Justice and..."

" _Young_ Prince," Auron interrupted with a sickeningly sweet smile and I felt his power fall away from my mind as he focused all of his energies on the male in front of me. "I have no idea what you might mean by such a statement. I have done nothing wrong and wished merely to prove my innocence is all. Your long-lost Clan-mate is merely confused and the lightning here in the stairwell must not be sufficient enough for her to see me clearly."

~Be ready to fall back with the Prince!~ Brice's voice rang clear through my mind.

"I... _no_... I spoke with... Father told me about her _Gift_ ," Armon bit out as he placed a hand to his head, it was clear that he was trying to fight off the Charm magic. "She... _you_..."

I glanced over Armon's shoulder toward the door he had come from when slow movement caught my eye. A fine mist had started to roll over the ground close to the wall and it crept up to the side and behind Auron as the male kept his attentions on the Prince. I ducked back behind Armon and shifted myself so that I could easily leap backwards over the railing and grabbed onto the closest part of Armon that I could with one hand; his wing.

~ _NOW_!~ Brice's and Kain's voices both roared through my mind.

I wrenched myself and Armon backwards over the railing with a fierce tug and enough of a leap that we ended up on the stairs along the wall across from us. Due to the angle of the leap, and the brief struggle on Armon's part as pain flared through the limb that I had grabbed, I missed the initial scuffle between Auron and the others. As I worked to pull free of Armon's limbs, I missed what caused a sudden, massive explosion of energy and we were both thrown further down the large stairwell. Armon caught me up in his arms as we fell and curled himself around me, wings and all, in an effort to use his body as a protective shield for me.

Another explosion of sound filled the air and I abruptly felt the chill of the outside air as rubble fell around us. There was the rough thudding impact of stone hitting flesh and Armon's limbs abruptly fell limp around my form. I stiffened and squirmed beneath him in order to reach for his pulse. Thankfully I found it and it was yet a steady beat against my fingertips. I nodded to myself and started to work myself free of his limbs. I quickly glanced at his fallen form, a blow to the head had knocked him out, and then took stock of my own injuries. There were several smaller bruises that were already healing and other than that I was fine.

I glanced around the rubble of the upper staircase and took note of the damage. Whatever magics Auron had employed had acted like an explosive and had torn a massive hole through to the roof and through part of the wall that Armon and I had landed near. I could see Brice off to the side near the now-ruined wooden doors that led into the casino proper. He was half-buried under the rubble from the roof and both of his wings were bent at odd angles, clearly broken. Sigrun was leaning against the wall near him, short sword in hand and one of her own wings looked to have been broken by debris. Lucius had somehow fared better than both of his Eldar's and had his gun out and pointed toward an enraged and disheveled looking Auron. Kain stood several feet in front and to the side of Lucius. He had a blast of magic ready and aimed at Auron.

I snarled as I got to my feet and then froze when I just barely noticed a flicker of light near Kain. Auron turned to look at me and he flashed me a mockingly sweet smile over his shoulder. My eyes went wide in sudden fear.

~ _MIST NOW!_ ~ I screamed into Kain's mind.

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Another cliffy I know! Don't kill me!


	50. Masquerade Part 3

Thank you for the kind review Strife VII! Your concern for Kain's well-being is well founded given how stubborn that particular male ca-

-A growl in the background makes the authoress twitch and she glances over her shoulder-

Y-you know _damn_ _well_ how stubborn you are...

'And you know _precisely_ how fragile you are'

... right... um... changing the subject...

 _Ahem_! -looks nervously back at screen-

Oh hey, lookie! A new reviewer! Welcome Raziela! I am glad you are happy with the last chapter! Please continue to enjoy the story!

* * *

Chapter Fifty: Masquerade Part 3

Centuries of fighting together, of trusting one another both on and off of the battlefield, of being able to rely upon each other in the oft violent arena that was Vampiric politics and Clan dynamics, meant that Kain's first response to my panicked Whisper was to shift immediately into his Mist form. It was a good thing that we had developed such a close bond over the centuries, as a series of rapid-fire bullets tore through the mist not even a _second_ after he had shifted into said form. The bullets passed through the air right where his head and heart would have been had he not changed. A soaring, desperate sense of relief tore through me even as Auron let out an enraged snarl at having had one of his plans thwarted.

Kain's continued existence and safe return to Nosgoth was paramount... and it was _his_ safety that was what I had been subconsciously fretting so much about since we had decided upon our course of action. All of our plans had been centered around _my_ personal safety. We had not calculated for Auron to target _Kain_ in such a manner in an attempt to kill him. I felt thrice the fool for having forgotten that Auron wanted my Mate dead for having 'stolen' me from him by Marking me as he had. I cursed myself as I made sure that both I and the Prince were safely under cover and out of the snipers line of sight.

~Get behind cover and _stay there_ Kain! I am not his only target this eve!~ I snapped mentally, the fear and rage at the situation clear in my tone.

~Woman, I am _not_ -!~ I cut him off.

~Rage at me later if you must my King,~ I growled, ~but your continued safety is more important than my own at this point and you _know_ this! You must be returned safely to Nosgoth or she is doomed and all of our efforts, all of _your_ efforts, will be in vain! I can handle this shit-stain on my own if need be! I am not the weakling he thinks I am. Have Altair's men deal with the sniper if you must, but _do not_ move from out from behind cover before they are dealt with! A bullet to the skull will kill you!~

He went silent for several seconds and I could feel the enraged press of his Aura against my own. I used the time to regain Auron's attentions, whistling at him mockingly in an attempt to distract him whilst also managing to remain under a decent amount of cover. I noticed that Sigrun had started to pull Brice's unconscious form free of the rubble and to the side as soon as the sniper's shots had been fired in order to get the male into a safe spot until he could recover. Lucius fired off a few rounds first at Auron to force the male behind cover and then toward the direction that the sniper's fire had seemed to have originated from. He twisted to fire again at Auron when my tormentor tried to dart towards my hiding spot and the younger half-blood worked to provide cover-fire as best he could for me and the unconscious Prince.

~Try to have Auron pursue you to the level below us,~ Kain snapped suddenly in my mind. ~Take the Prince with you and play the wounded animal. Altair has advised me that there is another stairwell nearby and I will go there to pincer him in. Your Siblings and a number of other guards that Brice has chosen have been called upon and they are already taking the 'elevators' up to that floor as well as the one below that in order to hem him in. Your Siblings will be the ones to rendezvous with you in the elevator lobby below us. Go! Lucius will continue to cover you for a few more moments before allowing Auron an opening to follow you!~

~As you say,~ I growled in acknowledgment.

I swiftly drew the Prince up into a Fireman's carry position. While Lucius continued to distract Auron whilst also dodging random bursts of fire that was being launching from the item that Auron held, I made my way down the wide flight of stairs towards the door that led to the next floor down. Thankfully they were not far, nor had the doors been blocked by the explosion that had torn a hole through the building. As I shoved the doors open with my shoulder I let out a soft, pained-seeming curse and allowed my foot to scuff against the ground almost loud enough for a human to have heard the noise.

"Incompetent whelp!" Auron shouted when he heard me. Another small explosion filled the air followed immediately by a pained yelp from Lucius and I winced, hoping that the younger half-blood was alright. "Get out of my way vous garçon stupide!"

I hurried my pace when I heard the clear sound of Auron's booted feet landing on the stairs near the door. He was not concealing his pursuit of me in the slightest, angry as he was. The noise was followed by more gunfire as Lucius continued to delay him and Auron spat out a vicious string of French as he was prevented from chasing after me right away. A second series of gunshots filled the air and I smiled grimly. Either Brice had recovered or Sigrun had joined Lucius in laying down cover-fire for me. I used the precious seconds that they had bought me in order to bolt down the expansive hallway and past the widely spaced doors that led to some of the more extravagant hotel rooms as I made my way toward the elevator lobby as Kain had instructed.

I refrained from activating my own Gift as I ran as I needed Auron to follow me and think me too injured to use it effectively. The male had no idea at this point just _how much_ time had actually passed for me while I was on Nosgoth and did not yet know that I had gone through my first Torpor. I saw the lobby ahead of me and nodded to myself, better that any further fighting happen there where I would have more room to maneuver. The halls, while wide, were still far too narrow for me to fight effectively.

~Do you _really_ believe that you can escape from me, ma petite puit?!~ Auron roared into my mind suddenly and the shear force behind the mental bellow staggered me for a moment. ~I will take you back with me. I will _break_ you open upon my cock. I will _rip_ my way into your womb and then I will tear your heart from you and paint the walls with your blood as I continued to take your _cooling corpse_! I will leave your body where the _upstart_ who stole you from me can find you and then, when he is weeping bloody tears over your fallen form, I will tear off his head and then use his _entrails_ to decorated the walls of my new castle!~

I snorted softly at the thought of Kain ' _weeping_ ' of all things, but refrained from replying to his taunts as my silence would only piss him off further still. The angrier Auron got, the sloppier he became and I knew that would work in our favor. I darted into the wide lobby that housed multiple elevator doors and damn near plowed into one of my Brother's, Cuthbert. Rather than apologize or offer any niceties, I shoved the Prince into his arms and then shoved my Brother toward the closest elevator. The rest of my Siblings took in my dust-covered form with surprise but they also looked ready to fight. Good, they would need to be ready. Auron couldn't be that far behind me even with the efforts of the others.

"Cu, get the Prince out of here," I ordered briskly. I took in, and ignored, their shocked expressions at my commanding tone.

"Sheila," Eli started warily. "The _hell_ is going on? We heard the explosion from downstairs and then we were ordered to take the elevators up here to meet with you."

"Not much time to explain," I said as I turned and tossed one of the until then hidden smoke grenades that Brice had given to me down the hall that I had come in through. "Suffice to say that my tormentor has made a bid to recapture me and ruin my debut party."

I glanced back at the others and saw them share a dark look that promised vengeance. Cu started for the elevator as I had ordered. He was sent flying backwards a moment later when an explosive blast of fire shot out of the smoke. The blast took out the elevator that he had been heading toward and a high whine filled the air as the elevator shook violently enough for one of the cables to snap. I winced as the screeching sounds of the falling elevator filled the air and hoped that no one was in the first-floor lobby downstairs... I turned back around with a hiss though and drew Kindness from the hidden, expanded pouch at my waist even as the boom of the elevator hitting the first floor echoed up the elevator shaft.

I slipped into a defensive stance with the blade of my sword resting along my right arm and my left palm resting upon the pommel of the blade. The smoke grenade had already filled the hallway with a dense cloud and the sheer amount of it would reveal where Auron's form was hidden by the movements of the smoke as it billowed around his form. Least wise, that was the plan. He seemed to have decided to remain back in the densest part of the smoke in order to remain concealed rather than risk moving forward.

 _Coward_ , I thought.

~Eli, you and Cu protect the Prince,~ I ordered through the Whisper without turning around. ~Joan, Benedict; the two of you watch the other hallway. Sigrun and the others should be making their way to us via that hall but my tormentor might also try to make his way back along that route rather than allow the smoke to reveal his location to us.~

~Who the hell are we fighting sheila?~ Eli asked over the Whisper as he moved over to Cu's side as I had commanded. ~And why the smoke anyway? It's impeding our vision as well as his.~

~Watch for movement in the smoke Brother. He has ways to conceal himself from sight,~ I growled out. ~The smoke is there because otherwise we would not be able to notice his movements!~

Eli let out a grunt of acknowledgement and turned his attentions toward the cloud of smoke. We stood in tense silence for several long moments, the only noise to be heard the hissing of the smoke grenade. I hadn't been able to tell _what_ kind of item that Auron was using to launch fireballs at us, but I knew that he had strongly alluded to the fact that he was unable to cast magic on his own, much like myself. He'd mentioned that back when the Sarafan Lord had caught me the first time, saying that 'the boy's magic' made it easier to make me scream for him. If we could get the artifact away from him, whatever it was, then we would weaken him. I continued to watch for unusual movement in the smoke and reached out with my Aura to try to get a better sense of the area. I also listened closely for the sound of his heart-beat.

Auron was a half-blood like myself and that meant he yet had a heartbeat even when one was attempting to conceal ones position. He, like myself, might well be able to slow his heart-beat to a crawl but there would still be that occasional thu-thump to give his location away. Another fireball suddenly shot out from the smoke toward Eli, Cu and the Prince and I stiffened but kept my gaze narrowed upon the smoke, trusting that they could take care of themselves and the Prince. A flood of magic filled the room and a circular shield made of light appeared in front of my Brother's and the Prince and the fireball struck the shield harmlessly. I shifted my stance just slightly as I readied myself for a follow up attack when that distraction tactic failed to draw my attention and yet... nothing happened. Cu suddenly let out a snarl of equal parts anger and incredulousness.

"So the one who took you is so _pathetic_ that he must rely on spell-artifacts and trickery?" Cu asked in a bland tone of voice. "Had you not been taken by surprise in the middle of the night, I expect you may well have been able to deal with one such as he even with just human strength available to you."

I smiled coldly at my Brother's casual taunting and chuckled as I continued to watch the smoke.

"He was a rather dull host in all honesty," I said in a mocking tone. "The methods of torture and torment grew repetitive rather swiftly. What got to me the most was the boredom of it all."

" _Really_ surprised that you can joke 'bout that shit sheila," Eli muttered.

"What can I say Brother?" I asked in a calm tone. "When someone kidnaps you and then demands the willing sacrifice of your virginity to 'make the pain stop' you tend to deny them out of sheer spite. I mean really, how basic and pathetic is that?"

I just barely felt the flash of Auron's enraged Aura and my eyes narrowed on the smoke. The pulse had only been just enough to confirm that he was not attempting to circle around to try to attack from the other hallway, but not enough to pinpoint his exact position. Another burst of fire magic, easily blocked by Cu's shield, made me realize that he would likely continue to use whatever artifact that he had in order to mask his heart-beat. If the hall had been one of the narrower ones, I would have been able to press an attack, but as it was wide enough for several people to walk through shoulder to shoulder, I did not dare risk darting into the smoke after him.

"A woman denying a man such a thing purely out of spite?" Benedict chimed in suddenly with a teasing smile. "Why Sister, I have never heard of such a preposterous thing!"

I let out a bark of laughter at his words and felt another flash of anger followed by a blast of flame that seared the air between myself and forced me to jump aside lest I get caught up in the flames. Cu threw up another shield, plus a second one that appeared in front of me to help deflect the flames, but the blast was rapidly followed by an explosion that took the floor right out from beneath my feet. I let out a cry of pain as my head cracked painfully against the floor below.

"Katrina!" multiple voices rang out loudly and echoed oddly in my ears, especially after the noise of that latest explosion combined with the blow to my head.

I rolled swiftly to the side out of instinct and it was good that I did. I felt the breeze of the fist that had been aimed for my skull as it missed me. I lashed out with Kindness and darted to the side. I then twisted to avoid another blow by judging the subtle changes in the air around me. I darted past a large couch and then turned swiftly to kick the couch in roughly the direction I believed Auron to be in. I hoped to pin him between the couch and the far wall.

Auron flickered back into sight briefly as the couched clipped him in the side. I lunged forward in an attempt to take advantage of the slip in his control. I managed a glancing blow to his side with my blade and a wide splatter of his blood hit the far wall. He flickered out of sight and a brief trail of blood was left behind for me to follow his movements. I let out an enraged snarl of breath and pressed my attack swiftly as I rapidly judged the angle of how the blood fell. I knew, somehow, that _I_ had to be the one to kill him. I hissed when my second blow just missed him given the way a block of wall scattered to hit the far wall as he dodged. A splatter of blood hit the ground to my left barely a second later and I ducked low and leapt backwards swiftly rather than follow the obvious trail.

The blood had hit the ground with the force of that which had been flung aside, not that which had fallen on its own. When one was used to using such tactics, one knew what to watch for. Even as I heard one of the others move to follow and assist me in my fight, I did not dare to activate my own Gift and fade from sight to avoid Auron's blows. It might well make it easier for Auron to attack me in the mean time, but Kain and I had both agreed that my disappearing from the sight of the others would be a signal that I had been caught by Auron and that the entire area would need to be put on lock-down.

"Next floor down!" Eli's voice, roughened by injury, sounded through the air. "Through the damn hole! Hurry!"

I had barely registered the snarled response when my feet were abruptly kicked out from under me. Kindness was struck from my hand with enough force that I felt several bones in my hand shatter. I snarled in rage more then pain and rolled with the blow. I lashed out with my foot only to have my ankle caught in his grasp. Using the tricks that Alma had taught me whilst we practiced over the years with my Gift wrapped around the pair of us, I lashed out with my other foot whilst I managed to keep balanced on my good hand.

My foot connected with his jaw and the blow shattered his control so that I could see him. I ignored the sounds of the others as they landed behind us and twisted my ankle free of his now lax grasp. I twisted and pushed as I launched myself away from Auron. He let out a bloody snarl of breath and launched himself after me, his eyes wild. I landed on my feet and darted forward to meet his attack head on. When he raised his hand, a thick chain wrapped around it that flickered brightly with magical power, I ducked and just barely managed to avoid the flames that he had launched at my head. He twisted his hand as I moved and the chain unwrapped from his wrist to strike out at me in a whip-like movement.

I snapped my damaged hand out as I rose up and forced the chain to coil about my own wrist. Before he could activate the damned thing, I lashed out with my other hand to strike his arm and forced him to release his grasp on the odd artifact. He let out an enraged and pain-filled bellow as my blow damaged the radius and ulna bones, not breaking but at least fracturing them from the sound of it. He pulled away from me with another enraged sound. I tossed the chain aside, toward the others, lest he use some kind of trigger word that I did not know about to ignite the damn thing whilst it was wrapped around my wrist and then pressed my attack, eager to finish him off.

Annoyingly enough, I proved to be a little _too_ eager...

Auron twisted about faster than I expected and I let out a frustrated roar of noise when his hand successfully closed around my own healing limb. He crushed the bones of my hand in his grasp and used the hold to twist me about. I moved with him and drove my elbow backwards harshly into his ribs as I tried to drive him backwards into the wall to pin him in place. If I could keep him from reactivating his Gift, then we had him dammit! The satisfying sound of several ribs breaking filled the air and I jerked my head backwards when he continued to pull me in close despite the pain even as his back hit the wall.

My skull cracked against his jaw with a vicious sound and he let out a bloody snarl of noise in my ear. I started to wrench myself free of his slackened grasp and then froze in fear and shock as a sudden tearing, squelching sound filled the air. Pain blossomed through me in slow increments and my breaths came in stuttered and pained bursts. The pain spread slowly, starting just below my ribs and up under the right rib cage itself. Then there was the line of fire-like pain along my right lung, a pressure that made it hard for me to breathe. Worst still was the slow, dawning, recognition of a long forgotten pain; the pain of a hand clasped tight 'round my heart.

I coughed up blood and I knew that my lung had been nicked and had already healed and yet some blood had still entered the lung itself. I barely heard the panicked shouts of the others past the sound of my own blood rushing in my ears. I dimly realized that all of my Siblings, Kain, a now conscious Armon and Lucius had all successfully made their way to the same level that I had been on and had leapt through the hole that Auron had blown into the floor. Angry, enraged shouting filled the room along with several growls of warning, but I could not make any of the words out as I focused on trying to hold still and not drive my own heart into the claws that threatened to end me. Even as I focused on slowing my heart-beat, that hand tightened around my heart and the pain of it forced a strained noise past my clenched teeth. A wave of calm filled the air as Joan took a step forward with her hands outspread. Suddenly I could hear past the pain...

"Release our Sister," she started softly, "and we will ensure that you receive fair judgement."

"What right have you, _any of you,_ to judge me?!" Auron roared. "Not a _one_ of you would exist on this world without me! I am your _God_! It is only by _my_ will that any of you were born! Now move vous animaux stupides, ma l'ange puit and I will be leaving the area. _Move_!"

"You are going _nowhere_ ," Kain snarled and he took a step forward with Havoc and Malice brandished threateningly.

"Down, you wild mongrel!" Auron roared and his hand again tightened around my heart. My eyes flew wide and my body spasmed abortively against him at the tight hold. "Drop your weapons beast! All of you, disarm yourselves now!"

Kain snarled viciously. He did not take another step forward as yet, but neither he nor the others dropped their weapons.

"I said 'disarm yourselves'!" Auron yelled and I found myself abruptly being twisted about while still being held in a way that used me as a living shield ad prevented those with guns from getting in a head-shot.

The armor at my back was suddenly ripped away and a ringing chorus of 'No!'s and 'Don't!'s filled the air as his hand suddenly slammed against the pressure point on my back. Agony seared through my every nerve as my wings were forced from me and the pain heightened further still when I felt my right wing wrenched downwards and then off. I let out a choked, bitten off howl at having one of my wings torn from me barely even a second after they had been forced from my body. My body went limp despite the pain and Auron was swift to pull me back against his chest in a mockery of a loving embrace lest I slip low enough for one of the others to get a shot in.

"You damned beast!" Benedict snarled even as he threw his weapon to the ground. "You will _die_ for this insult, mark my words."

"Not to your hands whelp and not any time soon," Auron said and he let out a dark laugh. "The rest of you, drop your weapons now or I will rip off her other wing and make her sing so sweetly for me."

One by one their weapons hit the ground until Kain was the only one who remained visibly armed. Auron tucked himself more firmly against my back and his left hand, the hand not around my heart, closed tight around the base of my left wing. I let out a grunt of pain at the tightened hold.

"Drop the axes, you upstart little _thief_!" Auron hissed.

"I will not allow you to leave here with her," Kain growled and his eyes flashed white for a brief moment.

"NO GIFTS!" Auron roared. "If I see _any_ of your eyes glow with such power again then I will rip out her heart and shower you with her life-blood!"

Kain's eyes flickered back to his normal blue-gold gaze only after a strained sound of pain was forced past my lips as Auron snapped the humerus bone of my remaining wing. Auron brushed his lips against my ear lightly, the foul, mocking caress of a lover's kiss. His fangs then brushed against the skin of my neck just over Kain's Mark and I twitched at the vileness inherent in that touch. Just as before, when I had been caught by the Sarafan Lordling and Auron had ridden the boy's skin, a perverse sense of _wrongness_ filled me at the feel of Auron's power being forced through Kain's Mark. I felt Auron twitch with pain against my back and I recalled that the Mark had actually _harmed_ the Lordling. I growled at the sensation and tried to move in a way that might drive the Mark against Auron's flesh in an attempt to make him drop me. He snarled and tucked himself against the back of my neck instead.

I used that distraction to lock my gaze upon Kain's before flicking my eyes to where Kindness had fallen. I looked back at him an instant later. Kain's expression did not change, but I knew that he had realized that I had come up with a plan. Not necessarily a _good_ plan... but _a_ plan at the least.

"Will the chien only heed _your_ words, ma petite puit?" Auron asked with his lips pressed against the back of my neck. "Tell him to drop his weapons ma l'ange, or I will rip your other wing off slowly."

"As if you were not already goi- _GraaAAAAH!_ " I let out a grimacing snarl of sound as he started to apply a slow, tearing pressure along the point where he had broken my wing. " _Kain_..."

"Woman..." he growled the word in a low, warning tone that hid the subtle, questioning note that meant, 'was I certain of my plan?'

"Do it," I said through gritted teeth. 'Yes, I was certain.'

Kain dropped the axes and Auron immediately started to let out a barking laugh of victory. What happened next occurred all within the span of a few seconds...

As Havoc and Malice tumbled toward the ground, I reached out with my new Telekinetic Gift and grabbed hold of Kindness. Auron would not be able to see the slight glow of _my_ eyes as I called upon that Gift and thus was not warned of the danger to his person. As Kindness shot forward like an arrow that had been launched from a bow, I twisted as much as I could given my yet disabled state in order to alter the angle of my body _just_ that hair's breadth that I needed. Havoc and Malice struck the ground with a ringing clang that echoed throughout the room just as Kindness pierced my own chest. I had managed to angle the blade in a way that Auron's wrist would be severed off within me before he could tighten his grasp again around my heart. My earlier movement also meant that the blade of my sword would pass through me and into his very much _living_ heart.

As the axes bounced upwards into the air again and Kain lunged forward with a lethal swiftness. His hand closed around the hilt of my sword and his grip equally forced the blade deeper and held it in place so that the blade did not shift about within my body. Auron's foul laughter cut off with the impact of my blade in his chest and through his heart. I could feel it as he jerked and tried to pull away. I did not know if he would be able to heal from the wound if he could successfully pull off of the blade, but I knew we could not allow him to escape. As Havoc and Malice hit the ground a second time, and the others shouted their shock at my actions, Kain's other hand closed around the back of Auron's neck in order to prevent him from free. I abruptly scented more of Auron's blood in the air and felt the male go limp against my back as Kain severed the connection betwixt his brain and body. At this point, only Kain's grasp and the point of my own blade embedded in the wall behind us kept us from falling to the ground. I could not yet stand under my own power and likely would not be able to for several minutes yet.

I focused upon my sword and its' fire magics instead of worrying about my rather precarious position. Vorador had designed the runes of the blade to work in such a way that the flames would start at the _tip_ and work their way down the blade toward the hilt. I could light only the very tip of the blade aflame if I so wished. It was a tricky thing to do and would require all of my focus, as I would need to stop the flames from reaching my own body. A 'woosh' of noise filled the air as I activated the rune-work with a whispered 'ignis'. It was Auron's turn to scream in agony as the fire spread, searing and cauterizing the stab wound open around the blade itself. By the time that Havoc and Malice hit the ground in a final _ringing_ impact, the flames had leapt up along the blades edge to hit Auron's heart. His scream cut off and I felt his remaining hand spasm around the base of my wing, breaking it further still.

I tried to cut off the magic in time but the flames still licked at my back painfully before they flickered out. Auron convulsed against my back, hand tightening and relaxing in a spasming, painful hold that was thankfully not enough to rip the limb off as he obviously wished to. His convulsions shifted the blade around within my own body despite Kain's grasp upon the hilt and the point digging into the wall and I hissed at the pain caused by the movements. I turned my head and glared at Auron's pain-shocked gaze over my shoulder.

"You worthless piece of filth," I bit out between clenched teeth. "Your corpse will feed the carrion birds and all shall know the truth of your _pathetic_ , feeble existence. Die, you contemptible, _insignificant_ little cretin."

Rage, shock and fear of his now inevitable death flashed across Auron's face as the life in his eyes slowly dimmed. His mouth worked as if to speak but the only sound that escaped him was a rattling death-gurgle as blood trickled down his chin. His eyes dulled to that glassy death-gaze and an animalistic, vicious satisfaction filled me due to my having slain my life-long foe. Kain shifted me forward, his other hand moving to wrap around my waist as he moved our forms away from the wall.

"Pull the body off the blade! Swiftly now!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!" one of the others responded. Lucius, I think...

I swallowed roughly as I fought against the haze of pain. I could taste my own blood upon my tongue. I turned my head forward and focused my gaze upon Kain's own in order to keep myself stable. The edges of shock had started to eat at the edges of my sight and my vision tunneled until all I could focus on was Kain's blue-gold gaze. I hissed faintly as the heavy weight on the other end of my blade was removed and some of the pressure in my chest lessened as a result. Kain turned his attention to one of the others and I blinked rapidly.

"The blade must be removed swiftly," he said in a voice that was distant despite our being so close. "Joan, you have the smallest hands of those here..."

"I will remove the limb from her swiftly and carefully," came the soft reply.

"You had best," he growled. The viciousness in his tone was amusing for some reason and I chuckled weakly.

I arched in pain a moment later as the blade was pulled from me, flesh that had been healing around the blade cut open once more as the metal slid out of me. Kain shifted to pin me against the ground and I choked back a howl of pain as Joan's dainty hand slid into my chest cavity in order to pull _Auron's_ hand away from my heart and out of my body. I coughed violently and blood flecked from my lips as I wheezed for breath. My breathing eased as the mass that was both her hand and Auron's was pulled free and I fell limp against the ground. Kain turned and started to bark out another order. Though the only thing that I could make out was the word 'heart', I lashed out with my hand to catch his shoulder in a weak grasp and tried to speak. I snarled weakly when I found that I could not yet speak past the pain and Whispered to him instead.

~His blood... is _not_ to pass my lips,~ I said past the pain. ~Drain him if you wish and... and take what power you can from him, but I will _never again_ have his foul vitae upon my tongue.~

~You would potentially gain one of his other Gift's or the improvements to your shared Gift,~ Kain responded in a pragmatic tone.

~ _You_ need them,~ I said with a sudden flash of clarity. ~Centuries of us sharing vitae and only _I_ have gained any Gifts from that sharing of blood and yet... I did not _see_ you...~

~What do you mean mine own?~ he asked calmly and his talons trailed idly down my cheek.

~Your Eldar self... surprise me at the Pillar's that day. You appeared behind me... as suddenly... as suddenly as I might take an enemy by surprise...~ I allowed the connotations of that register before I smiled faintly. ~ _You_ feed from him... take his Gift. I need whatever his blood might offer me... not at all...~

~As you wish Dear Katrina,~ he responded several moments later. ~Drink of my blood then, mine own, and regain some of your strength whilst the others fetch some of those 'blood packs' for you.~

I let out a pained thrum of acknowledgement at his words. I found that I could move somewhat and I focused and drew my wings back into my back first and foremost rather than do anything else. The pain of it blacked my vision for a brief moment and once my vision was cleared I found that Kain had drawn me onto his lap once my wings had been tucked away to heal. I almost purred despite the continued pain when he moved my mouth to his neck and I sank my fangs into his throat to feed. He allowed me to feed from him for an undefined amount of time before he finally let out a warning rumble of noise. I pulled away immediately, even though my mind was yet hazy. I blinked rapidly as the shock fever started to eat at the rest of my vision, sight darkening to naught but spots and shadowed shapes.

"Here Sister, drink quickly."

The voice of one of my male Siblings filled my ears as an open blood pack was held up to my lips. I opened my mouth and the blood was freely poured past my waiting lips. There was more movement around me and it briefly caught my attention.

"Will she be alright Father?" A hesitant and soft question that could only have been asked by the Prince.

"She has healed without issue from such wounds before," Kain's voice answered. Several enraged hisses filled the air. "She will recover whelp."

"Do _not_ call me a-"

"Be _silent_ boy!" Kain snarled. "You allowed Auron into the building, and while that worked in our favor and aided in setting up our trap, you still _aided our enemy_. Whilst you realized your blunder in time to aid Katrina, you still became as much of a distraction to _us_ as you did to _Auron_!"

"Kain," I murmured softly as I pushed away the empty blood pack. "His interference, his distraction, was a blessing this eve..."

Kain looked down at me with a raised and incredulous brow. I smiled past the pain from my healing wounds and my aching shoulders and reached up to touch his cheek lightly.

"If we had gone up to the roof... and continued with our plan unimpeded... I might not have noticed the sniper's sighting laser in time to warn you," I shifted my hand and brushed a strand of hair back behind his ear. "You would be _dead_."

He remained silent and stiff beneath my continued, gentle and somewhat weak touch. He finally let out an angry huff of breath.

"'Might not have'," he stressed. "We do not know for _certain_ what would have happened. I will allow that the boy's actions _may_ have proven to be of more assistance than previously thought, and Auron's Charm ability _was_ strong, but the boy was still a fool to act as he had without forewarning any of us. Sigrun was correct to say that the boy should be leashed."

A sputtering, indignant noise filled the air, followed by several relieved sounding barks of laughter. Armon was gently silenced by the soft thrum of his Father's voice and I chuckled. With that _one_ statement, Kain had made an allowance for Armon's failure that. Had we been back on Nosgoth, that would have meant that Kain would allow Altair to met out his son's punishment rather than demand personal satisfaction. From the relief writ clear upon the other's faces, it was plain that there would have been _similar_ expectations here had my Mate chosen to press things.

The voices of the others started to blur together and a tremor began to wrack through my body starting at my fingers. I growled in a low and weakened voice as I tried to struggle against the more obvious effects of shock fever. A small hand brushed soothingly over my forehead and I frowned when I felt Joan's Aura settle over my own with a soft yet insistent pulse that urged me to rest.

"No," I grumbled faintly and I flared my own, weakened Aura at my Sister. "I will not be rendered insensate. Leave off Sister..."

"As you please," she responded in a soft tone.

Her Aura changed, still soothing with that sweet tang of Clan but no longer was it filled with the cloying call to sleep. My sight cleared somewhat and I relaxed bit by bit. I stiffened when Kain passed me over to where I was laid out over her lap. I watched with bleary eyes as he moved over to Auron's cooling corpse. He ripped out the split and cauterized heart and then glanced in my direction with a raised brow. I waved my hand weakly in a 'go ahead' gesture. A number of surprised looks were flashed my way when Kain nodded his head and then sank his fangs into first one of the heart-halves and then the other to draw upon the potent vitae. My vision wavered again briefly and I could suddenly see the Aura's of everyone there. I watched Kain's Aura as it began to flicker and glow with the power that he was taking from Auron's blood. The glow grew stronger as he drained the blood from the rest of the body. Joan drew my attention back to her as she held out another blood pack to me and my vision flickered again as the Aura's around me faded out of sight once more.

While I managed to successfully remain conscious as the shock fever started to tear through me in force, I found that I was not entirely coherent. Eventually, I'm not sure when, but I passed out from pain and exhaustion despite my efforts to stay away. I woke up briefly with the sense that I was being carried somewhere and I stiffened and prepared to lash out. I relaxed when I felt the familiar thrum of Kain's Aura brush against mine soothingly and his taloned hands tightened briefly at my shoulder and thigh. I was lain out on something soft and I let out a soft groan when my back hit the soft cushion of... a... a couch perhaps? It seemed too large for that but yet too small to be a bed. I was instantly moved onto my side and my head was lifted up so that I could lay my head upon someone's lap. Taloned hands far daintier compared to Kain's started to card through my hair and my eyes fluttered briefly before consciousness faded once more.

Several times I was drawn back to wakefulness and Joan was always there, taloned hands soothingly pressed against my head or neck with her Aura as soothing a thrum as Kain's. His Aura was a consistent weight originating from where he... stood...? several feet away or, sometimes, right next to me. Conversations were held around me, but the pain muffled any ability for me to make out their words. Something bumped against my back and I hissed at the pain that shot up my spine. My surroundings snapped into focus with the resultant pain. I propped myself up on one elbow with the help of more then one set of taloned hands and I blinked in confusion when I found myself at the center of a very large, circular love seat that looked like it could hold at least a dozen people on it. At the least, all of my Siblings and Kain were easily curled around me in a large puppy pile.

"What...?" I blinked and then started when I realized there was a heavy weight over my leg. I kicked out at it and someone shifted. Benedict rose up and raised a brow at me.

"Please refrain from kicking me," he said with a fang-less smile.

I blinked at him and eyed the lot of them in confusion.

"Your temperature has spiked dramatically several times over the past four hours," Cuthbert said to my right, answering my silent question. I blinked in his direction. "As all of us run at cooler temperatures, we have been alternating who is next to you in order to keep you cool."

"You..." I blinked again and frowned. "You still produce some heat. Why... why not an ice bath?"

"We do not produce as much heat when we go long periods between eating søster," Sigrun said from somewhere to my right. "And to put you in an ice bath would be too cold, _too much_ shock for your system."

"Ah," I muttered and I rolled my shoulder. I hissed in pain at the movement and Kain's cooler than usual touch suddenly rubbed soothingly along the sore area.

"Hush my own," he thrummed in my ear. "From what your Siblings have told me, you need to sleep for a longer period of time to recover. We will continued to keep your fever down as we have been and you should recover faster."

"Bossy bastard," I muttered fondly, much to the amusement of my Siblings, yet I knew he was right. They knew more about my nature than we had learned through trial and error.

Faint tremors continued to wrack my body and I curled up between the lot of them. Their corpse-cold bodies helped me deal with the fever that tore through me and I found that I could let sleep claim me once more. Victory had been ours this day. Kain was alive, _safe_ from the snipers that Auron had called upon to kill him and I had slain my greatest foe. Now was the time to recover, regroup and then we would seek out those who had assisted Auron and end them as well as free those who could be saved.

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I hope everyone has enjoyed the latest chapter and Auron's ultimate fate! Thank you again for all the views and reviews! Love you all!


	51. Fare Thee Well

And here is the next chapter. At this point we're going to have the Inter-meaning years on Gaia.

As a side note, I added a scene to the end of chapter six. I'm not sure HOW I left the scene out of the chapter, as it is something that was meant to build character interaction/character development and I do apologize. Been doing a lot of editing and consolidation with the story since we are getting ever closer to the last act/arch.

I do hope that everyone enjoys the next few chapters before we get back to Nosgoth.

Happy holidays for those who celebrated and please have a safe and happy New Year!

:)

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Chapter Fifty-One: Fare Thee Well...

Surrounded by those who had intricate knowledge of my nature and who had long ago learned the ins and outs of half-bloods, meant that I had recovered enough to the mobile the very next day. Kain and I learned that there was indeed a correlation between blood type and vampire's personal preference. Indeed, the rules used for blood donations applied in these situations. For example; I'm B negative. The best blood for me to consume would thus be B negative or O negative blood. It took a bit of prodding, but Kain _eventually_ allowed us to test his blood type. We found that he was O negative, which explained the sweetness of his blood and why I enjoyed it so. He had what was known as the universal blood type for donors. Had he been human still, he would've found hospitals the world over hoping that he would donate on a regular basis due to the rarity of O negative individuals. To my amusement, he spent some time sampling the various types of blood all so that he could recognize the taste once he went home. I knew that he was taking mental stock for later in order to aid in his preparations for the future of his Empire. The knowledge of blood types would help him in Nosgoth when it came to vampiric recovery.

Whilst I was unable to fly for the time being given the state of my wings, I was still adamant that we needed to find out where Auron had moved his lair to and swiftly. Nor would I be denied the chance to assist in the search, especially given what we had found at his previous lair where I had been held. It took time to find it as the runic stones that he had imbued with his Gift were still empowered even after his death. Our break came nigh on two weeks later, not due to any failure of the Gift-powered runes but due to something else entirely. The Half-blood that had been left in charge of the others had left the safety of Auron's new lair in order to 'obtain' several new humans from a nearby city for those within the partially hidden ruins of an old and abandoned sanatorium in northern Washington. The young male's attempts at hunting were pitiful in truth and had resulted in his swift capture. He'd been about to be dealt with by the local Clan but they had heard the news about Auron's betrayal and deeds and the young male had only obsessively repeated the phrase 'need to get more prey before Master Auron returns' whenever he was questioned.

The horrors that we found within the intact portions of the sanatorium were not as viscerally jarring as what I recalled of my own captivity, yet it was quite clear that Auron had 'cleaned house' before he had transported a number of his 'favored pets' to the new location. It was still a horrifying thing to find, but there was a kind of cold comfort to be found in the realization that more than a hundred 'pets' had found a kind of release from pain in true death. Still, at least fifty Half-bloods, seven Full-bloods and well over a hundred human corpses were found within the depths of the large sanatorium. Of the Half-blood and Full-blood vampires, many had to be slain outright as, by their Aura's and scents, they had mentally devolved into nothing more than mindless beasts. By the time we took the place over, we were left with nine Half-blood vampires, two Full-blooded vampires and five human survivors all told.

Kain, Brice, Lucius and Sigrun spent the entire operation at my side and I found myself grateful for their presence throughout the long mission. Seeing the physical and mental states of those that we rescued reminded me once again that I was lucky indeed to have survived my own time in Auron's hands with my sanity intact. Still, Altair's healers were not precisely hopeful when it came to the mental state of the survivors that we were able to free. A few had been in Auron's care for centuries and no longer registered outside stimulus outside of obeying any direct commands issued, whilst the rest had been stuck in his care just long enough to drive them to the edge of insanity. Recovery... was _not_ a guarantee but at least many Clans could now lay to rest the 'cold files' regarding their missing Kin.

It was a harrowing experience, seeing what might have been had I not been able to hold to myself... Still, Auron was dead and gone and I was free of him forever more.

Two weeks later, I had the conversation with my Siblings that I had been dreading to have. We had returned to the estate where we had been staying. Altair, Armon, Brice, Lucius and all of my Siblings had gathered together within in order to have a subdued celebration of our successful venture and for Kain and I to explain in more detail as to just where I had been all this time. I remained nervous between the regalisque mask that I wore throughout the discussion, but thankfully the upset that the others did show was not directed at myself. No, their combined ire was solely for my now dead tormentor. Eli shot me a bemused look and pouted at me once the conversation had died down.

"Don't think that we didn't notice Sheila," he said.

"Hm?" I looked at him with a raised brow.

"Your _wings_ soster," Sigrun said from her spot by the doorway. "The tips of your feathers were _silvered_. You have not yet told us just how long you were on your Pen Gutt's world."

Kain glowered at her for her continued use of her nickname for him and she stared back at him un-repentantly. I chuckled at their reactions to each other, certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would be locked in another sparring session before the week was out. I looked over the group warily before my eyes landed once more on Elijah. I flashed him a small, hesitant smile.

"I have been living on Nosgoth for some time. Four-hundred and two years have passed for me since I arrived there," I said in a blunt and no-nonsense manner.

"You... ah, _dammit_ _all_ ," Eli threw his hands up in obvious frustration.

"Ah, so you are actually five-hundred and seventy years of age," Sigrun said and she smirked at Eli.

Joan and my other Siblings all laughed in amusement whilst the others either smirked or chuckled softly at Eli's over-blown reaction.

"Looks like someone is still the baby~," Joan said to Eli in a teasing, sing-song voice.

"Oh _rack off_ little blister!" Eli snapped back with a low growl, though his tone was playful.

She sniffed at his tone and sat up primly.

"I am still two-hundred years your senior Eli," she said with a grin that belied the firmness of her tone.

"Yeah, yeah," Eli grumbled good-naturedly as he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Hmm," Benedict tilted his head and then sipped at his wine-glass. "This does mean that you are actually the Third eldest."

"That may be," I started carefully and I reached up to rub at my yet sore shoulder. The dull ache would last for a while yet as my wings re-grew. "But please recall that it is _not_ my intent to remain here overlong..."

I broke off when Kain abruptly frowned, all hint of good humor gone from his face and his Aura pulsing with an odd note. I tilted my head at him as he turned to look at me and his mind brushed against my own a moment later.

~You recall that we were able to develop a method of signaling a sense of 'readiness' with regards to the Path Stones,~ he started and I nodded my head slightly. ~Good. From what Janos, Vorador and I were able to determine, you would likely find that signal occurring on your end nigh on immediately given the time differential between the two Realms. You know that I wish you to remain as long as you might need in order to grow in strength and power mine own.~

~I understand that Kain,~ I responded. ~I merely do not want them to believe that I will be remaining here. I do not wish to get their hopes up with regards to my time here on Gaia.~

"Leave us," Kain growled abruptly to the others, his eyes not leaving my own.

I raised a brow at him and frowned. I nodded my head barely a second later and turned to look at the others.

"We need to speak alone," I said and I stood to offer the group a small smile and in preparation for the hug that I knew I would get from Joan. "Perhaps we can talk more of things tomorrow with regards to my time here."

The others nodded their assent, having sensed that we needed to discuss something serious. Joan gave me my expected hug and Eli gave my good shoulder a pat while the rest of my Siblings left the room with polite nods and gentle smiles. Brice and Lucius remained by the door while the King and Prince both hesitated to leave. Armon took a step forward and I raised a brow at him.

"Lady Katrina... I..." I cut the Prince off by raising my hand.

"Whatever it is, can wait Prince Armon," I said firmly and his wings drooped a bit. " _Especially_ if it is an apology for your earlier behavior."

"I... it is," he said with a nod and a bow of his head. "I will reach out to you later?"

"I will expect your call," I responded formally. "No sooner than tomorrow afternoon however."

"As you wish, Lady Katrina," he bowed low and started for the door.

Altair smiled gently and issued his own bow to both myself and Kain before he escorted his son out of the large room. Kain let out a faint huff of breath once they were out of ear shot and turned to narrow his eyes upon Brice and Lucius.

"As for the two of you," he rumbled. " _Go_ and scout the air and land around the estate. _Thoroughly_."

Lucius flushed and all but bolted for the door at the hidden implications in Kain's tone combined with the threat in his voice. Brice simply nodded his head at the order and he smiled a knowing smile as he watched his younger compatriot flee the room. Lucius took his duty seriously, but the easiest way to get him to obey an order without him over thinking said order was to imply that certain 'activities' were to happen upon their leaving. I shook my head at the youngster's predictable reaction.

 _Ah, but that boy acts like such a blushing maiden_ , I thought to myself with a bemused shake of my head.

I turned to look at Kain and he caught my wrist in his hand. He tugged me gently and guided me to sit on his lap. I tilted my head at him and raised my brow questioningly.

"I will be remaining upon Gaia long enough to see that the skies are once more yours," he said as he began to stroke his talons lightly over my back before he let his hand fall to rest on my hip. "In that time, I will be able to better judge if it will indeed be safe to send Vorador, Janos, Nikolai and Alma through to this Realm. They will likely remain here for the rest of their days. If you should also choose to remain here..."

"Excuse me?" I growled out as I cut him off.

I stilled beneath his hands and glared at him as I started to pull away. His hands tightened around me at wrist and hip to the point of true pain. I hissed faintly at the pain, more a reaction sound than a threat, and met his now firm gaze.

"This world of yours is... _different_ ," he started and then fell silent for a moment as he thought. His grasp relaxed somewhat but was still firm about me. "And yet... you still fell into familiar habits learned in your youth. As much as you have acclimated and thrived upon Nosgoth, Gaia is still your home world and it _shows_ mine own. It shows clear as the sunlight on a cloudless summer's day."

I frowned at the odd look that had filled his eyes as he spoke, but I knew in my heart that he was right regarding my actions upon our arrival. It had started innocuously enough with the crosswalks. The automatic, instinctual muscle memory to stop and look for traffic lest one get hit by a four-thousand-plus pound vehicle that was going at 'x' miles per hour. From there it had continued with the relative ease in which I had adjusted to the new technology. Having already known most of the basics, it had taken me very little time to work my head around the changes that Lucius had shown us as opposed to Kain's own graceful floundering when it came to learning about such drastically different things. Once I'd had my feet under me, I'd been able to teach and explain the concepts of certain items to him better than Lucius had, especially considering that I knew precisely how technologically disadvantaged Nosgoth was in comparison to Gaia and what comparisons I could best use to explain how and why certain things worked the way that they did.

I looked down and to the side as I thought. I'd started off like a fish out of water when I'd first arrived on Nosgoth, not just socially but also with regards to magic, the writing script and even my own basic and, if I was honest with myself, mostly inept skills at fighting. On a world that was as conflicted at Nosgoth was and still is, poor fighting skills could easily get someone killed, be it yourself or your allies. I'd had to learn swiftly in order to survive, but I'd still had to learn it all from scratch with the help of Kain and the others. Here... here on Gaia it was the reverse and he was right.

It _did_ show, plain as day.

Kain touched my chin lightly and tilted my head back up so that I was looking at him once more. I blinked at him warily but nodded my understanding of his words. His lips quirked in a faint, almost smile before his expression turned serious once more.

" _If_ you should choose to remain here on your home world with your Birth Clan, I _will not_ fault you your choice mine own," he murmured softly. I twitched faintly with shock. "You would automatically deny any inclination to remain here as you are now my Katrina, we both know this. But I wish for you to remain here on your Gaia for _at least_ as long a time as you spent on Nosgoth. I also understand that things can either change drastically over the centuries, or not at all. _If_ , in your time here, you find that another individual has proven worthy of your attentions or if you simply wish to remain here with your Siblings and Clan, then merely send word to me and I will throw the other Path Stone through to this side."

I felt my eyes widen further and further as he spoke. He had just given me blanket permission to live, bed and potentially Mark whomever I might please during the time I was to be on Gaia. I leaned into his hand, still against my chin, as my thoughts began to race. It... was a bizarre kind of gift from him. He was giving me the chance to start anew if I chose to remain. A chance to be the person that my Father and Clan had hoped me to be before my capture and…

He was not _demanding_ that I return to his side. No, choice was important to my Mate, my King. It always had been and would always be so. Thus, he was allowing me the choice to return or stay as _I_ desired. The choice to set aside the crown that I had fought to prove worthy of, the place at his side that I had neither expected nor demanded. I let out a heavy sigh and shifted to where I could rest my forehead against his own.

"You are my King," I murmured softly. My words were filled with far more emotion than just a sense of fealty, but also a sense of all the things that I couldn't voice even now.

"I release you," he responded in a blunt way that left no room for doubt regarding what he had offered to me. "If you chose to come back to me mine own, my Katrina, do it because you _wish_ to, not out of a sense of _obligation_."

"..." I curled closer to him and shifted to nuzzle his neck lightly as my thoughts raced. I finally let out another heavy sigh. "As you wish Kain. I will live, and thrive, as I best I can here on Gaia."

"Good," he relaxed under me and I had not realized until then that he had gone tense. "I want you to fly my own, to soar and show all how brilliant, beautiful and free you are."

Oddly enough, the rest of that day was spent in an strange kind of languid lassitude. Gentle touches and slow kisses that led to nothing more than a charged and heavy cuddling that ended in long naps spent in each others arms. There was the potential that Kain would not see me again for several thousand years, if at all, and it was as if he was slowly taking the time to memorize my form, my scent and my taste. Weeks, and then months, passed in such a manner while I healed and what couplings we did have, whilst yet rough by any _human's_ standard, remained as gentle as our first years together as we had learned each other's needs and desires.

By the time I had healed and the skies were once more available to me, Kain and I had spent enough time around my Siblings and some of the members of my Birth Clan that we felt that it would be safe indeed for my adopted Sire and the others to live on Gaia. There would be an adjustment period of course, but it could easily become home for them. We called Janos and Nikolai through and to them, we had been gone on our 'sabbatical trip to my home' for barely a month, once more proving that there was no exact way to tell how much of a time difference there actually was between the two Realms. Vorador and Alma were still on the other side, manning and protecting the Path Stone on their end.

My Nosgothian Clan-mates were welcomed with open arms by my Birth Clan which eased some of my worries right off the bat. Janos seemed to be especially overjoyed to surrounded once more by other winged vampires who knew the bliss of the skies and I felt a renewed sense of hope for my Sire's physical and mental well-being. It took a few weeks to get them settled in at my mansion, Altair had flat out given me the deed to the building and lands as a 'welcome home' Gift, and most of that time was spent helping them learn how to use things without making anything blow up. And given that Nikolai had accidentally fried a computer to the point that we had to put out a fire, it was a _literal_ concern during those first weeks that they might cause something to actually blow up. At least Kain's previous incident with the coffee maker had only resulted in him receiving some minor water burns... though it was always odd to realize that water burned Full-blooded vampires and yet something like coffee or alcohol did not. Another thing to research the 'why' of whilst I was on Gaia when I had the time.

My Siblings decided to drag my Sire and his Mate out to see the sights one day and Kain and I chose to opt out on the trip. I waved farewell to the large group as they climbed into the limo and closed the door behind me with a relieved sigh. Really, the entire lot of them combined could be a handful to deal with at times and I had been looking forward to some peace and quiet. Kain brushed his talons against my shoulder and started down the halls for our room. I followed with a chuckle after a brief stretch of my now healed wings.

"Janos seems to be doing well enough," Kain said as he opened the door to our rooms. I slipped in as he held it open for me and turned to watch him as he closed the door. He'd been acting oddly all day. "You will want to watch him for any signs that he is backsliding."

"I know," I responded with a sigh. People did not just magically 'get over' depression just because of a change of scenery. Janos was good at ignoring the reasons for his upset, we both knew that. I tilted my head at Kain a moment later. "You've been acting oddly. You intend to leave tomorrow."

It was a statement, not a question. The distance that I saw in his eyes had been there since last night. His gaze sharpened on me and he nodded his head once in acknowledgement of my words. He then held his hand out to me and, after I had placed my hand in his palm, he led me toward the bed. He sat down on the side of the bed smoothly and pulled me to sit next to him. His lips brushed against my own in a gentle and sweet caress. The fact that this was 'goodbye' finally hit me in full. Logically speaking, I had already _known_ that he would be leaving soon but now...

A possessive growl escaped me and I forced my lips against his own in a demanding and claiming kiss as I pushed him back against the bed. He growled in response and rather than return the near-violent kiss, he remained almost... placid. _Pliant_ , really. The strangeness of that reaction caused me to pull back and I tilted my head at him in confusion. He chuckled at my expression and licked my lower lip.

"Tell me, is there aught that you would request of me before I leave mine own?" he asked softly.

"I don..." I was about to decline and tell him that there was nothing that I needed, yet I abruptly thought of something, a shifting of unlocked memories, and I bit my lower lip as I recalled what I needed to thanks to the memory-block falling away. "Yes..."

"What would you ask of me mine own?" he rumbled and he tilted his head as he gazed at me.

"Kain. I..." I leaned back and pushed up onto my hands as I looked down at him. I was uncertain of how to go about making such a request of him without some how messing up his timeline. "You... you'll... There will be... Hnnnn."

"Katrina," he frowned at my unease. "If it is something regarding my own future..."

"Hush a moment, _please_ ," I murmured and I brushed my lips against his in apology as I thought. "I have to ask you this. _Need to_ really. The Timeline is going to require something of you that will be harsh and cruel to another person... who will also have wings..."

He blinked up at me, surprise writ plain upon his visage. He raised a brow. "Like your own?"

"No," I shook my head rapidly. "This person... they will not be able to heal like I can. _Please_..."

I leaned forward and let my forehead rest against his own as I closed my eyes.

"If the Timeline can allow for a lesser evil, a lesser _cruelty_ then I ask you this; _break_... don't rend," I whispered softly.

"' _Break_ , don't rend'?" he repeated with another confused blink. His eyes narrowed a moment later. "Why would I... no, do not tell me."

My own wings trembled with the force of my trepidation at this discussion. He reached up and gently soothed his talons through my feathers near the base of my wings. I flinched faintly at the touch, something I had not done in centuries, as I recalled the horrid fate that awaited Raziel. Kain's hands stilled against my wings and his eyes narrowed at my reaction.

"This... upsets you immensely," he said softly, bluntly.

"Yes," I responded and I swallowed roughly. "It _will not_ be their fault. It truly will not. I only ask because if the damage can be mitigated, even in part... this... I... This is all I would ask of you."

"Truly?" he asked and a small smirk flickered across his lips when I nodded my head. "Naught but a request for another, Dear Katrina?"

"You have given me so much already," I responded with a small chuckle. "So much that I had never expected from you..."

"Hn," his hands slid down to caress the curves of my body and I shivered, though this time not in trepidation. He nodded a moment later. "If the Timeline will allow for your request, then I will see it done my Katrina."

"Thank you," I said and I relaxed once more at his continued touch.

***LEMON ALERT! Farewell sex if you decided/need to skip! LEMON ALERT!***

I purred softly as the tips of his talons brushed through my feathers and leaned back down to press my body along the line of his own. Oddly enough, that earlier pliancy remained as I kissed, nipped and licked at his throat and collar bone. I pushed up briefly to meet his gaze and tilted my head at him. Even during the time immediately following his torpor, when I'd had to be the one in control of things in order to prevent any unintended injury to my person because of his new strength and deadly-sharp talons, he had not been this… _docile_ during our activities. He chuckled at my befuddled expression and reached up to brush the backs of his talons against my right cheek.

"Stop thinking so much and continue my Katrina," he purred and his blue-gold gaze practically glittered with his amusement and some indecipherable emotion.

My wings twitched faintly as I looked him over and then mantled higher above our forms as I lowered myself back down with a hum to continue my explorations. My tongue flicked out again and again in slow swaths as I mapped his toned chest, licked my way over his pectoral muscles and lightly brushed my fangs over his nipples before I moved lower. I mapped the smooth scar that had been his death wound and followed it down to nip at his muscled stomach. He let out a faint croon of sound that sent a shiver of pleasure up my spine. I looked up to meet his heated gaze and my lips curled upwards into a satisfied smirk. He rose up and braced himself on one elbow as he watched me nip my way lower still along his body, my gaze never leaving his own. Another purring hum escaped me when the muscles of his stomach twitched and jumped at my next nip. My wings twitched in a lazy, languid beat that briefly ruffled our hair and he reached up, likely intending to trail his hands lovingly over the edges of one wing.

I felt an odd flash of annoyance at the movement however and I reared up to nip at his wrist in a reprimanding bite that drew small beads of blood that trailed down his pale skin. Rather than growl in warning, he let out another bemused chuckle of sound and he lowered his arm to where he was braced up on both elbows.

An instinctual hum of pleasure escaped me at his movements and I returned my attentions to his lower stomach. I still felt somewhat confused at his ready capitulation to my bite. I was very much used to the sweet, playfully violent struggles that usually resulted after such a bite. I pushed aside the thought and reached down to tug off his boots. I then undid the thong that held the front of his leathers shut and tugged them downwards. He hadn't taken a liking to Gaia's zipper and button style of faux-leather pants and had refused to wear them beyond the one pair I'd had him try on, which was fine. His usual leathers always hugged him so nicely. He lifted his hips to assist me in getting his leather pants off and he let out a rumbling purr as he was laid bare before me. I echoed the noise and then moved back up to nip at his stomach as I let out a growl that essentially meant 'be still'. I leaned back once more and undid the fasteners that held my top on before I pealed it off and tossed it aside. I looked him over slowly and let out a low sound of contented satisfaction.

A mischievous light filled his eyes and he reached down to take himself in hand. My wings flared wide and I let out a snarl of breath as I lunged to catch his hand in my own to stop his movements. I let out a low growl and he chuckled once more as I forced his hand back to his side to its' previous position. I relaxed and then frowned at my own reactions. I eased up his body and leaned against him chest to chest with my wings mantled wide above us. I nipped at his lower lip and licked away the small beads of blood that I'd drawn with the bite.

" _What_ is going on?" I asked in a soft murmur, lips lightly pressed against his own.

"Ah, my Little One," he licked my lower lip, the gentle, sweeping stroke of a slightly roughened tongue. "Stop thinking so much and focus on your instincts. What do they tell you?"

"Mmph," I nipped his lower lip a second time. "You and your machinations…"

I ducked my head to nuzzle at his throat and reached out with my Aura as I focused on my more animalistic instincts, that large winged beast that my mind always pictured. His own Aura was a heavy and yet tranquil thing beneath my own. Like the ocean on a calm summer's day. It was as if he was… I froze and felt my eyes widen in shock as my instincts hummed with such strong approval at his submission to the touch of my Aura. I rose up and bumped my forehead against his lightly, my gaze meeting his own heated eyes.

" _Why_?" I asked softly.

"Because you never asked for it, never pushed for it," he responded gently. "You have never demanded the opportunity to Mark me as I had Marked you, content instead with the titles and rank that you earned. You never grew jealous of the males that graced our bed when I was the mood to indulge. No, I could have likely Marked a dozen others, male or female, and you would have only wished to have remained First amongst my lovers. You even surprised me when I told you that I had no intent to take another female to my bed whilst you are gone and you outright ordered me to at least find a male partner to see to my needs if I intended to hold to my statement regarding female companionship."

"Even when I was yet confused about how I had ended up on Nosgoth and if I was simply dreaming it all," I started with a shrug and a faint blush, "all I'd wanted to do was to earn and keep your respect. Why ask for or demand for something that I did not need?"

"You have my respect and more mine own," he purred softly. "Must I say the words aloud?"

"No," I whispered softly and I pressed my lips to his in a chaste kiss. "Thank you."

"Hn," he returned the kiss, lips feather light against my own.

I deepened the kiss slowly and only pulled back from him once the burning need for air grew too strong to ignore any longer. I moved back down along the line of his body, retracing my earlier path and he let out a low groan of noise when I moved past his jutting length without touching him to nip at his inner thighs instead. I lightly teased my fingers over the globes of his testes and teased my claws feather light against his perineum. A deep, throttled groan of noise escaped him at the touch and I smiled against the skin of his thigh.

I pulled back and wiggled out of my own pants swiftly before I leaned back in. I bit into his thigh and started to feed swiftly whilst at the same time wrapping my hand firmly around the base of his length. Kain's arched beneath me and his talons abruptly fisted in my hair as he let out a billowing cry of pleasured pain. My wings mantled forward and over him to tease feathers against his sides as he bucked in my grasp, unable to truly obtain release what with my tight hold. Still, beads of seed leaked from the tip of him despite my hold and I pulled my fangs from the flesh of his thigh in order to lick at the swollen head of that so-hard shaft. I shivered at the tingling pleasure of his cold-fire seed upon my tongue and let out a pleased hum of breath.

"Ngh," he let out a panting growl as he fell back against the bed. His talons carded gently, if shakily, through my hair. "You… are being cruel mine own…"

I chuckled at his words and moved my hand from the base of his shaft before I abruptly took the full length of him into my mouth and down my throat. A sweet-sharp gasp escaped him and his body once more arched beneath mine. I puled back just enough to wrap my hand back around the base of him as I started to suckle upon that thick rod in earnest. I furled my wings close around our forms, like an eagle might encircle its' prey, and shuddered happily at each sound of pleasure and need that I forced from his throat.

I pulled back several minutes later and he slid from my mouth with a wet 'pop' of sound. I moved over him slowly, stalkingly, as I reached out to cover his Aura with my own. I spread my power over him even as I took his length back in hand and guided the thick head to the entrance of my tight channel. His hands flexed where they had, at one point, fallen against the bed and he crooned as I slid down his shaft until the head of him pushed firmly against my cervix. An echoing croon of noise escaped me at the sensation of him bottoming out within me. I reached down and guided his hands up my thighs, hips and then up and back to where they were pressed against the base of my wings. A low, purring-growl escaped him and he rolled his hips in a gentle, yet jarring, thrust. I growled, equal parts pleasure and annoyance and I leaned over him to nip the line of his jaw. He tilted his head up after a moment and bared his throat to me as he relaxed once more beneath me.

My growl trailed off into a pleased purr and I braced my hands on his chest as I started to slowly ride him. My wings remained mantled around us as I slid up and down along that hard length of pulsing flesh, keeping us hidden within a living cocoon of down-soft feathers that teased against his skin. Another low groan escaped him and he shifted his legs in order to gain a better angle so that he could begin to thrust up and meet my movements. The subtle change in angle made his length glide over that sweet spot within me with every shift in movement and I let out a low croon of approval. I clenched internal muscles tight around his shaft in reward and squirmed a little bit. A small smile came to my lips when his panting breaths for air that he did not need grew louder still at my ministrations.

I leaned in close, once more chest to chest and I began to nibble at his still exposed throat. His Aura pulsed against my own briefly before it calmed once more to its' tranquil state, a brief moment of almost warning before he could reign in his Alpha nature. A soothing hum escaped me as I curled my body tight against his own, wings and all, and I abruptly tore into his throat. He bellowed and bucked reflexively beneath me at the tearing pain but he did not throw me off as I tore into his torpor enhanced hide enough that I could speak the ritual words to Mark him as mine before he could heal. Unlike the Sealing of a Symbol, the only power required for Marking another was the energies inherent in one's own Aura.

I murmured the ritual words against the open wound swiftly, words that Janos had taught me and that, despite the complex Latin, were somehow easy to recall and pronounce. I felt the power of it all pulse through me and for a moment it felt as if a small piece of my own Aura slid free to find a home within his own. Kain arched and bucked beneath me in a violent burst of moment and I knew in an instant that he was on the edge of release. Rather than allow his hands to tighten reflexively around the base of my wings and potentially do me harm, he abruptly wrapped his arms tight around my waist as he began to thrust harshly upwards into my core, the head of his shaft knocking almost brutally again and again against my cervix. I pulled back from his throat, braced my hands against the bed and arched my upper body back as I cried out in pained pleasure, his movements forcing me over the edge. My cry deepened to echo his own bellowing roar as his cold-fire seed started to fill me, his length twitching viciously within me as each pulse of seed pumped into my core.

Another groan escaped me as I opened my eyes and saw the Aura-glow of my Mark on his throat. My eyes narrowed hungrily at the sight and I licked my lips briefly before I lunged and sank my fangs back into his throat. I flicked my tongue out rapidly to tease the Marked flesh and a gasping roar escaped Kain, vibrating the skin against my tongue. His Aura abruptly burst over my own, a leashed tidal-wave no longer being held back by his iron will. He rolled us abruptly so that he was on top, his hands closing tight around the curves of my ass as he sank his fangs into my neck where his own Mark lay. A muffled scream escaped me at the rapid movement as my wings had been pinned painfully against the bed, but I also screamed due to the searing, orgasmic pleasure of his own rapid feeding at that particular location and the sudden, violent, claiming thrusts as he started to pound into my body with every ounce of vampiric strength that he had. It was all that I could do to simply wrap my arms, legs and wings as much as I could around him as he tried to drive deeper still into my body and the bliss of release tore through me once more.

He shifted our lower bodies up, raising to his knees as the talons of one hand scratched up my back, teased briefly against the base of one wing, before he moved his hand around and up to tangle my hair between his talons. At his harsh tug, I let my fangs slip from his throat and let out a groaning howl of breath as he continued to feed, continued to keep me over that edge of release and extending my orgasm to an almost painful height. I bucked and writhed as much as I could given my pinned state and then let out a frustrated snarl of breath when he abruptly pulled fangs and length from me. He wrenched his way free of my grasp and shifted so that he could yank me toward the edge of the bed. I started to sit up and he pinned my knees to my chest as he reached for the drawer to the end table. I let out a gasping huff of breath as my knees hit my chest and then stilled as I watched him pull out a bottle of lubricant that I had bought for us to use.

Kain coated one talon liberally and, with said talon magically sheathed to protect me from the razor-edge digit, he began to prod and stretch my rear passage. His thumb-talon, equally blunted, began to alternate between rubbing my clit and plunging into my core as he prepared my ass. I groaned and writhed beneath that knowing touch, equally enjoying the attention and desperate to move so that my wings were no longer pinned so against the bed.

"Gah- _aah_! L-let me…" I hissed and then whimpered low as his talon sank into my rear past the first knuckle. "Kain! Let me t-turn over! _Nnngh_! M-my _wings_!"

"Ah, my own, you are _divine_. Writhing so splendidly for me," he purred lustfully. "You want me to fill you even here, yes?"

"Nnnh!" I hissed and bared my fangs, fingers becoming tangled in the sheets beneath me. "You-ah! You know that… _nnngh_ … that I do. You bastard! Just… let me _move_!"

He chuckled darkly and watched me squirm for a few more moments before he released my legs and allowed me to move onto my side, though he kept his talon buried within my rear passage. I groaned as I spread my wings out behind me, the cessation of dull pain its' own kind of release and then tensed up once more as he used that moment of my muscles going lax to drive his talon in past the second knuckle. His talon slid in deeper still and I let out a roughened cry at the girth. The tip of his other talon teased against the stretched opening and I couldn't help the small whimper that escaped me at the pressure. He let out a low chuckle and knelt down next to the bed. His mouth closed on my folds a moment later and I groaned when the cool heat of his tongue flicked out along my slit in a long path that teased my clit. A whimpering cry escaped me as he started to suckle on my clit, all the while still working his talon in and out of my rear passage as he readied me for his length. His hand shifted and his other talon plunged into my core. I cried out, one of my wings beat uselessly against the bed whilst the other arched upwards and fanned just as uselessly in the air as he worked both taloned in and out of each stretched hole. Before I could be pushed over that edge once more, he pulled both talons from me and stood, slickening his length as he moved. He leaned over me, keeping me pinned on my side as he slowly slid into my slickened ass.

Kain mouthed my neck where his Mark lay and I crooned as I reached out to tease fingers over my own Mark upon his neck. The sense of pleasure and desire seemed to loop upon itself, our emotions and needs easily read through the Marks now that they went both ways. I shuddered and keened at the awareness of his pleasure at filling me so, the tight heat of my body clenching him enough that it was almost painful for him and yet the vicious desire for more that flared through him with each demanding thrust forward. I shifted without word as he moved back and lifted my right leg over his shoulder to help intensify the angle of his movements and he crooned his approval. He felt my own need for that elusive 'more' and slid a talon into my seed-soaked core as he started to thrust just a little bit faster. I reached down and started to rub circles over my clit, fingers brushing against his hand as he started to tease the tip of his second talon into my core. I cried out at the stretching sensation and bucked once, twice and then let out a howling keen as I fell over that edge once more. As I came from the feeling of that second talon slid in alongside the first, Kain let out a thundering roar of pleasure and followed me over that sharp-sweet precipice. Cold-fire seed flooded my rear passage and I tightened around him, milking him as my eyes fluttered shut due to the sensations overwhelming my mind. I could feel the pleasure-pain of his release as he continued to pound in my tight and spasming channel.

With a shuddering groan, he eased my leg from his shoulder and pulled his talons from my slick core. He pulled me up and close so that I could wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, staying buried in my ass all the while. He turned and eased us both back on the bed with me atop him as I licked and nibbled at his neck over my Mark, enjoying the sweet twitches of his length that were the result of said touches. A contented croon escaped him and he mirrored the movements on my own neck, a sense of languid lassitude filling us both. He let out a soft chuckle and nipped my ear.

"Eager for more already mine own?" he murmured.

"Mmm, maybe a little later," I responded as I cuddled close, wings tucking in around us like a blanket. "Kain?"

"Hn?" I could hear the edge of sleep in his tone.

"Be as free as you made me," I said softly against his ear. "I would not have your desires and will shackled because you granted me such a gift this eve."

"Ah, mine own," he said and his arms coiled a little tighter around my form for a moment before he tucked my head under his chin. He kissed the crown of my head and stroked his talons lightly over the base of my wings. "Again you prove loyal and true to me, my Dear Katrina. Rest now."

I chuckled softly and nuzzled close to him, letting my eyes fall shut as sleep claimed my senses.

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed and again please have a safe and happy new year!


	52. Keep on keepin' on

Next one up!

This chapter gets a little dark. Trigger Warning for character suicide attempt...

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Chapter Fifty-two: Keep on keepin' on...

When I awoke hours later, Kain was gone with nary a hint of his Aura to be sensed. I took my time leaving the bed however, luxuriating in his lingering scent and my memories. Finally I got up and went downstairs. I shoo'd Brice and Lucius out of the building again, telling them to go report to Altair or, well, wanting to be alone with my thoughts until Vorador and Alma arrived. I'd kept the Path Stone ready in the main room of the mansion and waited patiently for the portal to open once more whilst I thought. Kain was not one for drawn out goodbyes and yet the past several months had essentially been his farewell to me.

Roughly midday the portal opened and Alma and Vorador stepped through. Once more the bloody stones left me flabbergasted, as fifty years had passed for them in that time frame. I took some time to show them about and explain a few things to them while I waited for my Siblings to return with my Sire and Nikolai. I would need to talk with everyone together in the same time regarding my own plans for the future and regarding my Nosgothian Clan-mates new lives.

The group arrived back at the mansion, Brice and Lucius not currently included in our little group as they were still out per my orders, late at night and in very good humor, though Janos' feathers seemed a might bit ruffled. Nikolai was soothing my Sire adequately and I looked to Joan with a raised brow at the sight.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

"Eli wanted to take them to see a movie," she explained in an equally soft tone. "I do believe that we should have started with a more subdued movie in truth."

"Oh dear," I let out a soft sigh as I watched Vorador approach Janos to make sure he was alright. "I take it Eli picked an action flick?"

"Yes," she answered, though there was both humor and concern in her eyes. "Thankfully we had booked a private theater room, so we were able to prevent any kind of socially awkward incidents but it was still a bit harrowing for the Eldar. I am sorry Sister."

"It's alright," I shook my head and let out a bemused huff. "Maybe some old movies next time? Like the 'King and I' or perhaps 'Les Miserables'. Those might be more to his preference and would be an easy for them all to adjust to."

"Hm, I'll mention that to Bene," she said. "Eli normally bows out, semi-gracefully, when we go to those kinds of shows."

"Figured as much," I said with a chuckle.

We shared a bemused look and I took the time to lead the others to the main sitting room. Janos and Nikolai took up one small, two person couch. Vorador took a large, sprawling suede-covered chair and Alma plopped right onto his lap without asking. His hand closed on her hip automatically and I rolled my eyes at the pair. My Siblings spaced out around the various other couches and chairs in the room and I, as hostess, made sure that everyone had a glass of blood-wine if they wanted one. I let out a small sigh as I finally took a seat myself, my own glass in hand. Jean moved from her own seat and cuddled up against my side without a word. I knew in an instant that she had picked up on my slightly sour mood.

One by one my Siblings seemed to realize that Kain's until-then-constant Aura was gone and what it meant that Vorador and Alma were now present upon Gaia when Kain was not. Each of them shot me a concerned look as they did so. I had honestly expected some sort of an outburst from Elijah, or perhaps Sigrun, but it was Cuthbert who abruptly let out a growl of anger and annoyance.

"He stole away in the middle of the night like a common thief, didn't he? Why are you not angry?" he finally asked as he cut through the attempts at small talk that the others were making about the differences in societal norms between the two Realms.

I shared a bemused look with my adopted Sire, who was looking far better considering his earlier 'adventure' especially since Nikolai was cuddled up contentedly at his own side. I chuckled faintly as I turned back to my Brother.

"These past several weeks have been our 'goodbye', Cu," I said. "Neither he, nor I, wished to belabor the subject further."

"He did not even do you the courtesy of a formal farew-" I cut him off with a snarl of breath and flared my Aura at him.

"He gave me the greatest gift that he could last night," I said firmly. "I did not need a farewell with fanfare and Clan involved!"

Vorador's eyes widened in shock, an expression that was usually rare to see on the Eldar's face, and even Alma sat up straight in surprise.

"Kain allowed you to Mark him?" he asked in stunned shock. "The stubborn whelp who would rather chew off his own arm before asking for aid? The same male whom always scoffed derisively whenever I spoke to him of our Sire's obvious 'marital bliss' with regards to his sharing Marks with Nikolai?"

"He has not brought that up in centuries and you know precisely how independent he is!" I said with a laugh.

"Note that I said 'asking' for aid dear Sister," Vorador started with a drawl, "Not 'demand' aid. And you did nothing more than prove my point by highlighting his independant streak."

"Eh," I blinked and then chuckled. "A fair point..."

"He did seem the type," Sigrun chimed in. "I am surprised to hear that he would do as such."

"He is a stubborn man," I acknowledged with a shrug. "But yes, he did allow me to Mark him before he left. I did not even have to ask him, nor would I have ever asked."

"Ah... Katrina, my Childe," Janos started hesitantly. "Did you...?"

"He gave me permission to be with and Mark whomever I might please during my time here," I said soothingly, yet firmly. "I could do no less in the face of such a Gift. I would not leave him shackled by his actions, nor would I have our... affection for one another to be tainted by any hint of my being unwilling to allow him the same courtesy. He prides himself on his free will just as I pride myself on my own. He is free to be who he is, especially given the fact that I only plan to be here for at least four-hundred or so years, whilst for him several thousand years will pass. If I had denied him his own freedom of choice well... that would be a long time for such a wound to fester, would it not?"

"You love him," Joan said softly, filling the sudden silence that had fallen once I had finished speaking.

I froze with my glass half-way to my mouth. I lowered the glass and looked to the side and away from my Sister's piercing gaze as she stared up at me from where she was cuddled in against my side. Elijah let out a choked noise from his own spot as he realized what my silence meant.

"You never told your silver-haired bloke that ya love him?" he asked bluntly and I stiffened.

"Actions speak louder than words," I responded with a defensive hiss of breath.

"Easy now deary," Alma purred as she slipped from Vorador's lap.

She wandered over and sat herself down on my own lap in a way that allowed Joan to remain cuddled against my side. I frowned at the Eldar female.

"We know, and have known for years," she started, "how you feel about your Lord. What your Siblings do not realize is that neither you, nor he, are the type of person to use such words easily, if at all. You are both creatures of action."

"Indeed," Vorador added with a chuckle. "When he told us of what you had shared of your past when you first arrived, I knew that he would, at the least, attempt to claim you for himself. It was the first I had heard him speak, almost praisingly, of another person. 'A stubborn-willed little one, yet unbroken by those that would have seen her tamed and brought to heel like some beaten animal,' he had said of you. Even my Umah had not earned such high, if admittedly back-handed, praise from him."

I blinked at that and then tilted my head a bit. I had not know that he had said such a thing to others.

"He did surprise us though," I raised a brow as he continued and he waved his hand. "Oh, not in his pushing and prodding in an effort to see you made stronger and your power honed to a razor's edge. No, he surprised us by actually putting you in situations to prove your adeptness in such a way that it was eventually made plain to all that he thought you his equal, his Queen. For a long while we thought he would merely keep you as Captain and Concubine, as he had never before seemed the type to share his power with others."

"It helped that she never once demanded more power nor the ranks that she quite obviously earned," Nikolai offered. "In fact, that fight with Cillian did more to prove that she was earning her place in the Clan hierarchy than one might have realized at first."

I blushed as the others from Nosgoth nodded their agreement and, after explaining the history behind what they were talking about, my Siblings nodded their own understanding. Eli let out a small huff of breath though as he looked at me.

"Seems a bit of an antiquated relationship in some ways sheila," he said as he stood to set his glass aside. "But if he managed to make ya happy, then that's all one can ask for. Anyway, enough talk about your old man, yeah? Let's go flyin' or something! In fact, I know some great areas around here for a good free-fall."

"You are a tosk Brother," Sig said with a groan as she face-palmed.

"So?" he shot back with an unrepentant grin.

"Do not listen to her Brother," Joan said as she stood up and stepped away from me. "Foolish you can be, but you are not a fool. And we love you just the way you are."

Everyone laughed at Elijah's blushing sputters and the rest of that day was spent companionably.

The following years were, in a word, difficult. The fallout of Auron's actions and the lengthy recovery of those that had survived and remained... salvageable... made for tense times between the Clan Kelborne and the other Clans. It did not help that the Kelborne Clan continually attempted to sweep things under the rug when it came to reparations. They could not avoid it though, it had been their Clan-mate who had captured and secreted away hundreds of victims over the years from all of the Clans. It did not help matters when it came to light that there were several like-minded Full-bloods and Half-bloods who had helped the monster carry out his depraved desires and, to make matters worse, said individuals were numbered primarily amongst the Kelborne Clan which held the second largest number of those who had survive the destruction of the Vampire's original home world...

Capturing those that had assisted in such depravities had become a long-term goal of mine and through the efforts of my immediate Clan-mates, my Clan-subset really, we were able to confirm that Auron had a second, 'open to others', hellhole that was hidden away in the very heart of the Kelborne Clan territory; Bolivia. We barely managed to prevent the outright slaughter of those within the hidden, underground building. We had to fight and disable Kelborne warriors who had been ordered to purge the stain on their Clans honor, orders that had no regard for the lives of those within that might yet be saved. When we found proof within the building proper that several high-ranking individuals amongst the Kelborne Clan had ordered the strike to hide their own depraved actions, outright war between the major Clans seemed a likely result, especially as I held firm to my resolve...

I did not want scapegoats or only some of the fiends that had perpetrated such horrors. I wanted everyone who had knowingly aided Auron or had turned a blind eye to questionable actions because of his war-hero status or due to his 'generous donations to a cause'. By the end of that first century back on Gaia, the Kelborne Clan was far reduced from their previous status and was considered by all to be the least of the 'Three Great Clans'. Many had broken from their Clan in disgust and chose to be welcomed into other Clans or creating their own Clans in order to distance themselves.

Eventually, tempers between the Clans cooled once those responsible had been slain or punished as appropriate.

Surprisingly though, despite the strained relations between the Clans, Vampiric/Human relations did not suffer over much. Even with all the technological advancements, Vampires remained rather private creatures whose internal strife was able to be, to an extent, kept out of the public eye. Everyone knew that there had been all but war between the Clans, but as it did not affect their immediate lives and as it was not the explosive sort of war, most humans simply ignored it.

Sad, but true...

During that first century, Alma remained my sole lover and closest confidant outside of my Turned Siblings. Once the in-fighting between the Clans died down though, she started to show a growing interest in Prince Armon. The younger Half-Blood had apologized to me for his prior attitude and had proved himself a number of times during the hunt for those who had aided Auron. I noticed her growing interest in the royal male, different and remarkably subtle given her usual 'grab the bull by its' horns' flirtations and I realized that she was truly interested in him as Mate material and not just as a lover. As I needed to begin my research on ways to aid Nosgoth, with Cuthbert's aid, and was no longer needed quite so much on various battlefields or missions, I gave her leave to pursue her interest without having to worry about my own needs and began to idly keep an eye out for others who might interest me.

The 'Royal' Mating between the pair was announced within a decade of her beginning her pursuit in earnest and I found myself highly amused by the entire thing, especially when there were a few news postings immediately following the announcement saying that she had 'usurped my place'. A few nosy reporters managed to dig up the fact that my Father and the Draconian King had originally hoped that I would pair up with the King's son and thus tighten the bond between our two families. My open amusement with such statements did more to quiet the rumors than any outright denial statements ever would have...

Vorador proved to be both the natural hentai and businessman that I expected him to be once he had his feet under him with regards to the new technology and culture. His skills as a Blacksmith and the runes that he used for his craft were a surprise to the Vampiric Weaponsmith's of Gaia and he fast found himself a place in the rather reclusive and exclusive group. His specialized blades rapidly became a 'must have' amongst human and vampire alike, as even the least of his blades was made to his exacting standards and sold for several hundred dollars/pounds/etc. the world over.

And with said money rolling in, my dear Hentai Brother turned around and bought the still popular Playboy/Playgirl properties and company...

He gained a rather... dedicated... following amongst the masses as a result, which suited his hedonistic and self-indulging nature to a T...

Nikolai also grew over the years as an artist of talent, his skills growing in leaps and bounds with the new artistic mediums made available to him. Oils and colors were rare things on Nosgoth, yet readily available on Gaia and he eagerly made use of that difference in order to bring his already amazing works to life. Computer graphic arts eventually caught his eye and, after years of courses to understand the how-to of it all, he branched out occasionally to work on movie SFX. Still, even with him branching out so much, I would often find him in one of his studios working on his charcoal still-life's. All of which sold quite well in various art galleries, though mostly during and for different charity events.

He and Janos preferred the quiet, reflective kind of existence that Gaia could readily provide.

Speaking of my Adopted Sire, Kain had been right to warn me to watch my Sire closely. The backslide that I had been expecting did not happen right away, but more and more often I would notice a kind of wistful, yet pained expression cross his face on those occasions where he believed no one was watching him. Rather than allow the Eldar to brood on such negative emotions, I went to Alma, Vorador and Nikolai. Together we managed to arrange for Janos to see a mind healer, along with my Sibling Joan, in an effort to help him work through his harsh past. He showed extensive improvement over the years and while the others started to relax at his progress, I found that my worry for him did not wane one bit and I would often check in on him despite the work that I needed to do...

I just... I still could not trust it when he smiled, as there were still so many times that his smiles did not reach his eyes. Those sad smiles that still happened when he thought no one was looking...

When his attempt at suicide came, it was not the usual attempt that a human might make. Slitting one's wrist open would not work for a vampire due to the natural healing factor. Poison would not work for the same reason. Drowning was out for Janos, despite the fact that he was the only 'living' vampire in existence, as water was acidic to his flesh and he was not one to wallow in the agony of such a slow death... No, my dear Sire was the sort to go for a more immediate, and foolishly noble, sort of end.

Upon his arrival on Gaia, he had begun to study Gaia's healing arts extensively and exclusively. Not a surprise given his gentle nature and his magical skills with such a craft. He found his true calling amongst the still existing 'Doctors without Borders' and often visited those areas that were war-torn or illness ridden and in need of medical assistance. Even after so long, illness and plague still cropped up. With so many humans on the planet, it was a given that some locations would still have epidemics break out and vampires were the best suited for such tasks given that they could not get ill themselves. Vorador, Nikolai and even Joan and his Mind-healer had all believed that Janos would be fine, especially as he had found a true calling in being a travelling DWB. But I will be the first to admit that I could be both paranoid and possessive when it came to those close to me.

It was a damned good thing that I was so mindful...

Two and a half centuries after my return to Gaia, Janos had chosen to take a mission to assist with plague victims in a war-zone. War had broken out between a newly formed Great Egypt, which comprised of the northern half of Africa and the Kingdom of Pangea, which was comprised of the southern most half of Africa. The war itself had started to quiet down as they two new countries worked on peace talks, but had then flared back up in earnest when both halves of the continent were suddenly affected by a bio-weapon in the form of a new plague that worked horribly like rabies. Dubbed the 'zombie plague' by drama-loving news stations, all of the Clans had come together for the first time since my own sensational return in order to help contain the plague to Africa and work towards a cure for the horribly infectious illness. Sadly, our efforts did nothing to stop the fighting in the interim and that meant that the DWB had to work in the middle of a war-zone to try to create a cure.

When I found out about his choice to work in the middle of said war-zone, my worry for him grew to the point where I could no longer work with Cu on our project. Given that he was the best mage that I knew when it came to magic, it was easy enough for me to convince him to come with me to check on Janos. Given my own stealth-based Gift, we were able to work together to get to the DWB camp without anyone seeing us and without being hit by random shrapnel.

The timing of things could not have proved better. Given that we had flown in ourselves rather than take the lengthy route of obtaining permission to arrive via plane, we manage to arrive just as the camp came under attack by insurgents that felt that Janos and the others were the cause of the plague rather than working on a cure for it. As we landed in the center of the camp, a grenade was lobbed into the midst of the Doctor's and their assistants. Janos, being the closest, immediately lunged to protect his charges from the explosive device, intent on using his own form as a shield.

"Cu!" I shouted at my Sibling even as I shoved Janos backwards with a telekinetic blast.

Cu reacted to my shout instantly, hands and wings rising up and a tri-layered shield was raised around the grenade to contain the sudden explosion. By his strained expression and the multiple flashes of light that went off, it was not an easy thing to contain the obviously magically-enhanced device. I rushed over to my now disheveled looking Sire and snarled angrily at him. His body would have done nothing to contain such a blast and even had he called up a shield at the same time, said shield would have failed upon his death and his charges would have still been harmed by the blast. As the others worked to raise stronger shields, I focused my attention on him.

"Dammit all Sire! What do you think you were doing?!" I growled as I wrenched him up onto his feet. My head was pounding with my worry and... and something else. "You know the shield spells that can contain those damned things and yet you leap to cover it!? You put yourself and your charges in danger!"

"There was no-" he started, flustered and angry. I cut him off.

"Do not dare try to spoon-feed me bull-shit Sire!" I roared in rage.

I was tired, extremely so, from the long flight, from the long hours working on the problems of Nosgoth with Cu and what answers there were to find and from worrying so about my Adopted Sire's physical and mental well-being. The past several months had held with it an ease with which I developed migraines, which usually signaled the development of a mental-based Gift and that had not made things easier nor my temperament better. It did not help that I was, in truth, long over-due to develop my first natural Gift. I rubbed at the bridge of my nose as I growled low

"Katrina," Janos' voice changed in pitch and turned to that hard note of warning as his Aura flared. The flaring of power of an Eldar unwilling to put up with a younger vampires disrespect. "You will mind how you speak to me my Childe. You are not a Queen any longer and-"

My own Aura flared in response to his words and something in me snapped as if popping into proper alignment. Whilst he was correct in the fact that he was my Eldar and that I no longer held the status/rank of 'Queen', his argument was invalidated by the fact that he had just attempted suicide. My rage that he would dare to use such a pitiful reason to neutralize my anger did nothing but piss me off.

My Aura coalesced in the air around me for one crystalline moment and, when I slashed my hand through the air in front of me, it disappeared into a narrowed, laser-sight wide beam aimed for Janos. For a split instant I could see the very heart of his Aura, all the way to the bright-dark, churning-conflicted core before that beam struck like a lightning bolt. A roar of triumph escaped me as a yelp of shock was torn from his own throat. My sight failed me for a moment and when it returned I found Janos sitting on his posterior with his wings akimbo and his expression lost. Cu and the others were watching me warily.

"How do you feel Sister?" Cu asked into the stunned silence. "Is your headache gone?"

"I..." I blinked and shook my head slightly. "Yes actually. Do you have any idea what just happened?"

"I believe so, yes," he answered. "Let us get under cover first however before I examine the situation further."

With Cu's help and instruction, we managed to get the others more organized and proper shields back into place to prevent another grenade from getting through to the camp. Janos remained quiet and silently helped to place protective runes into the surrounding stone to help solidify the shields, something that he should have thought of earlier. Once that was done we slipped into one of the caves that had been turned into a temporary office and I forced my Sire to sit in one of the few chairs within the room. I glared at my contrite-looking Sire as Cu placed up a privacy ward. He wandered to my side a moment later and hummed as he looked Janos over.

"Still subdued and quiet, is he?" Cu murmured thoughtfully and his wings twitched with contained anger. "I figured as much."

"What the hell did I do to him?" I asked with an uneasy grumble, my own wings showing my agitation as well.

"'Aura strike'," Cu replied promptly. "Or 'Aura Snipe' as it has been called in the more recent years by the younger generation. It is an extremely rare ability that allows a younger Alpha the ability to overwhelm and subsume an Eldar's Aura when properly used."

I raised a brow at my Brother and then turned to look at my Sire once more. Janos had looked up as well, but he flinched at my yet-angry gaze and looked back at his taloned hands a second later. I blinked and turned back to Cu.

"And he is still acting like this, why?" I asked. One might be able to defeat an Eldar to gain their respect, such as my fight with Cillian and the occasional battles with others over the years to maintain my rank, but usually they did not retain this level of... of meekness. Perhaps a respectfully sullen attitude, but not something that left one near as meek as a mouse.

"You are yet upset with him and he knows very well why the reason for your upset," Cu explained in a dry tone. "For the moment, you are the superior Alpha that had due cause to be upset with a lesser Alpha. It does not matter that he is your Eldar as far as instinct is concerned. The 'Aura Strike' ability bypasses all of it."

"Ah," I responded thoughtfully and I tilted my head. "Just how rare is this ability?"

"Only four people currently have the ability," Cu said and then he let out a soft chuckle. "Five I should say, now that you have it."

"Common denominator?" I asked with a raised brow, somehow knowing the response but still wishing to hear it.

"Our S ire," Cu said with a hint of pride in his tone. "As you know, Father was the only one of his Blood-line to survive the transition to Gaia. What you may not know, is that this Gift was the primary reason he was able to maintain his rank as King Altair's right hand over the long centuries. My own two Turned children, Elijah's Mate that he Turned himself and one of Benedict's Turned children share the Gift and have decent ranks amongst our Clan-subset and the Draconian Clan in general."

I let out a snort of amusement at his words. It made sense. Cu hummed a moment later.

"If I may, I wish to confirm my own theory," I waved for him to continue. "You have likely long been able to focus your Aura on a specific person, to an extent, in order to enforce your Aura over their own?"

"Not like this," I said with a wave in Janos' direction. "But to an extent, yes. Those that wanted to challenge me would only normally back down after I've won a fight with them, then they would respond to my Aura to a greater extent. That's normal though."

"It is, for the most part," he allowed with a nod. "Another question; How many actually challenged you a second time? A rematch if you will as if they yet questioned your rank amongst the Clan? And I do not mean those who would circumvent your rank or outright betrayals. I mean a formal, rank-altering fight in front of the Clan."

I blinked rapidly at his question and had to think back carefully. Four-hundred and two years was a lot of time to think back on and it had been two more centuries since my return... I let out a thoughtful hum of breath.

"Only one person challenged me a second time," I said in thoughtful wonder. "And when I defeated them again, they never questioned my place as Queen and Captain at Kain's side. Others tried assassination attempts, out and out betrayals or more subdued and subtle attempts at slandering my person and loyalties."

"And once more my theory holds," Cu said with satisfaction. I raised a brow and he clarified. "The primary difference between someone who has the Gift of Aura Strike and one who does not, is that those with the Gift are able to maintain their rank within a Clan with less strife then those without. You would have been faced with repeated challenges far more often otherwise. Indeed, Elijah's Mate is young and developed the Gift as her first one nary after a century of being Turned, as is common amongst Full-Bloods. She challenged him after one of his little social stunts and has been his immediate Alpha ever since."

"Even though he is her Sire?" I asked as I gaped at Cu.

"There is a reason that Eli is oft teased for being obedient to his Mate's wishes," Cu said with a wave of one hand. "He is her Sire, yes, but she is his Alpha. She might differ to him as the Eldar at times however, as they say, she 'wears the pants' in their relationship. It is not as if he is overly bothered by the matter either."

"Alright, that makes sense," I jabbed a thumb in Janos' direction. "Save for the fact that I did not fight him outright."

"This is one of those instances where one did not need to be in the middle of a fight for this to happen," he said with a shrug as Janos looked up at us warily. "One; your Gift was due to show anyway and Janos was the outlet for it to do so. Two; he was issuing a challenge of a sort in trying to tell you to back down. Three; he attempted 'Nobilis Mortem' or 'Noble Suicide'. Even had the two of you broken into a fight, you would have won. Easily from what I can tell of his current attitude. A strong enough Alpha can stabilize and neutralize the suicidal tendencies of other vampires, for a time at least. He would need to be able to voice a reason that you would be able to accept to have beaten you and maintained his rank as your Alpha now that you are no longer a Queen Alpha."

Janos' wings twitched with shock and my eyes narrowed on him. I recalled one of the few conversations that we'd had over the centuries regarding those who had survived the initially raising of the Pillars and the subsequent silence from the Ancients 'God' and suddenly a few things made sense. The Ancients already had enough of a Clan-like nature to them that was only strengthened by the Vampiric Curse, enhancing the Alpha/Beta/Omega mentality that had existed in their culture. Janos and the others had used their Aura's, their strength as Alpha's, in order to prevent the immediate mass-suicide of their race. The others all eventually perished, giving into their sorrow and... and he and the others had understood and eventually refrained in stopping them... until he was the only Ancient left standing. Cu turned to my Sire abruptly.

"Eldar, can you offer up an acceptable argument to your Alpha for your actions?" he asked in a cold tone. "Actions that may very well have caused harm to those under your care and not just yourself?"

Janos shook his head meekly and looked down once more. He knew how much I cared for him and knew as well just how pissed I was by the feel of my Aura that he had put the others in the camp in danger.

"See? He knows his error and your own rage," Cu nodded to himself. "Not only that but he knows that he has an entire Clan-subset that regards him as family, who both rely upon him and wish to help him. He planned this well, separating from the Clan like this in order to try to carry out his intentions. He knew that any one of us would stop him."

Janos seemed to shrink in on himself the longer Cu spoke in a meticulous, cold tone. His wings furled about his form as if to hide himself from our combined ire. I rolled my shoulders slowly, my wings raising and beating at the air as I worked on calming my emotions. Finally I let out a heavy sigh and turned my back on the Eldar in a dismissive gesture.

"The people here yet need your skills as a healer Sire. You will remain with either myself or Cu whilst we are here," I said in a deadly-calm tone of voice. "After the area is secured, we will leave for home where you will speak the truth to your mind-healer, to Joan, to Vorador and most important of all to your Marked Mate Nikolai and from there you will remain with at least one of us at all times. I will not allow this to happen again! Am I understood?"

"I... understand Katrina," he said in a soft voice. "You..."

"I what?" I growled when he fell silent.

"You are disappointed with me," he whispered softly and I ran my hands through my hair as I spun about.

"Yes. Yes, I bloody well am," I moved to kneel in front of him and cupped his face in my hands. "You are my Sire now. You have become the Father of my heart and I care for you as if we were truly of the same blood. If my birth Father had a chance to know you, he would have been honored to have called you a friend I am sure. And you do not just have me. You have Vorador, your first Childe and your brightest. You have made dear friends amongst the Doctor's and my Birth Clan. Most important of all; you have Nikolai! Your Marked Mate! Did you think that no one would miss you? That we did not need you any longer? That I did not need you!?"

"My childe..." he started in a broken voice and I dropped my hands to his shoulders to given him a near-to-violent shake that cut him off.

"We love you, Sire," I continued in a softer voice and I knew that I was on the edge of tears. "We are here to help you. We always have been. Talk to us, let us help you. Please Sire... Father... stop shutting us out. Stop smiling those stupid false smiles... I..."

I closed my eyes as I fought against the need to cry and his arms were suddenly around me. He shuddered and trembled as I returned the tight hug. I wrapped my wings about us both and let out a small, trembly croon of sorrow. His trembling grew worse and I knew that he had started to cry. Wetness gathered on my shoulder and I let out a soothing croon as I brushed my fingers through his shorter hair. Cu extended his Aura around us both in a soothing wave to offer comfort, but he remained distant to allow us some privacy.

"Every... everything I believed in..." Janos started brokenly. "Everything we fought for... it was naught but a lie..."

"Don't you say that," I hissed softly as I pulled back and looked at his face. I had hoped...

"But the Elder God... the Wheel," his voice was broken. "Too much made sense..."

I closed my eyes again and let out a weak huff of breath. I had hoped against hope that he had not overheard one of my discussions with Kain regarding the false 'God' that was the parasite. Now those hopes were dashed like a child's dream and I knew that I would have to speak carefully or no amount of effort would keep him alive. He would eventually fall to his sense of grief and failure and the belief that all his efforts had been in vain... His faith had been the only thing to sustain him for centuries...

I straightened my shoulders and opened my eyes as I cupped his cheeks once more.

"Sire... Father, I need you to listen to me carefully," I said softly. He nodded weakly, tears trailing down his cheek to gather against my fingers. "Do you recall that day when we passed judgement against Cillian? Just nod if you do."

He nodded his head a second time.

"Good, good," I took a slow breath and plunged on. I needed to give him some sort of foundation to stand on if he was to heal. "I spoke about the Wheel, remember? How the Ancients believed in it, how you believed in it and how it was real, yes?"

"But the Elder-" I touched my thumbs to his lips to silence him and he blinked blearily at me.

"Parasite," I said softly. "A parasite infected Nosgoth's Wheel and perverted it. A parasite claimed God-hood in order to feast upon the natural Wheel, but that does not mean that the Wheel itself is not real."

"But then war-!" he cried out in a broken tone. I hushed him and drew him close once more, held tight and safe in my arms and wings.

"Even if you had known the truth, it would not have stopped the war," I said softly. "You might even have been slain if you had known and spoken out."

"But that means that everything I have done was for nothing my Childe..." he whispered.

"Not so. Not so. Nosgoth is a clever and stubborn and vicious old girl," I said firmly as I placed my forehead against his. My words earned a weak chuckle of breath from him and I smiled. "She developed her own way to fight the parasite. You remember what you've learned about red and white blood-cells, platelets and the like, yes? The bodies natural defenses?"

"Yes... I follow you," he murmured weakly, looking confused but listening as his healers training forced him to follow my logic.

"Good," I took another slow breath and plunged on. "Nosgoth's natural defenses were subverted, but she managed to develop a greater defense in the vampiric curse. Human's are short-lived and without proper documentation, or even with it, they would not be able to continue the fight. Hylden and Ancient are both longer lived naturally, but only by a century or two originally. With the Vampiric Curse, those who survived have long-term existences to fight a long-term foe and could thus work toward two major factors to fight the infection; the Soul Reaver and the Scion."

"Were those not lies as well?" he murmured and I flicked his ear with one claw.

"Stop assuming anything and let me finish," I said firmly and he winced like an errant fledge. "The Soul Reaver and the Scion are Nosgoth's goal. They never existed for the Parasite to use to his advantage."

"The Scion... Raziel?" he asked hesitantly and I shook my head with a small smile.

"Raziel is the Soul of the Reaver," I said softly. "Kain is the Scion of Balance. Both are the agents of Nosgoth and her last line of defense against the Parasite."

"I... truly?" he asked in that broken voice. I nodded and rubbed his cheeks lightly with my thumbs.

"Truly Father," I said and I kissed his forehead before standing. "Your efforts have aided them both even if you were kept unawares. Remember your time being possessed. That particular Hylden was an ally to the Parasite and if you had known the truth of Kain and Raziel, then it would have learned the truth then. Even though you are only learning this now, you did help the Scion and the parasite will not win. Stand up and stand proud Father, please. You did not fail Nosgoth and the true Wheel."

"So many lives..." he said as he allowed me to pull him to his feet.

"Don't," I said softly as I clasped his taloned hands tightly in my own. "Don't let their sacrifice, knowing or not, be in vain Father. You have always heard me say that the best vengeance is to live and to live well, to thrive despite the actions of ones enemies, yes?"

"If you take your own life," Cu said suddenly, "then the parasite wins and Nosgoth looses another son, even though you now live on Gaia. Deny that cancerous beast such a victory. Believe in the stubborn old woman that chose you for your task and the young one that has accepted you with open arms and wings when you arrived here on Gaia's soil and her open skies. You did your duty and did it well Eldar. You deserve the peace and love and family that Gaia offers you. Not death."

"I... I..." Janos swallowed roughly and, while I knew that we had not fully swayed him with our words, we had at least got him thinking. "I will... try. Thank you... for your kind words... both of you..."

He visibly shook himself and then let out a sigh that shuddered with weariness and sorrow. He straightened his shoulders when the sounds of the camp grew louder with almost joyous excitement and he glanced at the entryway of the cavern. He swallowed again and looked back to me, eyes haunted yet thoughtful.

"We... we have the injured and ill to tend to first... yes?" he asked softly and I nodded.

"We do. You have work to do still," I smiled gently. "Let us assist your friends and then go from there, one step at a time yes?"

"As you say my Childe," he said softly and we started for the caves opening.

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Please read and review!


	53. Homeward Bound

Next one up!

Popping these out somewhat fast due to vacation time proving to be fruitful. Thanks again and love to you all!

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Chapter Fifty-three: Homeward Bound.

Janos' recovery was by no means a swift or assured thing at first. Depression and a crisis of faith is never an easy enemy to cross blades with after all and my Adopted Sire had several millennium's worth of regrets that had piled up. It did not help that he knew the truth regarding the creature he had once revered as his God. For a time, I thought that we still might lose him, that he would steal away from the Clan again and end things before we could stop him.

Cuthbert, Joan and Gaia herself proved to be the deciding factors in the end, more so than even Vorador, I or even Nikolai, though it did take almost another century for the Eldar's psyche to become stable.

Joan helped simply by the fact that she was an Omega and helped to provide a kind of stabilizing force naturally that he desperately seemed to need. It helped that she had taken a liking to my erstwhile Sire and she took his health as seriously as I did.

Cu helped because of his long-term studies into the soul and the cycle of life, death and rebirth. He knew spells that allowed one to track souls as they made that journey and, most important of all, how to cast a spell that partially opened one up to that existential sense of 'everything' that one felt during the Sealing of a Symbol. That powerful sense that one had briefly touched the whole of the universe. 'Communing with Mother Earth' was not merely a phrase to my Brother...

Those long sessions between the three of them, which sometimes included myself, Vorador and Nikolai, helped him come to terms with the twisted web that had been weaved around him without his knowledge. Eventually those hidden, sorrowful smiles started that meant he was thinking of saying 'goodbye' faded away. He would still mourn what had passed, the lives lost and the path that had led him to where he was, but he had taken my words to heart and had started to truly live.

In the centuries that passed, I did take the occasional lover into my bed. Amusingly enough it was Lucius who was my longest companion in that regard, over a century together and he had become a close enough friend and aided myself and Cu without complaint with regards to my studies. He was cute and sweet, and I had always found him to be endearing. That I could not cure him of his natural shyness, a shyness that would only disappear in the bedroom, was a source of amusement to us both. Nor was he the sort to push things in our relationship, content instead to allow things to fall as they may. Much as I had been with Kain. Eventually things fell to the wayside and we broke things off amicably when his attention was caught by a new love; the plans to terraform Mars. A project that his mother was heading.

His exuberance for said project had drawn him from my side for weeks at a time, that eventually turned to months and while I did not begrudge him his love for the project, I did not want him to feel as if he had any kind of obligation to me. Our relationship had always felt like a kind of lazy, friends with benefits sort of thing once he got past his initial nervousness at any rate.

From there, either male or female, most became lovers for only a few decades at a time. It was not necessarily a lack of shared interests that cut the relationships short, which did happen, but more and more often it came to light that those who had caught my attention had only done so in a way to increase their own Clan ranking by having become my Lover. It got to the point where I was wary to even make the attempt at a new relationship without ensuring upfront the 'why' behind someone's interest in me. I would not be in a relationship for purely political purposes. I refused to be someone's social stepping stone. It might have been rude, being so upfront, but I did not care. I wanted them to want me. Not power. Not prestige. Me.

Occasionally, I had to forcibly eject a former lover from my life violently when they tried to push things. My latest lover, a male from one of the newer Clans, a public singer with a lovely voice and a charmingly domestic attitude despite being a popular singer around the world, was lucky to have been only thrown from my bedroom window when he made the foolish attempt to Quicken me. He was an Alpha vampire in his own right and I might have forgiven the attempt had it merely been his instincts driving the attempt. It happened on occasion. However, his anger at his failure and my violent rejection had been a palatable thing. Rage had filled me in response. I had used my Gift of Aura Strike on him in order to force the truth out of him and had found that nearly forty years of being my lover had merely been a ploy. His Clan had ordered him to woo and Mark me in order to increase their own Clan's standing by having me essentially 'wed' into their Clan or at least be Marked by me so that they could say that he had 'wed' into mine. He admitted that he truly did like me and my company. He had believed it would work between us even with his orders. It did nothing to lessen my rage however. He had endeavored to force things as he was 'tired of waiting for me to find him worthy my Mark or vice versa' and had tipped his hand when he had decided that a child might have 'made me more open' to such a thing.

Vorador paid me a visit barely a week after that. The explosive expulsion of said 'popular pop star' from my mansion had hit the news quite spectacularly… as had the past three such 'break-ups'. The media usually buzzed about eagerly to find out more. Especially when none of those ejected so pressed charges or sought reparations from the Clan for my actions. In his usual way, he had just slipped into the building and started about the residence as if it were his mansion and not my own. I watched my adopted Eldar brother with an equally bemused and annoyed air as he poured blood-wine into two crystal wine glasses before he passed one to me. He took in a slow breath of the wine's scent and watched me for a long moment before he took a slow sip. His eyes hooded and his larger ears dipped faintly with the beginnings of disappointment.

"Dear Sister," he started in a low tone as I took a sip of my own wine. "I've heard rumor that there had been another 'falling out' between you and one of your lovers. If you keep burning bridges so viciously, you may start to affect your admittedly high standing within the Clan. You are lucky that no one had challenged you so far."

"I am the lucky one?" I hissed and bared my fangs in disgust. "They were the lucky ones, Brother. Most of my other relationships end on an amicable note, but some fools simply need to be put in their place."

"Sister dear..." he started with a long-suffering sigh and I pointed a clawed finger at him harshly enough that his ears perked up with surprise at my continued rage.

"The foolish idiot attempted something without consent or discussion," I snapped with a roaring growl. "The little bastard was tasked with attempting to... to ruddy well 'tame' me! Nor has he been the first male to attempt such a thing!"

Vorador's eyes narrowed as I voiced my ire. I had to set aside my glass lest I break it. He let out a hum.

"You speak as if they attempt to Mark you or..." he let out a low growl and set his own glass aside. He crossed his arms a moment later. "Did that little fool attempt to Quicken you?!"

His snarling voice thrummed through the air. A thunderstorm brewing close by. A small shiver ran up my spine at the sound, yet I held my ground in the face of his anger. He was not upset with me after all.

"He did," I said, my tone even but still upset. "Had I not made it my business to learn about my nature, the spells that can be used to ease certain processes and the natural struggles that can occur during a successful Quickening, he might have succeeded. Being confused during such a situation could have been detrimental for me and beneficial for him. Even with no Marks between us, any who might sire a child on me 'in the throws of passion' would gain much in the way of political power. You know that. Hells, you and Elinor have been trying for the past century."

"We have," Vorador allowed with a nod. "It is no easy thing to be able to predict when such efforts are limited to when a Full-blood might prove viable. It is easier for a Half-blood to produce a child with a human or another Half-blood. If cast at the right time during such activities, the Opening Spells can go unnoticed whilst ones other senses are distracted so pleasantly."

"Brother," I let out a huff of annoyance and chuckled. "I do not need to hear any details about your exploits. I never have."

"Hmph, your loss Sister," he smiled gently. A small thing to show that he had been trying to get a smile out of me. He frowned a moment later. "In either case, I now understand your anger and the violent expulsion of several of your former lovers from the premises. It also explains why there have been no complaints from the males in question or their Clans."

"They would not dare," I growled. "I have something on them and they know it. If word got out regarding their attempts, then their standing amongst their Clan, let alone the other Clans would all but cease to exist."

"Hm, you were wise to put them in your debt so," he said with a chuckle. "I will tell Janos not to worry. He was fretting when the incident hit the news so... spectacularly. Will you only be looking for female companionship now?"

"Please do so, he can be such a mother hen. Equal parts good and annoying that," I said with a sigh as I picked my glass back up. I glared at him when the rest of his words sank in. "And no. Absolutely not, Vorador. You are not sending any suitors my way. The last time you tried to do so, things ended horribly. Your tastes in companions and my own tend to differ drastically. Of all your former lovers, only Alma ever truly suited me and she is now happily Mated to her dotting Prince."

"I am one of those most aware of your picky tastes," he responded with a grin. "I could jus-"

"No," I said firmly.

"I know several nubil-" he started again.

"No," I bit out with a low growl.

"There are-" he tried again as his grin widened.

"Do not make me hit you," I snarled, though my lips were twitching as I tried to fight a grin. "I said 'no' Brother. Now leave be."

"Your loss," he said with a shrug and a laugh as he picked up his own wine glass.

I was grateful for his presence and his dry, hentai humor. It helped my mood greatly. Forty years with that man and I had not seen through his deception until that week. The others who had attempted the same thing had barely lasted a year before they tipped their hand. The fact that he had been that skilled at hiding his deception, regardless of if he spoke the truth about caring for me on a personal level, was galling.

Our conversation shifted to a somewhat more relaxed conversation regarding current Clan politics, laced with his usual humor, and I was able to push aside thoughts of my recently botched relationship as I focused on re-acclimating myself into the messy yet slow politics of the Vampires. I had been so focused upon my studies that, well, I'd lost my touch a bit when it came to politics. No more.

Other than those hiccups though, most of my years were spent with in-depth studying regarding agriculture, horticulture, natural health care preventives and of course, with Cu's help, my biggest projects; Soul Theory and Time Theory. The Path stone might have been glowing for some time with the signal that it was safe to return, but I would not return or toss missives through until I had some definitive plans to implement in order to help the dying world that had become my home for so long.

As we had no Time Pillar, or Time Streamers, much of my research only covered hypotheticals. Using the original stories that our world's Dreamers/Storytellers had seen regarding Nosgoth's fate and the outside-looking-in point of view that such a thing allowed for, minimized our options and results. Yet we still made some progress. Our results all seemed to point to a few things. First; It seemed unlikely that any changes could be made to the time-line before the Pillars creation. Anything that affected them would tear apart the time-line, not merely rearrange the current's subtle flow. Second; Any alterations would likely have to wait until after Raziel, as a wraith, started to chase Kain through the past. The events needed to take place for the pair to reach the point that they had when I'd met with Eldar Kain at the Pillars. Even with that memory still partially blocked, I was certain that Raziel had to have been there. Why else block the memory the way he had?

The trickiest part of our research though, was Raziel and the Reaver. Going back through the story again and again showed the loop that Raziel was trapped in. Raziel, now willingly bound to the Blood Reaver, which had turned it into the Soul Reaver. The Soul Reaver would then have to be placed back into the reach of Moebius at some point, all so that a younger Kain could find the blade. But it did not seem right... and Cu agreed.

Raziel's existence was a temporal paradox and, after reviewing the story multiple times, Cu agreed that he should not exist as such. A tentative hope had filled me, but it was not and easy thing trying to figure out how to help. One thought kept coming to mind; when was a paradox not a paradox? And that was when I lit upon a possible answer to the conundrum. The only thing that made send. Cu agreed... but I could only hope that it would work.

All told, I spent about five-hundred years or so on Gaia and despite numerous attempts to re-acclimate myself to life on Gaia, I could not call it home. It was, for lack of a better term, a 'domesticated' planet. Even the project that Lucius had thrown himself into, the terraforming of Mars, did nothing to truly catch my interest nor did I have any desire to pursue the path that my Father had wanted for me. Brice, Eli and Sigrun remained some of my closest friends during my time on Gaia but... Gaia was just too bloody tame and they could see that I was left restless more oft than not. Eli would tease me whenever we got back from one of the random trips that he'd drag me on. Favored place for the trips; the Australian Outback. The land was definitely wild but... not hair-raising-on-the-back-of-your-neck wild. He'd joke and say that Nosgoth sounded like 'Australia on crack' whenever I took time to share stories with him on our trips.

Kain had been right to say that my mind remembered life on Gaia even after all the time on Nosgoth, but my heart? My heart remembered Nosgoth.

Not just because of lingering affection for my Mate, no, but also because of all the small things. The wildling air. The massive forests that encroached on human cities. The wildlife both big and small that could kill you swifter than a loosed arrow. The sky, wild and freeing. A sky that was free of massive airliners, jet planes, drones and other objects that could interfere with a nice calming flight. The loud sounds of the cities and the, admittedly reduced, scents of car exhaust was a near constant drone against the senses. It was all just... too much.

In the end, my efforts at finding a place on Gaia where I could be happy, or at least content, failed. My Father's Clan was wonderful, true, but I was never able to feel like I was 'home'. I packed up everything that I thought I might need for the return and gathered up needed supplies and books. Everything packed into several pouches with expanded space courtesy of my Adopted Sire. I called via Whisper or cell to those who were closest to me for a few days to relax and say 'goodbye'. Vorador, Alma and Armon, Janos and Nikolai, Eli, Sig, Benedict, Cu, Joan, Brice, Lucius and, for an hours time, Altair, all answered my call.

After spending the day relaxing, a spa day with oiled massages and liberal teasing all around, we retired to my mansions 'entertainment' room. Lucius took over my duties as hostess, a hold-over from our time in a relationship, and poured blood-wine for everyone else before readying a glass for me and then himself. He placed a shy, yet familiar kiss to my cheek and I smiled gently at him. He was still such a sweet kid even after five-hundred years. Harder now, yes, but still sweet.

"You sure you wont stay sheila?" Eli finally asked in a sorrowful tone.

"I'm sure," I said as I combed my claws lightly through Joan's hair. My Sister had settled herself across my lap without word, legs taking up the rest of the couch. "As much as I have enjoyed my overall time here... I would like to go home now that my research with Cu is complete."

"Arguably, one could say that this is your home," Benedict said softly. The rest of my Father's Turned Childe nodded their heads whilst Vorador hid a smile behind his wine glass.

I raised a brow at him and then smiled at the others. I had grown close indeed to my Siblings. It was heartwarming to be surrounded by them now as I said my farewells. I loved them each dearly, but I had never found a niche to call my own. Trying to 'settle in' had not worked and... I shook my head and voiced my thoughts aloud.

"I may have been born here, grew up here, but Nosgoth embraced me and aided me through my first, formative, centuries of life. The Clan there helped shape me into who I am," I shrugged one shoulder and nodded my head toward my Nosgothian Clan mates.

"You've been on Gaia longer now though deary," Alma pointed out. "Are you so sure you are not merely returning to your Lord's side because he would desire you to return."

I blinked at her and then chuckled softly a moment later.

"Even now, you still love him," she said in her usual blunt manner.

I did not deny it, but then I had come to care for several people over the centuries, all in their own ways and, save for the singer who had been my lover for forty years, one could argue that I still cared for them as I cared for Lucius and Kain. I said as much aloud.

"I have cared for a number of people, in different ways," I said and then briefly took a sip of my blood-wine. "It is not a sense of duty, nor of obligation, that draws me back to Nosgoth. Nor is it in the hopes of regaining my status as a Queen."

The last was said firmly as Armon started to open his mouth. Said mouth closed hard enough to caused his teeth to click together audibly and I smiled faintly as the others chuckled. The Prince was still rather easy to read.

"Besides which, Kain will have changed by now," I shrugged. "He has had several millennium to change and grow. Small and large events that will have shaped him further still, hardened him. Events that I am not privy to even with the story that the Dreamers wrote. The Kain that I knew will not be the Kain that I meet, not truly. But then again, I am not the same 'Katrina' that he knew."

"But why go back at all then?" Eli asked as he leaned forward. "Ya said it yourself sheila. You don't know him any longer. He doesn't know you. All ya'd have to do is toss that crystal 'round your neck through the portal, as well as all your research and a note sayin' that you want to stay."

"But I don't want to stay," I said firmly, sadly as I fingered the crystal stone that hung about my neck. A physical amalgamation of my research with Cu that would hopefully be a key to helping Nosgoth. "I love you all, I do, but I feel stifled, penned in. Like... like a young lion taken from the wild and stuffed into a zoo's cage. I am fed and pampered and shown off as need be, but I am still locked in a cage. My studies and research with Cu has staved off that sensation for several centuries, but it did not eliminate it. I am a wild thing that thrives best on a wild world. Gaia has practically been tamed. Mars is worse. The careful cultivation of a viable ecosystem there is akin to the rearing of a pup taking obedience training."

"Aye, we get what you're saying lass," Brice pipped up with a smile where he sat next to Sig. They were in one of their 'on again' phases and were shoulder to shoulder in a not-quite-cuddling kind of seating arrangement. "Even Eli's Australia barely gets the blood pumpin', yeah?"

"True," I said and then laughed at Eli's affronted look. "Australia does not have spiders big enough to consider humans viable prey. Nor Gaia have Werewolves, Demons or plant-life that can also find humans tasty. Never mind the few creatures that still existed only around Dark Eden."

Vorador, Alma, Janos and Nikolai all gave little exaggerated shudders.

"There was more than one reason that those mines were always heavily guarded by vampiric troops," Janos said dryly.

"Exactly," I nodded at him with a faint smile. "Hell, there are dangers on Nosgoth that would make you and Sigrun balk, Brice."

"Ain't gonna doubt you there," Brice allowed as he lifted his glass slightly in my direction.

"You always have thrived best upon the battlefield," Janos hummed with a gentle smile upon his own lips. "You thrive under pressure."

"One would think that you were born to battle," Vorador said with a chuckle. "Your ability to navigate the war-table was impressive once you gained your confidence. You learned in leaps and bounds. The arguments that you and Kain got into over tactics were... notable."

I let out a rather unlady-like snort and the others laughed. 'Notable' was the mildest term he could come up with considering some of the blow-up arguments that had occurred.

"When all you know is fighting," Sigurn started and she sent a knowing look my way, "it is hard to set aside your blade during peace-times."

"And that is the crux of the matter, isn't it Sister?" Joan asked softly as she nuzzled her head against my hand. "You tried to 'set aside your blade', but yet itch to take it up. Whenever there has been a battle to be fought that you could agree with on principle and could join with an acceptable reason, you have leapt into those battles with everything you have. King Altair has repeatedly asked you to take Father's place at his side as his right hand as you are an adept tactician, and yet here it is more about politics than fighting."

"Indeed," I responded with a small wince.

Eli slumped against the low back of the settee that he, Cu and Benedict had chosen to seat themselves at. His wings drooped out wide over the back of the settee and he looked up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh.

"Damn all," he muttered. "You would be battle born wouldn't ya? Nothin' we could say would keep you here, eh sheila?"

"I will miss your mate's cooking," I responded in a gentle, teasing tone. "But no. I tried Eli. I truly did try to see if I could stay here and call Gaia home once more. But I cannot stay and be happy."

"Time runs differently there though! We wont... we wont even know..." Eli's voice broke and I frowned at him. Benedict thwapped him upside the head.

"Use your head Brother mine," I said with a chuckle as he rubbed at his skull and glared at Benedict. "We never did destroy my tracking crystal, rare as it is. You'll know and can mourn properly if anything does happen to me. It is equally possible that something might happen to all of you, but I will be left without a means to know."

That sobered him up and the room felt deathly silent for a long moment as they realized the truth of my words. Janos spoke up a moment later.

"I do believe that he merely wished to point out the fact that we will miss you my Childe," he said softly. "No matter that we will have magical means to see that you are well... and that you will not have the same."

"Perhaps..." Eli sat up suddenly. "Perhaps one of us might join you? Those lot are stayin' here yeah, but maybe one of us can travel to Nosgoth with ya."

"Perhaps," I answered and I looked around the room slowly. "You are right to say that Vorador, Janos, Nikolai and Alma will be remaining here. Janos has Sky and Clan once more. He has his Nikolai. Vorador, lazy old dragon that he is, is happily surrounded by his playboy/girl bunnies."

Vorador raised his glass upwards with a rueful smile of acknowledgement and we all laughed.

"Alma has caught herself her darling prince," I said with a smile on my lips.

"He is a charming thing deary," Alma purred from her place on Armon's lap. He blushed at her words and we all chuckled when his scent spiked faintly. Her hand was hidden from sight and we all knew what that kind of blush meant.

"Woman, would you please cease whilst we are..." he was cut off when she put a now taloned finger against his lips.

"Shhh now," she hummed. "This is a private gathering is it not?"

"..." he glowered at her for a long moment before he slumped, wings drooping in the process. "You will be the death of me, I swear it."

I chuckled and took another sip of my blood-wine. I looked slowly at each of my Father's Childe.

"For one of you to come with me, please consider the fact that you will be completely uprooted. No advanced technology like you are used to. No great city-scapes and tall skyscrapers. No amenities that you use on a daily basis. Could any of you set aside everything to follow me?" I shrugged. "Are you content here? Are you happy with your mates? Your duties and Clan? Your homes and the routines that you go through every single day? If your answer to any of that is 'yes', then I will not allow you to travel with me. I will not."

The group fell silent once more. One by one they turned to look at Sigrun and Brice. Sig's expression remained thoughtful and she looked at Brice who's expression was also warily thoughtful as they talked over the Whisper. Eventually, they both shook their heads and turned back to look at me. Eli visibly slumped.

"I recall my youth and the wars that I have fought over the years, not with fondness, but rather with a sense of necessity and relief that those times are over," Sig said softly. "It was not an easy life, nor was it easy to set aside my sword as the times changed, but I am content with my life here. Content with my small home and territory in Norway. I would go with you Soster, if you asked it of me, but you have asked me for my honest response. Not for my blade."

"I'd be willin' to go with ya as well lass," Brice offered. "But I am happy here as well. If you made it a request for me to come along, I'd ask Altair. We both know he'd agree in a heart beat, if only to know that ya had one of us at your side. But like Sig said, you want an honest response and besides... I need to keep Altair and this pup from puttin' their foots in their mouths, yeah?"

We all chuckled, although Armon let out frustrated but accepting sigh of breath. I smiled at the pair.

"Good. Your honesty is good," I said softly. "I do not want there to be any kind of discontent to be left to fester just because one of you felt a duty to follow me. Not when you are all happy here."

"I... appreciate your kindness in watching out for us so, soster," Sig responded in an equally soft voice. Her wings twitched with her hidden emotions even as her face remained blank.

"You are leaving this evening, aren't you?" Benedict asked.

"Yes," I responded with a nod.

"Stealin' away like your bloke in the middle of the night?" Eli questioned with a weak smile.

"Accusing him of something Brother mine? I asked with a laugh. "But yes, I will be leaving quietly some time tonight. I need not a large send off."

Eli and my other Siblings shared a wordless glance. Benedict, Sigrun and Cu both let out put upon sighs and the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by the limbs and wings of the lot as they piled atop me. I let out a yelping laugh and barely managed to hold onto my wine glass in the scuffle. I had to nip forcefully at someone's wing when it nearly popped me in the nose and Cu was the one to yelp at the bite. He reached out to try to bop me on the head in retaliation but I managed to avoid the light-hearted blow. Benedict was in the wrong place however and was struck instead. The impromptu puppy-pile devolved rapidly from there into a mini-brawl and I had to wriggle free from the pile. I won out of the mess and let out a victorious shout when I realized that I'd kept my wine glass intact and my blood-wine mostly un-spilt.

The others in the room had burst into bemused laughter and then outright cheers as I held up my glass like a trophy. The cheering caught my Siblings attentions though and I smugly took a sip of my drink. They growled as one and I let out a yip as they lunged for me. I dodged to the side and drew my wings back into my body in order to leave a brief cloud of feathers to block their vision. I passed my glace to Brice swiftly, lest it be damaged, and then darted to the other side of the room as my Siblings gave chase.

"Fledglings!" Vorador grumbled good-naturedly when his own drink was all but upended by our antics.

As he swiped a hand delicately over his doublet, I shot a smile at my Siblings and nodded my head in his direction. They returned the grin and we pounced on the Eldar vampire where he sat propped up on a large love-seat. He swore mightily as the rest of the drink ended up on him and stood up easily despite our combined weight. He began to peel us off of his person one at a time and tossed each of us across the room, only for us to try to tackle him and bring him back down.

Janos and those not drawn into the squabble were highly entertained by our antics from the sound of it. I let out a whooping laugh as I was tossed in my adopted Sire's direction. I landed roughly atop his lap and Nikolai's and only their steadying hands stopped me from falling to the ground. I looked up at them and let out an almost giggle of sound. Janos' face softened and he drew me up into a firm yet gentle hug as the others continued to harass Vorador. Nikolai leaned back to give me a modicum of privacy with my Sire.

"I... want you to be happy," he whispered softly into my ear.

"I will be content to return home," I responded as I nuzzled against him. I took in his fatherly scent and sighed. "If I should have the good fortune of finding that more than memories await me, then I will be happy indeed."

Janos chuckled weakly. "Kain and Raziel had both best treat you well regardless. Else I will find a way to lesson them both from here."

"Hmph," I chuckled and tucked my head under his chin. "Always the mother hen Sire?"

"Yes," he kissed the crown of my head. "Do you truly expect me to be any different?"

"No," I shook my head bemusedly.

"Mmm," his hands tightened around me and his voice broke a little. "Live well, my Daughter."

"And you, Father," I responded gently. "Live well"

I nuzzled against him and took in his scent once more as I relaxed despite the continued noise in the room. This would be the last time that I would be held by the man who had become a second Father to me. I let out another soft sigh and allowed myself to doze a bit, wrapped in the safety of his arms and the scent and surrounding Aura of 'Clan'.

I woke up slowly and glanced about the room that I was in. I remembered the fighting quieting down and then being carried somewhere. From the look of things, as well as the scents that yet lingered in the air, Janos had carried me to my room and laid me out to rest upon my bed. I let out a hum of breath and glanced at the time; as I thought, just past midnight. I nodded to myself and stood up.

I had gathered all of the supplies I needed, including a small item that I was going to use in order to test another hypothesis, and then left the filled pouches upon my dresser. As I walked over to said dresser, I found a small pile of wrapped gifts sitting on it. I chuckled as I realized that the others had left their own gifts for me. I opened the gifts eagerly.

I liked gifts.

There was a single shoulder pack that Janos had enchanted just as he had the pouches. A final farewell gift from him. Brice and Sig left me a set of vampire-durable throwing knives that I could attach to my belt. Eli had given me the gift of a dead bird-eating spider in a glass paper-weight and I was tempted to leave the obvious gag-gift behind. I sighed and shoved it into the shoulder pack. Cu had made a gift of a hardback, leather covered book that detailed all of our research over the years. Thoughtful and practical in case anything happened to our written notes. Vorador and Alma had both gifted me several 'unmentionables' that left me grateful that I had not been forced to them open in front of everyone. Benedict had given me a new set of bracers. Nikolai gave me a lovely drawing of everyone that I considered to be family on Gaia. Joan...

Joan gave me a small set of highly expensive crystals. Specifically, tracking crystals. For everyone.

Touched could not begin to cover how I felt at the sight of such an expensive and magically exhausting gift as this. I'd found out that it took time, money and a lot of power to make even one of the crystals, which was why only a limited number of people actually ended up being able to afford to have their Half-blood children tracked so and that was if a male vampire was aware that they'd sired a child through such means. Not all Cold-fire males cared about the rarity of their nature. Most did, but not all.

That the others had taken the time to have no less than thirteen crystals made, including one for the King and the Prince as I had gotten somewhat close to the royals of the Draconian Clan, was overwhelming. I needed several minutes to compose myself. I packed away the gifts carefully and hesitated on the crystals, touching each of them and taking in their individual Symbols. I smiled faintly and then tucked the gift away as well. I slipped on a leather duster that I'd taken a liking to and then slipped the pack over my shoulder.

I brushed my fingers lightly over the necklace that I wore and hummed to myself. The important part of the necklace was the smokey quartz, pink tourmaline crystal cut into the shape of a teardrop. Arguably, this one deceptively plain looking stone was the most important thing that I was taking home with me. I glanced around one more time to make certain that I had everything and then started downstairs for the room where I kept the Path Stone. I had placed it, not in a protected room which would have drawn attention to it, but in one of the side rooms where it was mounted up like a light fixture.

Using a priceless artifact like a common place fixture in a home? Yeah, no one expected it. Even Brice and Sigrun, the most attentive people I knew, did not notice that I was using it as such for months. Their expressions of incredulity had been perfection.

I chuckled to myself at the memory and reached up to brush my fingers lightly over the Stone. I breathed the word of power designed to activate the Path stone and backed up a few steps. I watched as a blueish-green portal opened up in front of me and took in a slow breath.

I stepped through...

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	54. Homecoming

Next chapter up!

Usual disclaimer, I do not own anything Legacy of Kain or from the movie the Breed.

Katrina and the other Draconian's are mine though!

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Chapter Fifty-four: Homecoming.

*Kain and Raziel POV first!*

Kain had led Raziel back to the Chronoplast after they had paid their visit to the mourning Katrina. Without so much as a word, the Eldar vampire brought them to yet another random seeming point in time and then promptly teleported them to an equally random, and carefully sealed, Blood-font. Raziel was annoyed by the lack of explanation, yet found himself curious regardless.

He watched as Kain moved about the room with single-minded focus. The Eldar opened the extra-dimensional space he used to store things and pulled out a plan stone pedestal. From there he also pulled out the odd, dual-colored stone that Raziel now knew to be the Path Stone. A soft word was all but whispered as Kain brushed his knuckle over the stone. The stone began to glow with an expectant, anticipated air. The Eldar then moved toward the sealed doorway of the 'font and tapped his talon against a sun-like symbol.

The blockage in front of the doorway disappeared and Kain signaled for Raziel to follow. He raised a brow questioningly but moved to follow his Sire out of the 'font. They followed the tunnel out to a wide ledge designed for someone to land upon easily and Raziel glanced about. It looked like they were on the highest point of a mountain top. He took in the unfamiliar landscape and frowned for a moment. Raziel's eyes narrowed upon the barren yet somehow wild looking terrain and then turned to look at Kain.

"Where did you bring us now Kain?" he asked.

"The unclaimed lands beyond the Northern Mountain ridge," Kain responded with a low chuckle. "We are roughly twenty miles north of what was one 'Dark Eden'."

"The Ancients built Blood-fonts this far north?" Raziel asked in surprise.

"And further still," Kain responded with a nod. His tone patient. "Remember Raziel, the Ancients were a winged race. They could travel faster than the crow flies, just as you can my Raziel. The Blood-fonts were built to act as rest points for those that traveled, as well as food and power sources. While most of the 'fonts were built in lands that fell under our control, several were built in out of the way places for those that desired their privacy above all else or for those who desired to explore the wide world. There are actually several small island chains that Katrina found during her own explorations. All of which are within comfortable flying distance, for a vampire. There is also a 'font to be found there."

Kain waved one hand westward in an idle gesture and Raziel glanced in the indicated direction for a moments time. He looked back at Kain.

"I understand about the 'fonts," he said slowly. "But why bring us out here?"

"To wait," Kain responded softly and, if Raziel hadn't known better, there seemed to be a subtle note of something like trepidation in his Sire's tone. "This is one of the safest places to wait and see if Katrina will choose to return."

"'Choose to return'?" Raziel repeated with a blink and a questioning lilt to his voice. "You speak as if it is not a guarantee that she will come back."

"Because it is not a guarantee at all, My Raziel," Kain responded in a low tone. "I gave her the choice to remain if she wished. If she does choose to stay on her original world, I merely asked that she send through what research she has completed in regards to our situation. I would not bind her here if she wished to remain on the world of her birth."

Raziel started at his Sire's words and he looked at the Eldar male in surprise. He took in the other male's pensive expression and a flash of insight seared through him, harsh as the blow of a sword. Kain and Raziel had both battled hard over the long centuries and across time itself in their efforts to maintain their respective 'free will'. Oft times it had seemed as if Fate, Destiny and Time itself had turned against them. When one considered Moebius' machinations, one wouldn't be wrong to think so either. Raziel's wings twitched as a gust of wind buffeted the cliff and he crossed his arms. He sighed.

"You wanted her to have her freedom," he said to his Sire. "Free from the tangled mess put before us. Freedom that we do not have."

"Is that so wrong, my Raziel?" Kain asked, mistaking Raziel's tone for one of accusation. "Is it wrong to hope that at least one of those dear to me might fly free with wings unfettered?"

Raziel's wings curled in tighter against his back as he tensed. He forced himself to relax a moment later and let out another heavy sigh.

"It is not wrong, no," Raziel admitted. "Mayhaps... I am simply jealous that she was able to have such an option while I was not afforded the same accord."

Kain tilted his head as he glanced at Raziel out of the corner of his eye. He gave a regal, if stiff, nod of his head after a few tense seconds. He turned back to look out at the landscape before them. Raziel turned to look as well.

The pair fell into a pained kind of silence.

Neither of the males could say just how long they remained standing there. The sun was hidden away by the smog that was created by massive machines that hid the deadly rays of light that would harm the weakened vampire species. It made telling time somewhat difficult nowadays. As such, the sound of leather upon stone caught their attention and they spun around as one to look behind them.

*Katrina POV change!*

I stepped through the portal and let out a contented sound as Nosgoth's energy touched my mind. That wondrous sense of 'Welcome home' that was similar to Gaia's greeting centuries ago and yet... this 'welcome home' had a more permanent feel to it in comparison. I glanced about the room that I had appeared in carefully and relaxed at the familiar sight of a Blood-font. I smiled to myself and then noticed the Path Stone on a pedestal just behind me. I walked around the yet open portal and picked up the Stone. I ran my fingers over the odd, dual-colored artifact that had so drastically changed my life.

Had the stone not activated, my life would have been far different... or cut drastically short...

I ran my thumb over the Stone and chuckled to myself. I turned back to the open portal and gently tossed the stone through. The portal closed with an almost fond-seeming finality. I tilted my head and hummed softly. I had far more pleasant memories of Gaia now and I would always appreciate those that I had left behind. Those who had helped me. I touched a hand to the strap of the shoulder pack and smiled sadly as I remembered Joan's gift. At least I would know if anything happened to them.

I took a slow scent of the air. Beyond the blood of the font itself, I clearly caught Kain's scent and a second scent that carried an echo of his scent. Though I might not recall having met Raziel, his scent still tugged along the line of said buried memories. I smiled to myself.

I started down the lengthy tunnel that led outside and took in the other scents with a happy hum. The scents of the wild air and the distinct lack of car exhaust was a relief to my senses, though I could scent a heavy kind of smog in the air that smelled like there was a forge constantly being worked. I frowned to myself. Whatever massive construct that had been built to blot out the harsh rays of the sun would need to be disabled swiftly if and when we succeeded in defeating the damned squid. I paused briefly as I rounded a bend in the tunnel and the light of the overcast sky hit my face. The light, while dim, was still bright enough that my eyes needed a second to adjust to the difference.

A fond smile curled my lips upwards at the sight before me. Kain and Raziel stood side by side staring silently out at the vista before them. I took a few more steps towards them and then stopped.

 _Best not to startle them even if they are waiting for me,_ I thought to myself.

I shifted to lean against the wall and allowed my leather duster to brush against the stone in order to generate noise. Both males turned abruptly toward me and my smile widened a little as I noticed the brief flicker of emotion that crossed their faces.

"You two make quite the imposing sight," I said in a teasing tone as I pushed away from the wall and started toward them once more.

Raziel let out a bemused huff of breath at my words. His wings twitched as he watched me, eyes curious yes, but his wings revealed a different emotion; nervousness. I offered him a reassuring smile and he nodded his head faintly in greeting. I turned to look at Kain a moment later.

"How long has it been for you my own?" he rumbled, his expression serious.

"Mn," I chuckled faintly. I was not surprised that his first question was about whether or not I had obeyed his long-ago issued order. "A little over five-hundred years. Enough to have gone through a second torpor."

"You would be just over a thousand years now, yes?" Raziel asked.

Kain walked over to me and held out a taloned hand.

"A thousand and ninety if you want the exact age," I said in response with a shrug. I place my hand into Kain's and he started to examine my claws. I extended them to full length. "A babe compared to the pair of you, I know."

Soft snorts of amusement escaped both males. Kain scratched the tip of one talon over one of my claws in a testing movement. I watched him bemusedly. My claws still had a pearlescent sheen to them, but they now had silver tips. He slowly started to apply a testing pressure to one extended claw. I raised a brow at him. It was several moments before the pressure began to become overtly noticeable. I let out a faint hiss of displeasure, of not-quite pain. He released my hand a moment later and abruptly tugged at the sleeve of my duster. Another chuckle escaped me.

"So demanding," I said, even as I slipped off my duster and draped it across one arm.

Kain let out a soft huff of amusement at my words as he started to prod at the skin of my arm. I watched him bemusedly as he tapped a talon tip testingly against the now slightly harder flesh. The sub-dermal armor made it harder to harm me, but the armored scales under my skin remained small indeed compared to a Full-blooded vampire of the same age. I continued to watch him and raised a brow when he moved behind me and carefully started to prod at the area just around the pressure point of my wings. He stood in a way that did not make his actions obvious and also made sure that my front was facing Raziel so that the other male could not see. I tilted my head slightly, a silent question in my eyes.

This is your secret to share, mine own, he Whispered into my mind. ~No defensive armor developed here?

~No,~ I responded with a small shrug. ~Nor will any ever develop. Even Full-blooded Draconian's never develop a defense to protect the area. I've learned a little more about it though. Strange as it is, the area becomes a bit of an erogenous zone the older one gets. Gently touching the back becomes even more a sign of trust than before hand.~

~Truly?~ he hummed softly in my mind. ~An odd weakness indeed. Perhaps tied to mating habits from before the Draconian's became vampires?~

~Actually, as far as Altair and the other's who survived their original home-worlds destruction are concerned, Draconian's and the other Clans were always vampires,~ I said with a hum. ~The fact that we can expand our numbers via Turning others meant that human-like reproduction naturally became limited. There are no legends about the 'First vampires' for Draconian's as there were for the Ancients.~

~And with that world's destruction, any documentation would have been lost,~ Kain responded thoughtfully. Interesting.

~Indeed,~ I glanced at Raziel. His expression was yet blanked, but I could tell by the uneasy twitches of his wings that he was uncomfortable. He likely did not appreciate our silent communication. I let out a faint grumble of sound and took a step away from Kain.

"Enough with the prodding and poking," I said with a chuckle. "Tell me; what have the pair of you been up to?"

"Hn," Kain let out a bemused noise. He moved back around so that he was in front of me and glanced in Raziel's direction. "We were able to gain greater insight regarding the war between the Hylden and the Ancients."

"Both sides were deceived by the parasite's lies," Raziel said. "He wished to gorge himself not only on the souls of the fallen during their war, but he also tricked the Ancients into creating the Pillars in the first place."

Raziel went into a little more detail regarding their findings and I listened attentively. I let out a thoughtful sound. Kain and Raziel had both confirmed a few of my suspicions regarding the Pillars. It had never felt right that the Hylden were locked away so unless they were placed in the demon realm to keep them safe from the Parasite. To find out that there had indeed been a group of Hylden and Ancients, if not also humans, involved in trying to stop the Parasite in its' tracks was satisfying. Not everyone had fallen prey to its' machinations.

I fingered the crystal necklace about my neck as I listened to Raziel and almost started at the touch of Kain's talons as he combed them through my hair. I reached out in an almost tentative manner in order to lightly brush my claws over the back of his hand, though my gaze did not waver from Raziel's as he spoke. I nodded as he concluded and then tapped one claw lightly against the smokey-pink crystal as I thought. Raziel's eyes narrowed on the stone. He let out a bemused huff.

"I was under the impression that you did not like 'pink' My Lady," Raziel started in a careful tone. "Kain has recently mentioned a 'gift' from Vorador that met with a fiery fate."

"Mmm, shared that did you?" I chuckled as I looked at Kain.

He simply nodded his head and let out a thrum of noise. I realized that he was watching our interactions closely. I raised a brow and then looked back at Raziel.

"I do not care much for pink, that is true," I said in answer to his implied question.

"Was the necklace a gift then?" he asked.

"Of a sort," I responded and Kain's hand stilled in my hair. I gave his hand a light pat. "Though not a gift from a suitor, nor is it a gift for me. That is all I will say on the matter for the moment however."

"Secrets..." Raziel muttered with an almost growl.

I stiffened at the hidden accusation in his tone. I brushed Kain's hand aside and walked over to stand in front of Raziel. I carefully placed my hand on his shoulder and he stilled beneath my touch, eyes wary. His lips twitched, a contained urge to bare his fangs in a brief baring of white that would usually warn off a younger, lower-ranked vampire. Though I might be young yet, he still knew me as Kain's Queen and thus curbed the urge. It was an odd reaction, but understandable. I sighed and gave his shoulder a small squeeze.

"It is a gift Raziel," I said softly. "I cannot risk saying more than that, nor would I Whisper it at this time as I'd rather avoid any audible exclamations of shock. I will say that it is designed to help our cause, not hinder it."

"Something to help Nosgoth, of course," he said. There was a hint of almost unnoticeable bitterness in his tone.

"To help Nosgoth yes," I said as I tightened my grip on his arm. "But I came back with ways to help Kain as well and to help you."

"As if there is any way to help me," Raziel growled and he pulled away from my touch. "You speak kindly, My Lady, but I am doomed to return to Reaver form and then spend the rest of my existence either 'slumbering' in blade form or bound to my own arm! A Paradox!"

The last word was spat out as he summoned the wraith blade to hand. The odd glow of the blade filled the air with a strange, ethereal light. I let out another sigh at his reaction. Defensive. Understandable. I placed my hand over the back of his, just under where the wreath of energy began. The soul-blade disappeared before my hand made contact with his skin and I appreciated the automatic caution. I met Raziel's stormy gaze for a long moment and then turned to look at Kain.

"I do not believe that Raziel is the Paradox that you have both been lead to believe he is," I said in a firm tone.

"My own," Kain began in a low rumble, tone filled with mostly concealed frustration. "I have searched for a way to free Raziel from the blade for centuries. My one gamble failed, in part. Raziel is whole now, but doomed still to repeat the cycle I had hoped to free him from. There was no other option to find."

"Raziel is the Reaver and the Reaver is Raziel, I do not argue that," I held up a hand to forestall upset outbursts from either male when their expressions darkened. "I do not agree that there was only one, failed, route to find in order to try and free him. That the 'future' Raziel will remain trapped on this Raziel's arm as the cycle continues in a Paradoxical loop."

"If Kain could do nothing, then what do you think that you can do?" Raziel snapped. He took a slow breath when Kain's eyes flashed white and the silver-haired vampire turned his gaze on his First-born. Raziel spoke and a belated 'My Lady' escaped his lips.

I had to fight down a small smile.

"Because, if I am right Raziel, then there was nothing that Kain could do to change your fate. Only you will be able to act. Only you can test my hypothesis and see if it is actually workable theory," I said in a yet firm tone. Both males tilted their heads in curiosity. "You can still traverse to the Spectral Realm even now, yes?"

"Yes," Raziel responded in a wary tone.

"Good," I turned away from them both and walked toward the edge of the ledge. I extended my wings, now silvered halfway up each feather, and glanced over my shoulder at the pair. "We are going to need three bodies, three 'openings' for Raziel to return through, and then an area clear of any obstacles both in the Physical and Spectral Realms."

"What have you reasoned out Dear Katrina?" Kain asked as he approached me. "Did they finish our story on your Gaia?"

"They did not," I responded with a small shake of my head. "And I know nothing for certain save that every discussion with my Brother Cuthbert, who has spent his vampiric existence studying the soul and how it moves on, how it can be bound, destroyed or healed, pointed to the fact that there was a piece missing to the puzzle. When I told Cu of his ability to traverse between the Physical and the Spectral, we eventually worked out a potential hope for an answer."

"So you cannot guarantee that this idea of yours will see fruition," Raziel said, his voice and expression devoid of emotion.

"I cannot," I turned to face them once more. "But we cannot know unless and until we make the attempt."

Raziel's jaw worked with contained anger, teeth clenching and then un-clenching as he contained his emotions. Kain's own face remained carefully devoid of emotion, but being this close to my Mate-Marked King, Emperor now, I could feel the wild emotion that churned through his Aura as he kept said power contained. His eyes slid shut moments later and a heavy sigh escaped him.

"Thrice now I have tasted it upon my tongue," he muttered. Raziel and I both looked at him with raised brows.

"My Lord?" Raziel queried, equal parts stiff and concerned, though he made no move to approach either of us.

"Kain?" I asked, when he made no immediate move to answer Raziel.

I moved closer to Kain and ignored the brief, wide-eyed look that Raziel flashed my way. I touched Kain's arm and he opened his eyes. He met my gaze and I noticed that his own blue-gold eyes were stormy with a dozen emotions even though his face remained blank. Emotions that matched the wild and yet subdued fluctuations in his Aura.

"The first time was when I saw, and wounded, the Parasite," Kain continued in that yet soft tone. He reached up and idly brushed a knuckle over my cheek. "The second was when Raziel suddenly returned to his vampiric form. Now this... this bitter-sweet taste of Hope that you have brought back with you."

"I..." his talon moved to cover my lips and silence me.

"I know that you have not gone over much in the way of the details of your plan. You will explain it as we go, I know," he murmured. "But that you have worked hard to return with even a slim chance of success is more than I had thought possible. When my efforts did nothing but prolong Raziel's perceived fate... but no. Enough ruminating. Show us what it is that you and your Brother came up with, my Dear Katrina. Let us see if it can be made into working theory. Yes?"

"Of course," I responded with a nod of my head. I moved back toward the ledge.

"Three bodies?" Raziel asked in a tone that was almost dazed and practically screamed 'Are we doing this? We're doing this? Seriously? WTF?'. I had to fight down a smile at the thought of him actually saying anything remotely similar, but still.

"At the least," I said in answer. "We will need you to first make sure that the area we choose is as clear of threats and blockades on the Spectral side of things as it is on the Physical."

Raziel took a rough breath and then nodded. "Very well."

He moved to the edge of the ledge and then jumped off. He let the wind catch his wings and I nodded to myself. I followed after him and Kain's bat form filled the air next to us. The old-familiar sounds of his cloud rang through my ears like a pleasant melody. It felt good, beyond good, to fly Nosgoth's skies once more. We winged our way north in search of either fresh prey, recent kills or perhaps an unlucky traveler or two being waylaid by bandits.

We lucked out on the latter. A group of fifteen bandits had holed themselves up in a small, and still somewhat fertile, copse of trees next to the side of a cliff. The cliff itself gave them added protection against the elements and limited the number of ways any attackers could attack. It also limited avenues of escape. Raziel and I landed silently about a half-mile away from the camp and Kain reformed next to us a moment later.

"So," Raziel started and he rolled his shoulders, wings stretching wide briefly at the action. "We shall pick off at least three of them. Easy enough."

There was an odd little note to his tone however and even Kain's cool gaze had darkened somewhat. I chuckled as I recognized the signs of hunger and drew their combined attention in the process.

"If you are both hungry, then do not hold back on my account," I said with a teasing smile. I glanced back toward where the bandits camp lay hidden. "I'm feeling a might bit... peckish... myself."

Kain chuckled at my tone.

"How long has it been since you have been able to hunt properly mine own?" he asked.

"Outside the handful of wars that happened?" I let out a pained sigh. "Too long."

"Truly My Lady?" Raziel asked, surprise laced his tone.

"Gaia... is a tamed hunting hound, Mars a pup and Nosgoth the wild wolf," I responded in a dry tone. I hoped I was getting my point across. "One cannot simply go about killing those guilty of a crime on Gaia unless it is in defense of one's self or another... what do you think happens Raziel?"

"I... see," Raziel shook his head. "How... how does Gaia deal with the more extreme criminals; murderers or worse?"

"Humanely if the situation falls under human law," I responded, voice both bland and sarcastic. "Vampiric punishments have started to lean toward that as well and do not get me started on the 'paperwork' that has to be filled out after a righteous kill such as when a vampire or half-blood catches the scent of someone guilty of a particular crime."

Kain let out a derisive snort from where he stood next to me. "They yet persist in such foolishness?"

"Hn," I responded with a sigh. "There is a little more leeway given that vampiric society has integrated so with human society on Gaia but still... it can be frustrating in certain situations. At any rate, shall we proceed?"

I indicated the direction that the bandit camp lay in and both males nodded almost eagerly. I drew my wings back into my body and slipped my duster back on. There was some hidden armor around the shoulder-blade area to protect my weakness from a stray blow. Another reason that I love the thing.

Kain and Raziel immediately took point. I trailed after them, content to let them lead the way. Our movements were deathly silent and the only clue that the bandits might have with regards to our approach would have been the sudden silence of the few animals within the woods. Yet the bandits were noisy. Drunk from the sound of it and celebrating their recent success.

A shriek split the air. The high sounds of a child in pain. Male. Perhaps no more than ten summers, possibly a little older. I froze and bared my fangs as I saw red. I glanced over in Kain's direction, a frown upon my lips, and he nodded his head barely a second later in acknowledgement to the slight change in plans.

He knew well what could send me into a rage...

The pair of us disappeared so suddenly from sight that it Raziel breathed out a soft curse. He seemed to melt into the shadows a moment later, though I could still see the faintest outline of his form when he moved. I put his surprise from my mind and darted forward swiftly and silently. The group of bandits was spaced out liberally around the clearing, but one bandit in particular stood out and attracted my immediate ire. A male who was stripping down a young boy. The body of a woman lay to the side, recently dead and also stripped down. I bared my fangs again in outrage.

I kept calm though as Kain moved toward where a number of the bandits had grouped together and I moved behind the male who was man-handling the lad. I waited for Kain to appear amidst the group of reveling bandits, his appearance causing enough of a distraction that it drew my own prey's attention from the boy long enough for me to lunge forward. My claws lashed out, razor sharp, to slit his throat. I grabbed the boy and yanked him back and out of the way of the growing battle, enveloping the boy in my Gift in the process. Kain's dark laughter filled the air when the bandits started screaming 'demon', 'monster' and other insults and I rolled my eyes at their ineffective movements. 'Battle' was proving to be an exaggeration given the inebriated state of the bandits, especially when Raziel joined in...

As the screams of pain, disbelief and a smattering of drunken war cries filled the air, I found a make shift cage built into a small fissure along the cliff wall. I dismissed my Gift and tore open the weak cage door. I carefully tucked the traumatized boy into the arms of the frantic arms of those within and closed the door behind him.

"Stay quiet, stay down and stay still," I ordered in a firm tone to those within. The boys relatives by the scent of them. "I will keep you as safe as I can but I cannot do so if you try to run."

One of the bandits broke from the group trying to fight Kain and Raziel. As if proving my point, the fool made a beeline for me. I moved forward and ducked his initial, wild blow. I lashed out with the claws of one hand and drew Kindness from its' sheath with my other. My claws, sharper than any human blade, cut through his leather armor like warmed butter. The male dropped his weapon to try to hold in his entrails in and I back-handed him into another bandit that was trying to attack Kain from behind. Kain spared a glance in my direction and easily caught one of the groups flail in his hand without even looking in the male's direction. He smirked at me briefly and then turned to look at the male in question. The human dropped the haft of his flail and tried to run for it, only to be cut down by Raziel who had taken up point to prevent such escape attempts.

With Raziel taking down the bandits that tried to flee, myself watching over their former prisoners and Kain easily handling the bulk of the lot, the 'battle' ended swiftly indeed. I raised a brow and then glanced over my shoulder when one of the older looking males behind me let out a sudden curse.

"Oh Merciful Mother protect us," he breathed as the youngest of the group let out started squawks. "It's the Demon Emperor!"

The small group of humans had been positioned as such that Kain had been out of sight up until he started to approach our position. He let out a dark chuckle of amusement at their unease and I rolled my eyes. I shared a bemused look with him before I turned around in full. I crouched in front of the now terrified youngsters as Raziel moved to Kain's side.

"We did not come here to harm you child," I said in a calm and soothing tone.

"S-s-stay b-back!" The older boy stuttered as he tried to push the younger two behind his slightly larger frame. Brave boy.

I frowned as I looked over the ragged bunch and then lit in on an idea. Given his earlier reaction, it might help calm the lot down. I re-extended my wings and used the large limbs to block their view of the two gore-covered males behind me. All three children let out shocked gasps and the eldest let out incoherent stutters for a few seconds before he abruptly fainted. The younger two caught him, barely, and I raised a brow at his reaction. Blind bravery could only take one so far after all. I looked at the younger two.

"Do you two know how to get home?" I asked softly. It took the two a few moments but eventually the young boy and girl both nodded their heads. "Good. Wait for him to wake, then take what weapons and supplies that you can. Head home to your families and travel safely."

They nodded rapidly and I stood. I furled my wings about myself and glanced about the ruined camp. I grabbed two of the most intact bodies and then walked toward Kain and Raziel. I raised a brow at Raziel's blank expression.

"What are you thinking?" I asked my usual blunt manner. His lips quirked briefly.

"You are indeed protective of the little ones," he stated in a mild tone.

"I am," I responded with a nod and a shrug of one shoulder. "To an extent at least. I'll not coddle a child of Nosgoth as I might the far gentler youths of Gaia. The dangers here are more physical than mental and a human's life-span is shorter here. They need to grow up faster here. They cannot afford otherwise."

"Hmph, even with the methods that you long ago introduced," Raziel started as he picked up a third body, "a human's life-span is only half a century. Perhaps sixty at the most and that is only if one lives in the Citadel. Are things truly that different for the humans of Gaia?"

Kain and I shared a bemused look. I turned back to Raziel with a small smile.

"A hundred and fifty was the averaged life-span for a human by the time I left," I said to him.

"That... is surprising," Raziel murmured in shock. His gaze suddenly locked on something behind me and he frowned faintly.

I looked back and saw that the eldest boy had woken up and that the three youngsters had slipped out of their hiding spot. Rather than begin to gather supplies, they had frozen in place and were staring at me. My eyes narrowed on the lot and the eldest gulped audibly. He bowed his head respectfully and even went so far as to force the other two to bow their heads as well. I blinked at that and then let out a bemused chuckle as I glanced Kain's way.

"I did tell you that the humans came to deify you mine own," Kain rumbled in a soft enough tone that it would not carry to the youngsters.

"I do recall that portion of our conversation," I said in an equally soft tone and my eyes narrowed on him in a pointed look.

"Mn," Kain's eyes narrowed and he tilted his head. "Shall I unlock those memories now?"

"Later and in full," I responded with a small huff as I hefted the two bodies that I was holding. "For now, let us test my idea, yes?"

"Practical of you," he said with a nod. "Let us be off. The children will be well enough after they gather supplies."

"Shall I take one of those off of you My Lady?" Raziel said with a nod toward the bodies that I held.

I shot an amused look his way and shook my head.

"No," I said. "Thank you, but I can fly even with the weight of two bodies hindering my movements. You, however, cannot."

"Excuse me?" Raziel rumbled, the faintest hint of a warning growl in his tone.

"You fly in a manner similar to what my own flight patterns were like before Janos started to teach me," I responded in a gentle but firm tone. "You are forcing your way through the sky as if trying to beat it into submission. That is not the way. You have to work with the air currents and use them to assist your flight."

I remained still, stance firm and unyielding as Raziel's jaw clenched with sudden frustration. I was reminded once more of the times over the years that I had been made to deal with Eldar's who were either under my command or of a lesser rank than myself. They never took criticism well, not from those younger than they were. Raziel was my Eldar. I would always be younger than him. He seemed to be better able to hold his temper in check than those Eldar's from Gaia. He'd not exploded into shouting at any rate... I nodded my head toward Kain.

"You've noticed, I'm sure, how Kain's Cloud of bats oft seems to wheel in the air following some unseen pattern or perhaps seemingly showing off?" I asked him.

Kain let out a huff of breath, either amused or slightly offended by the 'showing off' comment. Perhaps both. It was Kain after all. I heard the youngsters start to mill about behind us with a little more confidence and continued to ignore them. I needed to keep my senses on Raziel in case he decided to 'test' me. Unlikely with Kain so close, but still possible.

"I... have noticed such activities," Raziel acknowledged grudgingly.

"That is because he is sensing and following the path of least resistance when it comes to the air currents," I continued with a fang-less grin. "You've not really learned how to do that as yet, so flying with two bodies will impede your flight far more than I. Even the one is likely to give you some problems in flight..."

"I will manage just fine My Lady," Raziel responded in a stiff tone.

I had to fight down a smile as I spoke.

"Of course," I said.

Kain let out a huff of laughter a moment later as if the almost-confrontation between the two of us was amusing.

"Let us be off," he purred as he looked us both over. "Shall we land at the plateau two miles back?"

"That would be the best area to attempt to carry out Lady Katrina's plan," Raziel responded, tone yet stiff. "Most areas that are so open in the Living Realm prove to be the same in the Spectral."

"Let's go then," I said with a smile.

I crouched and then leapt straight into the air, my cargo tucked under each arm. The children below let out startled sounds as each of us took flight in our respective ways and dropped what they had already collected. The mirth I felt was short lived as I caught a thermal in order to gain more height. A lot was riding on this hypothesis of mine. Raziel followed along near me and it took me a moment to realize that he was studying my movements intently whilst also seemingly ignoring me. I chuckled and subtly shifted out of the current as I adjusted the weight of the human. As I glided back into the current he shifted his own movements to slip into the same current of air. He wobbled a bit, used to forcing his way through the skies, but he was definitely a swift learner.

Minutes later Kain's Cloud circled the both of us. The bats chattered away almost excitedly as they broke away and started toward the plateau that we had passed earlier. I angled my wings and followed after him, Raziel trailing behind a few moment later. I almost laughed when I noticed that Kain had allowed his Cloud to spread out in such a way ahead of us that the air currents were easy to find based on which bats were trailing behind the others. He sensed my amusement across our shared Marks and his own good humor came through, though it was laced with understandable trepidation.

We landed on the plateau and I tossed one body to the ground with a hum as I judged the width and breadth of the plateau. I nodded and then walked roughly twenty paces from the corpse and then dropped the second one. Raziel landed a little roughly between the two corpses and I waved at him to drop the body he was carrying. He shrugged and let it fall to the ground. His wings were practically vibrating with tension...

Kain reformed behind me and placed his taloned hands upon my shoulders.

"Now what?" Raziel asked, voice almost snappish.

"Now you go into the Spectral Realm and confirm that there is no obstruction between that body and this one," I pointed first to the far body and then to the one closest to myself and Kain. "From there, use the corpse that you dropped to come back to this side. We will proceed step by step from that point as one of us may need to return to obtain another corpse if the way is not clear."

"Can you not simply..."

"Do as she says Raziel," Kain rumbled softly. "Be patient."

"Very well," the dark-haired male growled as he turned away.

I closed my eyes briefly and let out a slow breath.

I could only hope that this would work... it _had_ to work...

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cliffy! I know! don' kill me!

Loves to you all!

Please read and review!


	55. Unwinding the Paradox

another one up! love you all!

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Chapter Fifty-Five: Unwinding the Paradox...

*Multi POV. Raziel/Kain, starting with Raziel.*

Raziel felt a flash of annoyance at Katrina's words. An emotion that was swiftly suppressed. The desire to snap at her was contained by necessity more than anything else. Young as she was and despite the time that they knew that she'd spent on Gaia, his Sire yet acknowledged her as Queen and Empress. The older male had been quite firm on the subject. Still... the desire to make the attempt to affirm his own status as Alpha and Eldar had been at the edge of his mind since her return. This was especially true when one realized that she was not in any danger at this point in time, that he'd not made any erroneous blunders by making assumptions and she was not in a state of grief-rage.

Raziel glanced briefly up to meet Kain's gaze where he stood behind Lady Katrina. The Eldar's shuttered gaze almost, almost, made Raziel wince and he leashed the natural instinct firmly. Kain would not appreciate him attempting to test his Lady, especially now. No. They needed to focus on testing his Lady's idea. He took a slow, unnecessary breath and then let it out.

A larger reason behind his current mood was due to his unease. He knew that. Acknowledged it. That his Lady might have the answer to his current quandary was... Raziel found that he didn't have the words to explain, even in his own mind. All he knew was that both he and Kain had been tense upon her announcement. Kain might have his emotions hidden by his usual, inscrutable expression, but Raziel knew his Sire's moods well. If this plan did not work, he would rage. The too calm bearing was merely a sign of the calm before a potential thunder and lightning storm.

Raziel watched as she turned more toward his Sire, hand lifting up to brush the Eldar's jawline. At least his Lady had also cottoned on to the taller male's mood. Raziel turned away from the pair, rather than watch her as she tried to calm or reassure his Sire. He closed his eyes, reached into his mind and simply 'let go' of the Physical Realm similar to how one might let go of a rope or line. A roiling sensation filled him. It felt as if the world itself was twisting and shifting about him. Similar, yet dissimilar, to the roiling movements of an earthquake. In truth, the sensation grew when his eyes were open and he could see the world twist, turn and distort as he shifted into the Spectral Realm.

It was not a pleasant sensation by any means. And it was always made worse by the cold impression of helpless dread that seemed to permeate the entirety of the Spectral Realm. Souls wailed in the distance. Thankfully, none of them seemed to be close by from the sound of it. If any were on the plateau itself, they would not be quiet about it. No, it was the sluagh who were the silent denizens of the Spectral Realm.

Raziel opened his eyes swiftly when the sensation of roiling faded. He looked about for any enemies, carefully examining the few boulders and outcroppings that were on this end of things. He did not want to be attacked mid-process of whatever it was that Lady Katrina had come up with. He nodded when he found the area clear of potential threat and then carefully examined the placement of the three portals that led back to the Physical Realm. He nodded to himself when he found no obstructions and then used the portal in the middle to traverse back.

Back in the Physical Realm, Kain stood passive and imposing as Raziel set about his task. He felt grateful that his Little One refrained from speaking as they waited for the results of Raziel's scouting. He was not in the mood for 'small talk'. Not even to find out more of what she had been doing whilst on Gaia. He eyed her form discreetly as she turned to face him and took in the additional silver amongst the seemingly blood-stained feathers. He idly wondered if the silver would spread out over the feathers in full or if her Half-blood nature would translate to a permanent reminder of the torment that she had endured in her youth. On the one hand, he hoped for the former as he did not want any lingering mark of her tormentor to remain upon her person. On the other hand, he hoped for the later as the marks of one's youth were signs of trials overcome and battles won.

He shook off his thoughts as the body that lay near where Raziel had disappeared from sight starting to jerk and writhe. He and Katrina watched as Raziel reformed.

It was a foul-looking process in truth. Kain was easily able to suppress the grimace that tried to cross his face and noticed his Little One gave a near-to-visible flinch. She would never have seen this transition in its' full, gory detail. And it was rather ghastly. The body twitched and jerked upwards, like a puppet that was being directed about by the hands of a child. The limbs flailed briefly before the bodies hands moved toward the chest cavity. Said chest was then ripped open and bits of the corpse flew outwards like a small explosion had gone off from within. Only in this instance, rather than an explosive of some sort actually having been used to create such macabre dross, Raziel's vampiric form burst forth from the body and stumbled forwards a few steps. The whole process only took a few moments time.

From the slightly pale, well... far more pale then her usual fair-skinned pallor allowed for, expression, even a thousand years of life had not rendered her immune to such a sight as Raziel's form bursting forth from a corpse.

He noted with approval that her disgust with the sight was swiftly set aside for a more general expression of uneasy acceptance well before Raziel had the chance to properly orient himself. Kain reached out a moment later to brush a knuckle over the bend of her right wing. She glanced up at him with a blink, her gaze almost wary. He noted with a small pang of regret that she did not automatically lean into his touch like she used to. Not unsurprising, but still somewhat disappointing. Still... it was as if she was not expecting anything from him and that each subsequent touch was a pleasant surprise.

"What is the next step of your plan mine own?" he asked as he noted her reactions for later.

"Mmnh," she looked at Raziel, gaze intent. "You just... what, jump right through the portal to this side?"

"Yes, My Lady," Raziel answered.

Kain nodded to himself at his First's now level tone. His Raziel's attitude had been bordering on challenging since shortly after his Little One's return. That the dark-haired vampire had reigned in on his temper was a testament to his willpower. He turned back to look at Katrina, knuckle still trailing over the bend of her wing.

"This time don't," she ordered in a firm tone.

"My Lady?" brief confusion flitted across Raziel's face and Kain had to admit, at least to himself, that he was also confused by her order.

"Focus on the Soul Reaver," she said as she indicated the arm that the wraith blade was bound to. "Extend the blade, then thrust the blade itself into the portal. Do not follow, even if you feel the pull to do so. If I am right... if Cu's calculations are right..."

She fell silent. Her face showed a mixture of bemusement and pensiveness as Kain and Raziel had pinned her with expressions of equal incredulity. It was preposterous. Inconceivable. Far too simple an answer to the problem that Kain had spent millennia trying to solve.

It was...

It could not...

It...

 _It makes a twisted and convoluted amount of sense_ , Kain thought to himself and he knew by Raziel's expression that his thoughts had reached the same conclusion.

"There was never anything that I could do to truly solve the puzzle..." Kain started.

"Because it was neither something that you could do nor something that you could see," Raziel finished with a note of awe in his tone. "You cannot see into the Spectral Realm using the Chronoplast..."

"No, I cannot," Kain said in confirmation.

The two shared a brief, searching look before Raziel nodded his head resolutely. He squared his shoulders and faded from sight once more.

Raziel had no heart, nor any internal organs really, whilst in his Wraith form. Yet he knew that if he had, his heart would be pounding. Even with the fearful excitement bubbling over in his mind, his approach toward the next portal was agonizingly slow. Similar to a hunter's gate as one approached dangerous prey. He stopped in front of the portal and called the wraith-blade, his Eldar-self, to hand. He looked the writhing ethereal blade over slowly. This parasitical... no, symbiotic, existence that had been on his arm. A position that he would find himself in eventually but...

Hope.

Kain was right. It left such a bitter-sweet taste upon the tongue.

Rather than prolong the wait, he dug the talons of his feet into the ground and stabbed the blade forward. For a moment he thought to pray... to any deity that had ever existed in truth. To his Sire. To Lady Katrina. To Nosgoth itself... let this work...

That thought disappeared into dust nary a second later as pain abruptly tore through his body and he screamed.

It was pain like the fires the Sarafan had used when they had managed to briefly catch him unawares as a head-strong fledgling who'd thought himself too fast, too nimble to be caught by pitifully slow humans...

It was pain like the bull-whip that he had faced when his failure to attend to his duties properly had nearly gotten Rahab killed when he had first developed his talons and felt that he had been above such duties as Kain's First...

It was pain like the whirl-wind of agony that had assaulted him when he had been thrown into the abyss and felt the burning-cold kiss of the water's acidic bite upon his unprotected, un-dead flesh...

It was all of that and _more_.

Raziel thought for a brief moment that he might go mad in truth... he thought to either pull back to stop the pain or perhaps to leap forward and through the portal to the other side...

He...

And just like that, the pain stopped and the portal was gone. Closed.

He realized dimly that he had fallen to his knees at one point. He stared blankly at the spot where the portal had been and did not move for several long moments. He looked down at his right where the Wraith blade had been and tried to summon it to his hand. Nothing. He felt nothing there at all. He scrambled to his feet, all shreds of dignity briefly forgotten in his haste to reach and leap through the remaining portal that led to the Physical Realm...

As he did so, Kain let his hand fall to rest on his Little One's shoulder. His grasp was near to painfully tight as the pair watched as the corpse to their left had started to writhe violently about. He noticed her face twist in a momentary discomfort but could not bring himself to release his grasp. Her hand closed about his own and he appreciated the touch as this was not the previous, rapid transition that had taken seconds. This... reshaping... seemed a slow and nigh on torturous change, especially given the wretched sounds that issued from the forms throat.

Human flesh seemed to slough away to reveal the vampiric form hidden within. Wings snapped upwards, sending liquefied viscera flying before they fell limp against the ground. Claws scrambled weakly against the ground as the vampiric form tried to push itself up. The attempts at standing, or at least sitting up, failed and the form fell against the ground with a weakened groan of sound. The second corpse not twenty feet away writhed briefly as the younger Raziel burst free. The younger male stumbled a bit, but did not look quite as out of sorts as the Eldar...

Kain and his Little One let out echoing sounds of pure relief at the sight of two Raziel's...

When Katrina started to move toward the Eldar of the two when the male made no other signs of movement, Kain corrected her path with a gentle push to her shoulder. He indicated the younger version of his First Lieutenant. She spared him a brief glance but moved toward said version of Raziel, who had collapsed to one knee and showed obvious signs of weariness and lingering pain. Kain nodded to himself as he moved toward the Eldar of the two. Best that he deal with the Eldar. If blood-hunger consumed the Eldar Raziel, then Kain would be the only one capable of physically subduing the male.

He knelt next to the male carefully and reached out to brush back a few sweat-slicked strands of hair from the other male's face. He was not much surprised to find his wrist abruptly caught in Raziel's taloned grasp seconds before he could touch the prostrate form. Kain let out a small grunt of pain when that grasp was soon followed up by a rough tug at his soul. The sensation faded almost immediately, barely lasting more than a second and Eldar Raziel turned his head to blink bleary, pale-blue eyes up at his Sire. His mouth worked silently for several moments before he finally found his voice.

"Kain...?" confusion and disorientation rang clearly through the male's voice.

It was as if he had woken from a long series of fever dreams. Some pleasant. Some horrifying. Some merely strange. His eyes cleared slowly and he stared up into his Sire's face. He glanced to the side and saw his Lady standing next to his younger self and he let out a weak chuckle. Exhaustion hit him hard a second later and his head thudded into the ground. He did not feel the pain. The sweet, blessed pull of dreamless slumber called to him and he accepted the siren call of it without a fight.

Kain let out a small hiss of concern and swiftly examined the now-unconscious male's form. He took in the sound of the sluggish, nearly stopped flow of thick blood that moved without the heart and the sheen of sweat that had gathered upon Eldar' Raziel's brow. As Kain continued to examine his form, he began to relax a millimeter at a time. It was nothing more than a recovery sleep. Similar to a torpor, but not as debilitating and time consuming. Though he could not tell just how long the dark-haired vampire would be unconscious. He looked over his shoulder and watched his Little One as she helped the younger male to his feet.

"Come," Kain said in a commanding tone. "I will teleport us to my retreat."

"Is... will he be alright?" Katrina asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes. He merely needs blood and rest. Though I must confess that I do not know for how long he might slumber," Kain muttered, faintly perturbed by the lack of knowledge.

Raziel and his Little One, his brilliant Little Empress, started over to his side. Raziel stumbled and nearly fell forward, wings fanning outward in an attempt to help him stabilize and regain balance. Kain started to rise but Katrina was there to catch the younger Reaver-Vampire before he could land face first in the dirt. She looked him over in concern and Kain stood, the Eldar Raziel tucked under one arm.

"Are you hurt?" she asked. "Drained?"

"Mostly drained My Lady..." Raziel murmured softly as he eyed his Eldar-self and he steadied himself enough to stand on his own. Though Kain noticed that he did not shake off Katrina's hand. "The... 'separation' was painful on both sides. I do not relish the idea of experiencing the separation from the opposite end of the spectrum..."

"I... imagine not," his Little One said and she offered a faint smile as they reached Kain's side. "Your retreat?"

"The mountain Retreat," Kain offered in clarification. She would be used to the one in Coorhagen, "South-East of Dark Eden. Several families of loyal human servants tend to the Retreat even now."

"Ah," she responded simply and then winced. "Zealots?"

"No," he said with a soothing rumble. "I cannot stand such blathering in my own home. They know their duties and perform them admirably, but they are more kin to noble families that are allowed to live on and tend to my estate than zealots."

"Hn," she shrugged and then placed her hand upon his shoulder.

The younger Raziel mirrored her a moment later. When no more questions were forthcoming, he wrapped his teleportation magics around them all and transported them to his retreat without further word.

*POV Change: Katrina*

Ah... even now I dislike travelling via teleportation, I thought to myself as we solidified elsewhere.

I blinked several times as I through off the disorientation caused by such means of transportation. I looked around the equally opulent yet spartan style of the main hall that Kain had teleported us to. Raziel moved without word to tug at a rope even as Kain moved purposefully down the hall and toward a large stairwell. A bell rang somewhere in the distance and I tilted my head at the sudden sounds of activity. Raziel bowed his head at me and then indicated the direction that Kain had gone. I nodded my head and started the same way. He fell into step to my left.

"The servants will swiftly prepare refreshments for us and will be ready to serve as needed," he said in answer of my silent question. He looked tired, if somewhat elated, and our earlier near-confrontation seemed to have fallen by the wayside. A moment later he let out a hum of breath. "If I may be so bold as to make an observation My Lady?"

I let out an amused huff of breath.

"You may," I said.

"You seem somewhat... guarded," he said and I noticed the side-eyed look he shot my way.

"Mmm," I chuckled outright and my wings twitched against my shoulders. "I supposed I am at that."

"Should you not be pleased that your plan worked?" he asked.

"I am," I responded, a smile still on my lips. "Believe me, I am very pleased."

"And yet...?" he prompted. His tone was that of one fully willing to drop the subject if I but gave the word.

"And yet," I repeated with another chuckle. I knew my smile did not quite reach my eyes. "I am worried. Your Eldar-self did not have an easy time... mmmnh... 'reforming' in the Physical Realm."

"I am sur-" Raziel started, only to be cut off by Kain's voice in the distance.

"Katrina!" it sounded like he had ducked into one of the rooms in front of us and I started for the room that his voice had issued from. "I need you here Mine Own."

I paused long enough to share a concerned look with Raziel and then quickened my pace. I slipped into the room that Kain's voice had originated from and ignored the luxurious furnishings as I moved to his side. The Eldar Raziel had been laid upon the large bed. He was on his side, wings spread out behind him, his limbs all limp against the sheets. He was nigh as still as the true dead save for the movement of his eyes. Kain was bent over him, one knee braced upon the bed. He held out his hand to me and I placed my smaller one in his. He pulled me to where I was sitting close to Eldar Raziel's unconscious form. The younger Raziel stayed by the doorway.

"What do you need from me?" I asked softly as I reached to touch the dark-haired male's hair.

"We confirmed that the recovery process for vampires does parallel Gaia's," Kain started, his gaze intent on my own. "As such, all servants here have my own 'blood type'."

"O-negative," I said with a knowing nod. "Understandable that you would try to cultivate a few bloodlines so. I take it that O-negative is however not the best to help speed his recovery? And from your reaction he is B-negative like myself?"

"Correct," he answered with a nod.

"Can I not simpl-?" Raziel started.

" _No_ ," Kain and I cut him off at the same time. Raziel fell silent under our combined gaze, though his brows flew upwards in confusion. I smiled at him.

"Raziel," I started. I kept my tone soothing in an effort to dim the sting of our snapping tone. "Previous interactions with 'yourself' tend to have off results, if I recall correctly. Let us not tempt things further, yes?"

"As you wish My Lady," Raziel acknowledged with a nod of his head. He remained by the doorway.

Kain and I turned back to his Elder-self. After a few moments of silent examination, Kain let out a huff of breath.

"By the feel of his Aura, he will be unable to actively feed at this time," Kain murmured to me. "I will need to assist him."

"That's fine. I'll open a vein and share my blood with him. I assume that you will massage his throat in order to help him swallow?" I asked in a clarifying tone.

"Precisely," a small amount of tension left Kain's shoulders at my easy understanding of the situation.

I nodded my head and then eased further up onto the bed so that I could place Eldar Raziel's head him my lap. Kain tilted the dark-haired vampire's head back and opened his mouth wide. I cut length-wise into my wrist and held the bleeding wound over the open mouth. The wound had healed by the time that my blood had welled up within his mouth to the edge of his lips. I waited and watched silently as Kain began to massage at his throat in order to force him to swallow the life-giving fluid. At Kain's nod, I repeated the process.

This continued for several more minutes before Kain signaled for me to cease. He then cut into his own wrist and allowed his own, potent Eldar-blood to pool into the unconscious form's mouth. This time I was the one to massage at his throat to help him swallow. Another several minutes passed along those lines before Kain pulled back and he allowed his wrist to heal. I watched silently as he brushed Raziel's hair back in a gesture full of fondness and frustration both. I smiled faintly and then tilted my head as Kain stood and backed away from the bed. He helped me to my feet, expression blanked once more of emotion. I narrowed my eyes on him. Even through the Mark's I could not properly sense his emotions beyond that they were a jumbled, roiling mess.

"Let us adjourn and obtain refreshments," he rumbled softly as he started for the door. "Then we can discuss our next move."

"That is... agreeable," I responded with a shrug and a nod.

"Come along my Raziel," Kain ordered as he moved past the younger version. "Your Eldar-self will likely remain in this state for several days if not longer. There is naught to do but wait in that regard."

"As you will Kain," Raziel inclined his head as his Sire walked past him.

He waited for me to follow Kain and move toward the silver-haired vampires side. He then fell in step a pace behind Kain on the opposite side. Thankfully, the halls of the retreat were large enough for us to walk so without being crowded too close.

Kain led us to a large and spacious library, larger by far that the one that had been in Vorador's mansion back when he resided in the Termogent Forest. I took in the thick, musty scent of old books well-cared for and let out a soft sigh of content. Old paper books, while pleasing, had a very different scent compared to books made with parchment. Still, the two different scents brought back fond memories for me and I found myself relaxing. I had not realized that I was so tense...

I noticed that servants had entered the room at some point and had carefully laid out a tray with a pitcher of blood-wine and three ornate, silver goblets. Raziel made to poor blood-wine for each of us but halted when Kain raised a hand. He flicked one talon and a rope at the other side of the room was tugged via telekinetic energies. A bell rang in the distance.

"Something more substantial than blood-wine first my Raziel," Kain rumbled as he sat down regally in a finely wrought chair with plush, feather-filled cushions. "Come here, my Katrina."

I tilted my head questioningly but moved to his side a moment later. He caught my arm in his hand when I made no further move beyond that and tugged my down gently to where I could sit upon his lap. I let out a bemused huff of breath at the near-proprietary action but allowed it none-the-less. It was simply his way. A casualness born of being the ruler of all for untold centuries. Even in the midst of wartime, he remained calm, commanding and coldly fair. It had always been a point of relief for me that he had always held to his own code of honor. I had never been forced to do something that I, in good conscience, could not do. From what I could feel through our shared Marks, that had not changed and I relaxed against him slowly.

He began to lightly card his talons through my hair, shifting the strands in his grasp here and there when he noticed the additional silver. My wings twitched against my shoulders in response to the gentle pleasure and I relaxed further still. The twitching drew his attention to said limbs and I let out a soft purring noise as he scratched lightly along the bend of my right wing where it lay hooked over my shoulder.

"Will they continue to silver so as you go through additional torpors My Lady?" Raziel asked as he moved a little closer, clearing allowing us space but also obviously curious now that we had a few moments of quiet after the successful venture.

My eyes had fallen partially shut at the gentle, exploratory touches and I blinked them open. It took a moment for me to register the question. I glanced at Kain. His expression was indecipherable however. A clear sign that he was leaving the choice to offer up the information I was willing to share with either of them. A hum of sound escaped me as I turned to look at his favored Lieutenant.

"Yes actually," I responded. "Another two or three Torpors should see them near-to-fully silvered."

"Only 'near-to'?" he asked as he eyed the wing closest to him.

"Yes," I responded and then extended my left wing out toward him. "You can touch if you'd like. I don't mind it anymore, especially if it's someone I can trust touching them."

"..." Raziel's expression immediately blanked at my words.

Considering both my past and his own, this was as blatant a sign that I could offer that I was willing to trust him. Even with the gaps in my memory, I had the distinct sensation that he'd already done much to help me directly. He took a hesitant step forward and raised his hand with his talons under-curved so that only his knuckles would touch. That hand paused barely an inch from my wing.

"Even without your memories being intact... you would trust me so readily My Lady?" he asked in a soft murmur.

"Hmmm," I tilted my head and then chuckled softly. "It _is_ true that I do not remember meeting you before now. It is also true that I do not know you as Kain does. However, I do believe that some things transcend mere memory. Such as the fact that I am fairly certain at this time that I did not escape from the Sarafan on my own that first time that I had been captured."

Raziel had lightly started to touch my extended wing as I spoke but both he and Kain stilled in surprise as I finished speaking. Kain let out a huff of breath.

"Oh?" he rumbled questioningly. I glanced away from Raziel and noticed that Kain had raised a brow at me. "What led you to such a conclusion dear Katrina?"

"I remember all of the other instances of torture and the events that followed clearly even now," I tapped the side of my head lightly. "Vampiric nature tends to lead to one developing a near-eidetic memory. As my memories of that time are as blurred as the time that I met with Kain at the Pillars and then Kain's visit when I was upset at the loss of the Twins, I have concluded that I had to have met you before and that you were a key player in my escape from Sarafan hands. No other memories are so... 'fuzzy'. Why conceal anything from me unless the memories _specifically_ involved Raziel?"

"Very well reasoned my own," Kain purred and he leaned forward to nip at the edge of the wing closest to him. An echoing purr issued from my throat. "Shall I remove the blocks now?"

"Please do," I responded with a small laugh. "There is no need for the blocks to remain in place at this point."

"Relax against me then," he ordered and I leaned against him, allowing my head to fall against his shoulder as I did so.

His talons moved from my wing up to rest against my temple. The almost physical sensation of a key being placed in a lock and being turned pulsed through me. Memories flooded back into properly alignment and I twitched against him as my eyes slammed shut. It was not quite like actually re-living the moments that had happened, but more like a series of flashbacks similar to those that I had experienced during my early years on Nosgoth. I did not have a true eidetic memory, but it was close enough to the real thing that I found myself letting out an explosive snarl of rage. Only Kain's sudden, iron-like grasp about me kept me in place on his lap.

The memories themselves unlocked from newest to oldest, so I once more felt the impotent rage of the Twin's loss as if it were a freshly opened wound and the bitter conversation that I'd had with Raziel. Next came the pain-filled fear and the frantic panic that had flooded me as I tried to escape from the Sarafan Lordling's room and the relief that it had been Raziel who had found me. The angry helplessness as he aided me in my escape and found nourishment for me when I was unable to fend for myself. The subsequent flight to the cliff's ledge and the comfort that they both had given freely in my weakened state.

That was rapidly followed up by the very amorous events at the Pillars...

To have gone from fiery rage, to violent fear and then abruptly to wild passion was enough of an emotional roller-coaster that I was left briefly stunned and unable to move. Dimly, I could register the fact that Kain and Raziel were talking, but I could not make out their words. My hand twitched and I found that my arm was no longer pinned by a tight hold. I trailed my claws down Kain's chest and over his toned stomach as I sorted through the restored memories. I jerked as I rolled the memories of the events at the Pillars around in my mind. I recognized a sensation amongst the wild pleasure that I had only learned how to perceive over the past few centuries and only learned out of a defensive need to protect myself whilst on Gaia. My hand closed roughly around Kain's crotch and he went still beneath my touch, voice cutting off mid-sentence. His taloned hand closed upon the back of my neck, a firm grip but not punishing. I looked up and met his guarded, yet confused expression. A brow rose in a regal arch, questioning.

"You…" I let out a heavy sigh.

I forced away the burst of anger and betrayal that flooded through me and made myself think. This was not Gaia. The memory was old and the opening spell had been used when I was younger. Nothing had come of it. And yet… I pinned a bemused, yet slightly annoyed look on him. He moved his hand from my neck and wrapped it around my wrist, though he made no move to pull my hand away. Raziel remained silent nearby, eyes wide and wary as he watched us.

"You seemed… upset… for a moment mine own," he rumbled. His talons stroked lightly over my wrist, both in warning and to offer comforting pleasure.

"You cast Vest' on me back at the Pillars," I said and I raised a brow at him. "Why did you take the risk?"

"Ah," he blinked. "I ended the spell when I moved you onto your back mine own. I would not have taken the risk of Quickening you, but I will admit that I wished to fill you completely. Especially after so long without you at my side. I am curious as to why you are upset mine own…?"

I took a slow breath and let it out as I relaxed my grip further still. My hold was no longer painful, punishing, but rather a massaging pressure.

"Consider, if you will, the fact that I have spent many years having to deter unwanted 'advances' and 'results' of said advances," I rumbled in a low voice. "Are you still surprised by my reaction with that in mind?"

"I see," Kain growled and his eyes darkened briefly. "I do hope that you dealt with such fools appropriately?"

"I did," I responded. An odd look passed over his face a moment later.

I let out another sigh and moved to stand. His hand fell away from my wrist and he watched me with a careful expression. Raziel seemed to relax and he held out a goblet to me. By the scent of it, it was freshly drawn blood from one of the human servants that had entered the room at some point as I was recovering from having my memory unlocked. The humans stood off to the side, watching with respectful silent. I took the goblet and gave Raziel a grateful smile. I sipped at the blood thoughtfully. If Kain and I resumed our relationship in full, then I wanted to make sure that he knew that I would not be disinclined… later. I could not sense much over our Marks, he was controlling his emotions too well.

"I had no inclination to pursue such things whilst on Gaia," I said as I turned to face Kain once more. "Nosgoth may prove different."

"I see," he responded. A flicker of amusement passed across his face.

Raziel remained politely confused by his own expression as he looked back and forth between the two of us.

"My Lady?" he said in a questioning tone. I looked at him. "If I may… why were you upset that Kain used the Vest' spell on you?"

I glanced back at Kain and tilted my head. He waved his hand in a 'go ahead' gesture and I nodded. I let out a soft hum and decided to use Raziel's question to ask them one of the questions that I'd brought back with me.

"I'll answer that in a few Raziel," I said and I drained my goblet of blood.

One of the humans, a male, moved forward and I noticed the bracelet upon his wrist. The bracelet was bright red, indicating that he was yet able to donate blood. The female next to him had a bracelet that was more blue than red, meaning that she had been the one to originally donate. I waved the male back and then reached into one of the pouches on my belt. I pulled out a small container. A container that had a small flower stored within in a magical status. A Sakura blossom.

"First though, I have a question for you two," I opened the small container and allowed the pure scent to fill the air. "Have either of you smelled this scent upon a human?"


	56. Mending the Bridge

Over three-thousand views! Makes me a happy panda seeing that! Thank you everyone.

I do hope you have all enjoyed the journey thus far! ^.^

Chapter Fifty-Six: Mending the Bridge

I waited with baited breath as the two males sniffed at the air, taking in the subtle-soft scent of the Sakura Blossom that I had brought back with me. Raziel let out a hum of breath and lightly shifted the flower about within the container that I was holding out to them.

"I am unfamiliar with this flower," Raziel began as he took another small sniff of the air, "however... the scent _is_ familiar to me. Rare, but familiar."

"Agreed," Kain frowned as he, too, scented the air a second time. "Although... hmm..."

"You might also recall the scent of Gaian cleaning solvents combine with this," I said in response to the thoughtful look upon his face.

"Ah, yes," he blinked down at the flower in my hand. "You had called it a 'Sakura' at the time, yes?"

"I did," I responded. "Where did you come across this scent here?"

That _Raziel_ recognized this scent and not just Kain...! I had to forcibly contain my excitement. I needed more to confirm my suspicions. I had come to learn so much about my nature whilst on Gaia but...

"A handful of humans over the centuries have carried this scent upon them," Raziel replied thoughtfully. "Their blood was always sweeter than most. My Brother's and I would usually bring such humans forward to Kain to act as blood-servants if they were willing."

"Their flavor _was_ notably different," Kain added with a shrug. "I had at first believed them to share my own rare blood-type and thus favored for feedings. Yet I came across others who had my blood-type, the flavor distinct enough from my tastings on Gaia. I began to wonder if their blood was something unique to Nosgoth and eventually put it from my mind."

"O-negative blood is rare," I said with a nod and then tilted my head. "But tell me, _where_ did you normally find these particular individuals?"

"Amongst our favored servants usually..." Raziel frowned in confusion. "It is odd, now that I think upon it. It was rare to find the trait out amongst the masses of humans not loyal to us. Nor was not a trait that we could breed. Rahab would oft complain to me about the situation."

A dawning realization passed over Kain's face. He sat up and leaned toward me.

"Mine own... are you suggesting...?" he started and I nodded.

"O-negative blood might well be rare Kain," I responded with a smile, "but it is still a breedable trait. Half-bloods however, cannot pass on their vampiric traits unless their predator's nature has been Awakened. One last question in order to confirm if Nosgoth well and truly has it's own brand of Half-bloods all this time; Were any of those individuals favored to the point where you made the offer to Turn them and did that process fail?"

"Hn," Raziel crossed his arms and tapped the tip of a talon against his arm. "It is a rare thing, but there _have_ been times when a Childe-candidate is not able to be Turned. Once the Childe-candidate is slain, a Sire must share a portion of their soul with the Childe-candidate in order to Turn them. Restore them. In some rare cases, a Childe-candidate's soul is simply no longer there. Yet, I do not believe... Sire wasn't there something _odd_ about a few of those cases...?"

"Yes," Kain said and he tapped the tips of his talons together as he spoke, elbows braced against his knees now. "I obviously chose no others to raise as my own, however Turel and Rahab both had made attempts to turn, and thus keep for themselves, a small number of humans who bore this 'Sakura' scent."

"They did not survive?" I asked.

"No, they did not," Kain confirmed with a nod. "Odder still was this fact my Katrina; their souls could still be sensed, yet Turel and Rahab could not imbue the Childe-candidate's with a piece of their own souls in order to Turn them."

"I... am afraid that I do not entirely follow what point you are trying to make, My Lady," Raziel said and I smiled reassuringly at him.

"Half-bloods _cannot_ be Turned," I explained. I closed the container and placed it back into the pouch that I had pulled it from. "Either by the means that Janos and Vorador used or by the methods that you and Kain use. The traits of a Half-blood can only be passed on _after_ said Half-blood is Awakened. Otherwise we remain human. Female and male Half-bloods who have been Awakened by actively consuming over a pint of human blood remain _viable_ as well. We can only be born in truth by a Half-blooded sire or dame with a human partner or with a Full-blooded sire whose seed is equally burning and freezing. A Cold-fire. There are a few other factors, but those are the basics."

Raziel's brows flew up at my explanation and he turned to look at Kain. I glanced over as well and shook my head at the satisfied smirk that was on the silver-haired male's face. The look passed swiftly and was replaced by a more thoughtful visage. Raziel and I shared a brief look of amusement-suffering. We were both used to Kain's unique nature.

"Turel and Rahab," Kain said suddenly. "A small number of Cold-fire's existed amongst the rest of my Lieutenants Clans, but the numbers were few indeed. I will admit that the numbers were few enough that, after only a few centuries spent watching to see if any children resulted from any... exclusive... relationships, I stopped paying attention. Most humans do not live long here, even after your changes to hygiene were implemented. Relationships of such nature usually involved the human being Turned swiftly and thus removed the chance of a Half-blood being born. Perhaps I dismissed the possibilities too quickly, but then I did not know about the 'Sakura' scent until now."

"Nor did I by the time you left. I do not fault you there," I looked back and raised a brow at him. "Not Raziel though?"

"Before my time in the Abyss," Raziel started with a wince and his wings jerked closer to his back, "yes. At this time I am uncertain as to what effects that time may have had upon my... apparent 'viability'. I may or may not be a Cold-fire now."

"I see," I tilted my head slightly in thought as I looked the pair over.

I was briefly astounded, and yet equally not all that surprised, by the sudden realization that the two males had not yet mended the fence between them. The two males shared a brief, pained look before they turned their gazes elsewhere. They might try to hide it, but the naked pain and longing was there to see if one knew what to look for. I did not wish to push, to interfere... however... they were both too stubborn. Neither of them looked willing to take that first step past grudgingly restored acceptance, respect and trust.

I moved over to Kain and lightly brushed the backs of my small claws over his hand. He looked up at me, a frown marring his lips and I smiled gently, soothingly. I glanced over at Raziel, who had picked up and begun to nurse one of the goblets of blood. He had turned enough to the side and stood with a sullen air about him even as he made plain that he was offering the two of us our privacy. In as much as was possible what with him still in the room.

I looked back at Kain and focused on our Marks, opening that mental connection between us wide as possible in order to feel and share my emotions with him.

~I did not return harboring any expectations,~I Whispered into his mind, making sure that he felt my remaining fondness for him. ~What will be, will be. Yet... if there is a way for me to help mend this divide that stands between the two of you, you need but tell me.~

Kain let out a soft sigh of sound moments later. He reached up to cup my cheek in his larger hand. His thumb passed over my cheek to lightly brush over my lips before he moved to catch my chin in his grasp. He pulled me down into an unexpectedly gentle kiss.

~If you wish it, you will be as you were before you left my Katrina,~ he Whispered in response. ~My Queen. My Empress. Raziel is once more my Right Hand and I would have you back at my Left if it pleases you.~

I relaxed slowly into the kiss as his words rolled through my mind. I flicked my tongue out over his lower lip a moment later and he opened for me. Our tongues warred briefly in a gentle duel, slicking over fang and seasoning our kiss with mingled vitae. Power rushed over my tongue at the taste of his blood and I felt briefly faint. The sheer potency of his blood was nigh overwhelming even after the centuries that had passed. I caught myself by placing my hands on his shoulders, almost falling over. He pulled me into his arms and stood at the same time, holding me steady against his strong frame. I wrapped my arms around his neck in response, having to stand on the tips of my toes to maintain the kiss. I lowered myself to my heels as he broke the kiss and then laid my forehead against his chest.

"We will be retiring to my chambers," Kain rumbled in a voice tinged with carnal hungers.

"I will seek you out later then my Lord," Raziel said in a voice that was void of emotion and yet... his tone was still somehow filled with a deep bitterness.

I felt Kain go still against me and I stood up on tip-toe once more to nip at his neck where my Mark lay invisible on the skin. Kain had said 'we' and, by the feel of his emotions through the Marks, had meant for Raziel to be included in that 'we' despite the dark-haired vampires erroneous assumption otherwise.

"Raziel?" I said his name softly as I slid from Kain's grasp and turned to face the male in question.

"Yes, My Lady?" he responded in a stiff tone. He was half-way to the library door and had paused mid-step by the large reading couch.

I contained a sigh that wanted to escape me and I turned to indicate for Kain to remain still. He nodded and crossed his arms. Waiting. Watching... _Hoping_. Raziel eyed his Sire warily over his shoulder but his attention snapped to me with a hunter's focus when I started toward him. I yet had the taste of Kain's blood and my own upon my tongue. I stopped in front of Raziel, positioned between him and the door. I reached up to lightly trail my claws over his cheek. Not cutting, just that sweet-dangerous touch. My hand moved up and I pushed a wayward strand of his hair back behind a slightly pointed ear.

He remained stiff and wary beneath my touch. A falcon about to take flight... I leaned into him, pressing my hands against his chest and I had to raise up onto my toes. He, like Kain, was too tall for me to kiss without either him bending down or me raising up... and he was not helping by remaining still. I pressed my lips to his own and flicked my tongue out to trail the remaining vitae over his lips. I felt him shiver under my hands at the scent of our combined blood. Raziel pulled back and blinked at me dazedly for a moment before he looked at Kain. Whatever he saw in the other male's face filled his expression with a kind of bewildered, wary kind of wonder and reverence.

I caught a handful of his hair in my hand, carefully and slowly tangling my fingers through the thick strands in an effort not to startle him. I pulled his head back around and drew him into another kiss. Another, far more noticeable, shiver rocked through him and his arms were suddenly wrapped tight around me. His lips were suddenly against my own with the bruising pressure of a drowning man who had found something to cling to during the storm.

A purring hum rumbled in my chest. I was pleased with his response as well as his obvious skill as a kisser. I tugged at his hair a second time in an attempt to move his head back so that I could have access to his throat. A warning snarl escaped him at my movements. His scent was abruptly flooded with wild lust and the tang that I associated with one who had no intentions of submitting without a fight. An answering growl escaped me even as my lips curled upwards in a feral smile. I hooked one foot around Raziel's ankle and twisted us about, using his unfamiliarity with me and his own weight against him in order to force him back and over the arm of the couch that we were standing next to.

My wings flared as we fell in an instinctual move meant to slow our fall, not that it helped, and I pulled them back into my body rather than risk them getting in the way if he tried to roll us off the couch. Raziel let out a grunt of surprise when his back hit the arm of the couch and he fell sprawling over the seat cushions. His own wings were now trapped against the couch and he winced at the minor pain. Kain let out a low chuckle from somewhere nearby and I had the sense that he had moved to gain a better angle with which to view our little tussle. His voice was tinged with dark-some hunger and I knew that he was enjoying the impromptu show.

I wriggled about in Raziel's grasp like a wet otter and managed to briefly force his arms away and to the side. A brief flicker of shock passed over his face when I caught his wrists in my hands and forced his arms above his head. After issuing a reprimanding bite to his lower lip, I renewed the violent kiss with vigor. Like as not, he had been briefly taken by surprise by my strength. It was also likely that he had been holding his own strength in check, expecting me to be only a little bit stronger than I had been in my youth. His mistake. He and Kain both were strong enough to overpower me when it came to brute strength yes, but I was much stronger when compared to my younger years.

And he swiftly remembered that fact...

He bucked abruptly beneath me, breaking the kiss in the process. His fangs briefly sank into my own lower lip and when I pulled back, startled by the punishing bite, he wrenched his hands free of my grasp. A snarling squawk of noise escaped me at his movements and I twisted just as he began to wrap his arms about my waist. His Aura flared in an instinctual push against my own. His arm closed about my waist and his other hand closed around the back of my neck. My own Aura lashed out against his, testing and lightning-fast little jabs that made him twist about beneath me in reaction. A low growl escaped Raziel's throat and his hand moved up my back as one leg coiled about my own legs in order to try to pin me in place more firmly.

I twisted violently when his hand tightened around the back of my neck and snarled when his other hand started to brush against my pressure point with a perilous amount of force. My Aura Shot Gift activated on instinct before he could inadvertently apply more pressure. Raziel let out a shocked cry and fell limp beneath me even as I abruptly felt Kain's presence at my back. I realized a moment later that Kain had caught the other males hand just as I had hit him with my Gift. I pushed up and looked down at Raziel worriedly, recalling how my Gift could affect others. His pupils had blown wide, to the point where only a pale blue rim was visible around the dark pupils. I let out a soothing croon of noise and carded my fingers through his hair. He blinked blankly and let out an answering, submissive keen in response.

"What did you do?" Kain asked, his breath ghosting over the back of my neck. I shivered.

"I used one of my Gifts defensively," I said in answer. "The true Gift inherited from my Father and the reason that he was able to maintain such a high rank amongst the Draconian Clan at so young an age."

"Ah?" Kain nipped at the back of my neck lightly. "And what is this Gift called?"

"Aura Shot," I responded as I continued to pet Raziel's hair. His eyes were slowly starting to focus once more and I relaxed inch by inch as he recovered. "It... suffice to say that it bypasses all of the normal defenses of an Aura. Like an arrow finding the weak-point in someone's armor. Once struck, it leaves the affected vampire temporarily disabled."

"You have always been able to focus your Aura," Kain said, voice thoughtful.

"Not to this extent," I said. "Watch."

I nipped at Raziel's chin lightly and he automatically tilted his head back to bare his throat to me. There was no hint of hesitation as there might have been earlier. Kain let out a hum of breath at the sight.

"Interesting," he murmured.

Kain shifted us about abruptly, arms suddenly wrapped around both myself and Raziel. The familiar, disorienting sensation of being teleported flooded through me. This was rapidly followed by a falling sensation that ended abruptly as we landed on a rather large bed. I twisted my head about with an annoyed growl and tried to nip at the line of his jaw. I disliked being transported so without warning! He pulled out of reach easily enough and chuckled in amusement at my annoyance. His fangs closed about the back of my neck nary a second later in a firm hold. The grip tightened to the edge of pain and I let out a strangled hiss of sound, discomforted by the pressure. My hand tightened with my fingers yet tangled in Raziel's hair.

Raziel's oh-so-pale-blue eyes abruptly focused once more and narrowed on me and Kain. He realized the position that we were in, me straddling his waist and Kain just behind me with the silver-haired male's weight pinning his own legs against the feather-down mattress. Raziel's taloned hands moved to cautiously clasp my hips and he gave a tentative yet firm thrust up against me.

*****Lemon. Three-way smexings/make-up sex******

I let out a low groan at the pressure of him against my groin. Pinned as I was between the two males, I could not only smell the heavy musk of their combined and growing arousal but also feel it as they hardened against me. Kain shifted backwards slowly, hands yet wrapped around us both. We were forced up into a sitting position. He released my neck a moment later and I sighed in relief as he laved at the sore area. Nipping at his Mark made me shiver and tremble. Old, familiar pleasure started to build, causing me to purr.

"Your wings Mine Own," he purred and he let us both go in order to shift to the side.

I glanced over my shoulder at him and then smiled as I realized his intent. Extending my wings out again with a sigh I shifted and relaxed. It was always so much nicer when they were out. They gave a lazy beat at the air before settling along the line of my back. Raziel reached up hesitantly with one hand. He paused with the backs of his talons just over the bend of my wing and he looked at me questioningly. I hummed my assent and pushed the limb against his hand. Reaching out in turn, I paused with my fingers just over his own wing. Swallowing roughly, he nodded his head and I lightly brushed the pads of my fingers over the tips of his wings where they lay furled against his own back. He shivered at the light touch. Equal parts pleasure and unease by the tang of his scent. I leaned in and nipped at his chin, then his lower lip. I drew him into a deep, gentle kiss and stroked my free hand over his cheek lightly. Coiling my Aura around his own in a gentle press of reassuring power, I pulled back.

"I want you to focus on what Kain is going to do," I murmured against his lips. "Know that it will hurt a little bit, but the pleasure outweighs the pain by a significant amount. Just watch."

"I… as you wish My Lady," he responded hesitantly.

He shifted, pulling my form as close to himself as possible as he lay his chin on my shoulder. Almost a hug really, yet at the same time a protective hold. I felt Kain's amusement through our Marks and felt it very likely that Raziel was glaring at the larger male. Warning him off from causing me harm as Kain moved against my back. Large taloned hands closed firmly around the bend of my wings in a restrictive hold. Raziel stiffened against me, tense and ready to lash out at a moment's notice. It was an interesting yet understandable reaction from him.

Even though I was willing to trust Kain at my back, even with my reassuring touches and Aura, even though he could physically see the other males every move, Raziel was still protective and watchful. Making sure that Kain did not do me harm. His knowledge of my history and the horrors of his own agony was making him endearingly protective of me because of both my wings and the age difference between us. Purring softly, I leaned forward and kissed at his throat. A rumbling purr escaped his own throat but he remained focused on Kain's movements.

Fangs brushed against the base of my left wing, then my right. I shivered in pleasure, wings attempting to flare in an instinctive presentation yet held firmly in place by Kain's restrictive grasp. The sharp points abruptly sank into the flesh, just above the main artery. A hiss escaped me. A noise that rapidly turned into a low, throaty moan as pleasure started to sear through me. Arching against Raziel, I tangled my fingers in his hair and held him tight. I barely managed to prevent myself from writhing due to the pleasure. It had been some time since I had felt this pleasure. Kain continued to feed slowly, oh so slowly, at the base of my wings, drawing the pleasure out rather than forcing me over the edge. Raziel's lips pressed against my neck in a light, nipping kiss and he started to relax against me as he took in my scent. My lack of fear.

"It… feels good, My Lady?" he asked, lips tickling the skin of my throat and voice tinged with the beginnings of lust.

"Mnnnhmmm," I continued to pet at his hair, pulling the leather thong that held his hair in a loose tail free in the process. "It is an… _hnnnnn_ … arterial feeding Raziel. Slow… careful and _mmmm_ … controlled."

"I see," he said as he relaxed further still. His hands slowly started to massage at my hips and I arched further into his touch.

"R-Raziel?"

"Yes, My Lady?" his tongue slid slickly over my neck and I moaned.

" _Mnnnnmmmh_ ," I shivered, trembled and worked to gather my thoughts once more. "You… may call me Katrina…"

"As you wish," he murmured in a soft purr. "Katrina."

"Let…" I flexed my wings in a pushing motion.

Kain pulled back immediately and laved gently at the skin at the base of my wings. Now that I could think properly, I let out a soft chuckle and kissed Raziel's cheek as I pulled back. I continued to card my fingers through his hair.

"Would you be willing to let him feed from you so?" I asked in a soft tone.

Both males stiffened at my words and I leaned forward to nuzzle at Raziel's throat even as I reached out to brush my Aura over both of theirs in a soothing press of power. I wanted more than anything to help heal this divide between them. The only way to do that however, would be to start with Raziel willingly allowing Kain at his back. At his wings. To trust the Eldar to give him pleasure and not pain.

"I will be right here," I murmured as I nipped my way up along the line of his throat up to the delicate point of his ear. He shivered but beyond that still remained stiff. Wary.

"If you do not wish to do this mine own, then..." Kain started, only to be cut off by Raziel's slightly strained, snappish voice.

" _Do it_ ," he bit out.

Letting out a soothing chirr of noise at his tone, I started to brush the tips of my fingers along his back just below the base of his wings. A full-bodied shudder ran through him as I teased at those hidden flight muscles and the wings partially unfurled. Kain moved from behind me slowly as not to spook Raziel. Raziel watched the older hunter with the focus of a falcon despite my continued touches. Grabbing Raziel's hands gently in my own, I guided his hands to the base of my own wings. A sign of trust. Once his hands had settled feather light on my wings, I reached behind him and held out my hands for Kain's. Large, taloned hands came to rest in my own and I guided those large hands to rest on Raziel's waist, just above where my own legs were wrapped around the slimmer male's hips. I pressed his hands to the spot with a firm press and then shifted as I started to nibble at Raziel's neck once more. The position made it easy for me to watch Kain's movements. One of those rare, almost soft looks passed Kain's face as he leaned in to lave his tongue along the base of Raziel's left wing.

The movement made Raziel arch and a soft hiss escaped him. Pleasure… and forcibly suppressed fear. His wings started to furl closed again and I gently rubbed along the base of his wings, along the line of muscle in order to keep them extended. They trembled openly with his nervousness and his scent was spiking with pleasure and trepidation. I pulled away from the sweet line of his throat and pressed my lips against his own in a gentle kiss. His own lips pressed back against mine with a wild and desperate fervor. His hands spasmed around the base of my wings before his grasp shifted so that he held me in a near-bruising hug as his tongue dove into my mouth. My tongue warred with his own, darting into his mouth when he withdrew. A low purr escaped Kain and Raziel suddenly jolted against me. His grasp around me tightened and his fangs sank reflexively into my lip. I bore the pain with a silent wince and nipped his own lip lightly in admonishment before continuing to kiss him, deep and thorough.

A deep-throated, throttled groan escaped him and his grasp loosened at the nip. His hands moved to where he could start to card the sharp tips lightly through the feathers at the base of my wings. He bucked beneath me a second time, groin pressing more firmly against my own and I let out another chirring sound. Raziel's breath was coming in increasingly frantic gasps as Kain picking up his feeding, as the pleasure mounted. I pulled back, flicking my tongue over his lower lip and taking in the sight of his pleasure-strained expression. His eyes had gone blue-white with power, a fascinating difference when considering the white glow of Kain's eyes and my own. A sudden, high and viciously frustrated keen of sound escaped Raziel and his head fell to rest against my shoulder. His wings were twitching uncontrollably and his scent was near to desperate with hunger. Need. He was pressed against me, hard and firm. Aching for release.

I let out a bemused laugh when Kain straightened up with a darkly satisfied look upon his face. He leaned forward, over Raziel's shoulder and bowed head, and kissed me deeply, sharing Raziel's rich vitae in the process. It was a heady vitae indeed, fluctuating and wild. I could taste just the hint of Kain's own power in Raziel's blood, what with him being Kain's Childe and it brought to mind the image of a falcon flying in the face of a thunderstorm. Defiant. Beautiful. Free and yet willing to heed the winds of the storm as a safe path was sought to survive the gale blowing around it...

Shuddering, I deepened the kiss and reached out to tangle my fingers in Kain's hair in a way that pressed my wrist against my Mark on his throat. Kain reared forward at the touch with a snarl of breath, both pinning Raziel more firmly between us and deepening our kiss. Raziel let out a low groan and his hands slid down the line of my back as he started to undo the clasps that held my top secure with those surprisingly deft talons. Kain pulled back from the kiss and began to pull off Raziel's pauldrons and armor that the other male wore. Once the armor was out of the way, he started to lick and nip at Raziel's throat. Each fanged kiss drew beads of dark, power-scented blood and I leaned forward to lick away the droplets that he left alone.

"I wish to watch you with him my Katrina," Kain said in a purring growl before sinking his fangs into Raziel's throat for a brief feeding that caused the dark-haired male to arch against me and cry out.

"Is that so?" I chuckled softly. "Would you like that as well Raziel? Would you like us both?"

"I... _nnngh_!" Raziel's hands moved to the belt on my leathers and then froze. He swallowed roughly and met my gaze. "Only if my Lady wishes it."

I felt my gaze soften at his words and I leaned forward to press a light kiss to his lips. I wanted him to understand the enormity of Kain's request.

"Know that I have shared Kain with other males before," I said against his lips. " _However_ , none of those males were allowed to touch _me_. He always refused on the basis that he could not trust those other males with my person. What does it tell you then, sweet Raziel, that he is willing to trust _you_ with me so?"

Raziel's own visage softened with a startled awe, yet he did not turn to look at the older male. An unreadable look passed over his face and he let out a shuddering sound. His expression suddenly turned… resolute. As if he had decided something. My eyes widened and my body tensed, clenched, when I felt his Aura suddenly relax completely under the touch of my own. I could feel Kain's own violent shudder and saw him pull back from Raziel's throat with an almost unreadable expression. I knew that look. Kain had been shocked speechless.

But then, this was Raziel we were talking about. Everything that I knew about him spoke of a person who, once he had decided upon a course of action, _committed_ to that course with the dedication of a falcon diving for its' prey. Only a jarring incident would knock such an individual off course and while he had been through many such experiences over the past few years, or perhaps centuries, since he started to chase Kain through time, his nature had not changed overmuch. I knew in an instant that he was taking a chance, opening himself up like this to both of us. I shared a look with Kain and nodded. He returned the nod a moment later. Kain's blue-gold eyes were possessive, eager even, but more than that he was astonished by Raziel's blatant offer.

I smiled gently at them both and shifted to the side, guiding Raziel above me even as Kain shifted to allow the movement. I withdrew my wings so as not to have them pinch. Raziel settled himself along the line of my body, his own wings slowly spreading out to their full, glorious length above me. He braced himself on one hand and eagerly started to undo my belt. I caught his hand in mine and leaned up enough to nip at his lower lip to catch his attention. His gaze met my own questioningly.

"Focus," I said in a firm and gentle tone. "I can take much, but _listen_ first."

His eyes narrowed and he nodded his head, "I am listening."

"'Anima'," I said clearly. "I say that, you stop. Are we clear?"

"Anima," he repeated with another nod. "I hear you My Lady."

I let out a sigh of mock-frustration and flicked his nose lightly.

"Katrina," I said firmly.

Kain let out a low chuckle from next to us and Raziel let out soft laugh as well.

"I hear you… Katrina," he murmured as he leaned forward to press his lips against my own.

"Sweet Raziel…" I hummed as I met his kiss, tangling my fingers through his hair.

His talons deftly undid my belt, but with a slightly less frantic air. A low groan escaped me as he peeled my leather pants down and I lifted my hips in order to help him slide them off. Kain's hands took over in order to help with the removal of my boots and Raziel's own hands moved up to caress and tease at my stomach. The back of one talon ran over the line of the blue-silk thong that I was wearing and he started to slide the sharp edge of his talon under the line of the cloth in order to cut it away. I swiped my claws over the back of his hand, scratching but not drawing blood.

"That is _silk_ Raziel," I stressed in a gentle yet admonishing tone. "I may have brought a number of items from Gaia with me, but I'll not tolerate losing such garments to your sharp talons. Dealing with Kain's propensity for ruining my clothes will me quite enough. It will be best if you do not emulate him in this."

Raziel let out a soft snort of amusement at my words and his fingers shifted in order to gently guide the fragile cloth down my legs. Kain again took over once they were past my knees and gave my leg a reprimanding nip. I hissed at him, a playfully defiant noise and he chuckled. Raziel's hands slid upwards and began to fondle my breasts gently. I let out a low groan and tugged at his own leather belt. An echoing noise escaped his own throat once I pulled his hardened flesh free from its' confines. I let out an appreciative hum of sound at the feel of him in my hands. Stroking my hands over him with an exploratory touch, I realized that he was roughly the same length and girth that I recalled Kain having that last night we shared on Gaia. Significant, but not enough to potentially breech me in a way that I would only accept from Kain as he was now. I rubbed the pads of my fingers carefully over Raziel, mindful of my claws, and carefully explored the oddly nubbed texture of his shaft. It was a contrast to Kain's more ribbed textures and I shivered, wondering how it would feel. Unlike Kain, Raziel was not circumcised and trailing my fingers over the foreskin caused Raziel to thrust into my grasp with a low, growling moan. So eager…

His mouth closed about one of my nipples a moment later and he shuddered violently at some hidden movement of Kain's. His tongue flicked out over the nipple with skillful movements and I rewarded those deft touches stroking his shaft in my hand. As Raziel's hands started to dance in teasing trails over my stomach and under my breasts and I reached out to tease the base of his wings. Every move, every gentle prod and push at those muscles guided his wings higher and higher in a mantling display that would allow Kain to see us without difficulty. I breathed in deeply, enveloping my senses with the combined scents of both male's arousal. I shuddered and let out a low groan of desire.

Kain let out an approving sound of noise and his hand closed about mine a moment later. He guided my hand in a pumping, twisting movement that caught the loose skin of Raziel's foreskin cowl. The movement caused Raziel to pull from my breast with a strained, yet pleasured cry. His wings fanned wide and gave a rough beat at the air that ruffled my hair and I purred at the sight of the look of abandon on his face. Kain echoed me with a deeper, growling purr and I repeated the movement that he'd shown me. It forced another cry from his throat and, despite the distracting pleasure, his hands continued to caress over my skin. He squeezed my breasts in his hands, sharp talon-tips of his thumbs gently flicking over my perked nipples at the same time. I cried out when his grasp abruptly tightened and then moaned when his fingers started to move with a more soothing and massaging pressure. His hands moved down moments later, seeking out and touching the sensitive skin of my stomach and sides. Touches that made me squirm and moan softly.

Kain's hand moved to catch my free hand and he guided me in turn to silently show me where his favored Lieutenant was most responsive. I continued to stroke Raziel slowly, slowly ratcheting his pleasure higher as I explored his body at Kain's direction. I pulled my hand free of Kain's though when I felt the hidden line of flight-muscle under Raziel's ribs and guided his larger hands in turn. Kain pulled his hand free a moment later, following the path of muscle so similar and yet dissimilar to my own. He pressed down with a gentle but firm amount of force. Raziel let out another low groan and started to mouth at my breasts with an increased eagerness.

"Hm," Kain's voice was a low rumble of lust-filled contemplation. "Not quite as sensitive as yourself…"

"Due… _mmmm_ … to the different wing-structure mayhaps?" I let out a low groan and arched my lower body upward against Raziel when his sharp fangs brushed over my nipple.

I bucked beneath him and forced him up to where he was on his hands and knees rather than be pressed against the line of my body. Raziel let out a groan of disappointment at my movements but heeded my silent directions readily enough. I squirmed low enough along the bed so that I could pass my tongue slowly along the long length of him.

" _Nghh_ … My La- _AH_!" Raziel's head fell forward to rest against the bed when I repeated that earlier, little twisting move.

"My name Raziel," I purred and I flicked my tongue out again.

"K-Katrina…" he said and he swallowed roughly, his hips giving an abortive thrust. "You- _ngh_! Oh, by the Pillars!"

I darted forward as he spoke and toke Raziel's length into my mouth and down my throat in as swift a move as I dared given his size. One of his hands reached down to tangle in my hair and his hips bucked forward as I took him to the root. Kain chuckled low at my movements, a low sultry, gravely noise that made us both shiver and moan. Raziel's moan changed to a strangled cry as the vibrations of my moan traveled over his shaft. Kain's hands teased over my thighs as I suckled and swallowed around that thick shaft. One magically sheathed talon slid over my damp folds before sliding in to carefully stretch my entrance. I shuddered and bucked my hips up to force that talon deeper. He obliged by driving the talon deep and he stroked my inner walls with gentle, precise touches that made me groan around Raziel.

"My dear Katrina does so enjoy being able to hold one captive in such a manner and she is skilled indeed at keeping fang away from such sensitive flesh. Do remain still though my Raziel," Kain purred and I felt him shift, pressing himself along the line of Raziel's back in order to speak softly in the other male's ear. Raziel shuddered and groaned low as he struggled to remain still as directed though it was obvious that he wanted to meet my movements. I blinked curiously when I noticed his scent spike at Kain's soft-spoken order. "Good, very good my Raziel. Whilst she still needs air, the last time she had me so… she could maintain such a position for fifteen minutes without air."

Raziel's hand clenched around my hair in a tighter grip and he whimpered. With his head bowed to rest against the bed, I could see the now-desperate look in his eyes as he met my gaze. Thanks to Kain's words, it was clear that he expected to be teased for that length of time, or longer still, before being allowed release. I let out a thoughtful hum and pulled back enough to slowly sweep my tongue over the head of his length. It was a tempting, the thought of teasing him longer and seeing just how far this obedience of his could be taken, but I was eager enough myself to not want to wait. I reached for my pants where they lay on the bed and grabbed the pouch from the belt even as I continued to suckle upon the head of his length. I blindly took out a small vial and poured a small amount of fluid into my hand and let him slip from my mouth. Raziel's face twisted briefly in confusion when he noticed the small amount in my hand. The look transmuted to one of pleasure when I started to stroke him again. The fluid was likely slicker than any oil that he might be used to. A hissing cry escaped him barely a moment later when the lube began to heat in my hand. I could feel his body tremble with the need to move, but he managed to remain still in my grasp. I held out the vial to Kain and looked at him from around Raziel's hips.

"The warming brand that you liked," I purred, "with some improvement. I brought plenty with me."

Kain's eyes lit up with a pleased hunger and he let out a growling purr as he pulled the vial from my hand, his finger sliding out of me at the same time. I groaned in disappointment at the loss, but turned my head and continued to lave at the head of Raziel's length. I watched as Kain pulled back far enough to free his own considerable shaft and he started to stroke himself whilst watching us. He remained partially behind Raziel and he rested his free hand on the other male's rear after he had set aside the vial. I chuckled and squirmed my way back up the bed and placed my lips against Raziel's whilst I teased the head of his shaft against my slick opening with one hand.

"My la… Katrina…" he corrected himself automatically. I lifted my hips up in a brief movement that forced the head of his length into me, only to slide him free a moment later. He groaned at the loss of my heat around him. " _Nnngh_ … ah… do you intend to torment me?"

"Do you want me to?" I asked playfully.

Yet despite the playful tone, I was serious in asking that question. I did not know Raziel's preferences as yet. He started to glance over his shoulder at Kain and I tightened my grasp enough around his shaft that it forced his eyes back to my own with a brief baring of fangs. I frowned up at him and nipped at his lower lip in admonishment.

"I asked the question Raziel," I said with a low rumble. "Answer me…"

"Ngh… I…" his eyes narrowed as he realized that I was indeed being quite serious. He shuddered and thrust his hips against me slowly. "I… want inside you My La… _Katrina_. Now… if you are so inclined."

"I am," I responded with a grin and a purring growl, pleased by his response.

I briefly slid my hand from root to tip in order to ensure that the warming lube was spread over his entire length. Squirming, I shifted down just a little further and raised my hips up in order to guide the head of him to my entrance. Properly aligned, I moved my hand away and wrapped one of my legs around his waist. He kept himself braced on one hand and pressed the other hand to the base of my back. I rocked my hips upwards again and he let out a low growl, thrusting forward with a vicious, surging move that buried that hard length within me. A pleasure-pained cry escaped me and my other leg lashed out to coil around his waist. Kain let out a pleasured snarl from above us, but Raziel stilled at the pain in my voice. I tangled my fingers in his hair and let out a low snarl.

"Again," I growled and his eyes flared blue-white, nothing but lust filling his gaze as he nodded.

His hands moved to cup the curves of my ass and the tips of his talons lightly dug into my skin. He pulled back and then pushed back inside me in one, smooth, jarring thrust that forced another cry from my throat. Tightening around him, I shifted and wrapped both legs around his waist. He kept his thrusts slow, but forceful. It felt good, very good. The subtle 'nubs' along his length, whilst not as noticeable as Kain's own ribbed-like texture, still slid smoothly along my inner walls in a pleasing glide that made me groan and clench around him. Using my grip on his waist, I arched my back, pushing myself up onto his length to meet his next push forward and then tightened around him, squeezing my internal muscles. Raziel groaned and pressed his lips against mine in a near-reverential kiss.

"Tight," he murmured softly and he deepened the kiss, tongue dancing over my own. He pulled back and then suckled on my lower lip. "So hot and tight clasped about me… glorious."

"Mmmnhh," I shifted my hips again, forcing him in and out of me in a slow glide and he groaned at my movements. "You… nnn… feel good… nnn _ahh_!"

There was movement beside us and my head was suddenly yanked back, distracting me from further thought of speech. I let out a startled cry that morphed into a howl of pleasure when Raziel slammed forward, burying himself within me to the hilt, testes slapping loud against the curves of my rear. Kain's mouth closed over my own. His tongue delved into my mouth hungrily and I eagerly returned the kiss as Raziel started to pull back. Kain withdrew from the kiss with a rumbling pleasure-filled growl.

"Again Raziel," he ordered blue-gold eyes meeting my own and filled with hunger. "Harder now."

I squirmed as Raziel shifted to his knees, both hands grasping my hips tight. Kain's grip in my hair kept my head pinned in place as my lower body was lifted up. I bared my fangs at him with a growl at being held so and then roared when Raziel thrust forward with greater strength than before. The head of his length slammed against my cervix and I writhed, both legs wrapped tight around his waist. He gave another powerful thrust and Kain's lips teased over the shell of my ear.

"You enjoy this, don't you mine own?" he purred.

"Nnngh! _Yes_!" I cried out and I grabbed as Raziel's wrists where he held my waist.

"Can you take harder still?" he purred the question in my ear. I could hear the slow-slick glide of his hand as he stroked himself, yet I couldn't move my head to see his movements. I swallowed roughly at the question and nodded.

"Yes," I answer with a low groan. "Ah, fuck… Harder Raziel!"

"As my Lady Wishes," Raziel said in a growling purr as his eyes flashed white-blue once more.

Another powerful thrust forward made me buck and writhe in pained-pleasure. Kain purred in my ear, a dark and rumbling noise of sound. His lips moved from my ear to my throat and he laved at his Mark. Raziel began to thrust in and out of me. Slowly withdrawing only to pound forward in a near brutal onslaught that made me clench and withe. I howled in frustrated desire and tried to force myself onto his length at a faster pace but he kept my hips still in his hands, his Eldar strength easily surpassing my own. A low, throttled groan escaped me when he shifted us so that each forceful movement caused him to glide over that sweet-spot within me. I tried to raise up, tried to grab for his shoulders, but Kain's grasp on my hair kept me in place. Kain's pleased rumbles grew louder still and he pulled back enough to watch Raziel whilst the dark-haired male moved within me.

Kain released me a few minutes later. He grabbed Raziel by the hair. Raziel's movements within me stuttered, his pace thrown off as his head was abruptly wrenched back. Kain's mouth closed over the other male's in a harsh kiss and Raziel stilled completely, his length the only thing that moved as he twitched within me. A low groan escaped his throat and the kiss softened somewhat even as he began to resume his movements, starting to thrust into me at a faster pace that drew a happy growl from my lips. His grasp had also loosened enough that I could lift my hips and meet each powerful thrust. I took full advantage of that loosened grip whilst I watched the two. Kain's free hand lightly brushed over one wing and Raziel's movements stuttered once more. He let out a hissing groan at the continued touch and his hands tightened around my hips. Kain let out a soothing rumble of noise as he broke the kiss and moved behind Raziel once more.

"Hold still, My Raziel," Kain ordered, lips pressing against Raziel's ear. "Dear Katrina, keep moving yes?"

"Of course," I said with a breathless laugh, knowing what he intended.

I moved my hands to cover Raziel's and flashed him a gentle smile as I started to roll my hips, forcing him in and out at a slow and sensual pace. Teasing him in turn. Raziel's hands flexed around my hips, wings spasming and twitching as Kain began his own sensual assault on the other male's senses. Raziel's head arched back and another hissing cry escaped him, his length somehow growing harder still within me as a result of Kain's actions. A choked snarl escaped him when Kain's fangs sank into his throat.

"Kain!" Raziel cried out a moment later and I shuddered at the sheer abandon in his voice.

I pulled myself up to where I could grip onto Raziel's shoulder with one hand and then reached around behind him to feel what Kain was doing. One thick talon was slowly being pushed into Raziel's rear passage and my fingers teased over that stretched hole. I let out a low groan in Raziel's ear that made him shudder violently and then licked along the shell of his ear.

"You take it so well Raziel," I whispered into his ear.

"Nnn… Katrina…! _Kain_ …!" Raziel's arms wrapped around my waist and back. His mouth closed over my own in a desperate kiss.

I hummed and purred happily against his mouth as I continued to ride his length. My fingers continued to tease around the ring of his ass as Kain stretched him, prepared him with that magically sheathed talon. Finally, my silver-haired Mate pulled his talon back and I helped him align the head of his own thick length against Raziel's entrance. Raziel let out a shuddering groan against my mouth at the pressure. I kept my fingers just there in order to feel as Kain pushed in with a victorious little growl of noise. I pulled back from the kiss to suckle at the left side of Raziel's throat and felt Kain move to mirror me on the other side. Raziel's breath was coming faster and faster as Kain sank deeper inside the dark-haired male, my finger teasing that opening throughout the process. We stilled, both out Aura's wrapping around Raziel's and the male's Aura again fell beneath our own willingly.

We struck swiftly and as one to Mark Raziel as _Ours_.

Raziel howled. Trapped as he was between us he howled in pain and pleasure as we Marked him. His body thrust back and forth between us widely, delving deep into my core only to pull back and force Kain deeper into his own body. Kain pushed us down so that I was laying on my back and Raziel had to release me in order to brace his hands against the bed lest he crush me with his own weight. Kain's hands closed around my waist as he slammed forward into Raziel with a roaring snarl of breath, forcing the other male into me harshly. Both Raziel and I let out startled cries that turned into equally pleasured howls at the continued movements. Raziel's mouth closed on my own as Kain kept up the forceful pace, as if he were using Raziel's body as an extension of his own to pound into me. Taking me _through_ Raziel. I broke the kiss long enough to sink fangs into Raziel's throat over my Mark and I fed from him swiftly. Raziel roared in pleasure, taloned fingers tangling in my hair as he writhed, pinned, trapped between us. A muffled and strained cry escaped me when he abruptly filled me with a flood of cold-fire seed. I pulled back from his throat with a cry of pleasure at the sensation. Kain let out a bellowing roar, his thrusts coming harder, pounding Raziel forward into my own body as he too found his own release and filled Raziel in turn.

Choked cries escaped Raziel's throat as Kain's movements slowed and I kissed the other male gently, my own breaths escaping me in little panting coos of approval. Kain leaned forward to lick at Raziel's throat over his own Mark and gently pulled the three of us onto our sides without allowing our bodies to separate.

*****Lemon end******

A low, soothing croon of approval escaped Kain's throat and he lightly stroked his taloned hands over Raziel's hip and then my own. Both of us nuzzled at Raziel's neck where we had each Marked him, Kain's Mark on the right and mine on the left. Raziel tilted his head back to allow us both access and a satisfied yet fragile sense of repletion filled his Aura. I pulled back and smiled at the content look on his face and bumped my nose against his own.

"You are ours Raziel," I whispered softly and a small tremble started to run through the dark-haired male at my words. "You will never be without our favor."

"Know that you have always pleased me mine own," Kain said softly in Raziel's other ear, hand rubbing soothingly along his flank. "You will not be abandoned again. You have seen this truth."

"I have," Raziel whispered in a near shattered tone.

He knew he would have to become the Soul Reaver soon. To be placed where a Young Kain could find him. Years of silence. Solitude. Isolation. But _not_ abandoned to an _unrecoverable_ fate. No. He ducked his head and nuzzled at my throat with a small croon.

"I am yours," he said. "My Lord. My Lady. I am your faithful servant."

"Sweet Raziel," I tilted his head up and kissed him. "You are my Knight. My Champion."

"My Raziel," Kain raised his hand to turn Raziel's head to also give him a kiss. "You are my Right Hand. My favored Lieutenant."

"Yes," Raziel whispered into the kiss and his eyes fluttered, his exhaustion plain. " _Yours_."

Kain chuckled.

"Let us rest a while," he said softly.

"That would be nice," I said with a small yawn.

Raziel let out a weak chuckle and I nuzzled against his chest. Kain drew us both close in his larger arms and a low, rumbling purr filled the air. Raziel's soft tremors slowly eased and only once his breath had evened out into that of one slumbering did I allow myself to succumb to sleep, held safe by both of my Mates. We would plan more in the morning. For now, we had each other.


	57. Rally the Troops

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Rally the Troops...

I awoke hours later. The air was heavy with the scent of early-morning dew. I squirmed about a bit in an attempt to turn onto my stomach and stretch out, yet found that I was firmly pinned into place by the two males. It was odd in a way, waking up so. I'd not woken with a lover in my bed for a number of years now, let alone two. On the other hand, the heavy, slumbering weight of their powerful Aura's left me tempted to remain in bed. Luxuriating in such warmth was a tempting thing indeed. Still... I wanted to check in on the Eldar Raziel's well-being. I was concerned. Finally managing to wriggle free, I slipped out of the bed and moved to stand. Kain's hand coiled about my wrist barely a moment later and I turned to look at him in surprise. His expression was blank, guarded. He thought I was... leaving...? I smiled gently and bent over to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

~I am just going to go and check on the Eldar version of our Knight,~ I Whispered as the younger Raziel looked to yet be slumbering. ~You remain here with the younger, enjoy some time with him before we start to make any further plans to defeat the Parasite.~

~My Dear Katrina,~ he purred into my mind, relaxing.

He pulled me back to him for a deeper kiss. I pulled back a few moments later and nipped at his lower lip and laughed softly.

~We will have time enough to see what has changed and what is yet the same between us. _All_ of us,~I told him and he released me reluctantly.

~Call if you have need mine own,~ he ordered firmly before he turned to draw the slumbering Raziel closer to him.

~I will,~ I responded. I smiled fondly at the sight that the pair made.

Finding my clothing took a few moments and, once dressed, I slipped from the room silently and made my way toward where I could sense Eldar Raziel's recovering Aura. Given the sudden teleportation, it was the fastest way to find where we had placed him. Opening the door carefully, I slipped into the room and padded quietly to his side. I relaxed as I took in his form. He was still unconscious, but no longer was his brow drenched with sweat and his expression no longer seemed quite so tormented by things only he had seen. I summoned one of the male servants by using the rope in the room and briefly fed from him. Thanking him, I then sent him on his way with instructions to rest.

From there I took some time to clean away the dirt and grim from Eldar Raziel's form and stripped him out of the dirty armor that he was yet wearing. It might not be much, but I knew that sometimes waking up _clean_ could be a boon in and of itself after a long campaign. And this had been his longest if one looked at it from a certain perspective. Once I had him tucked back in under clean sheets, I tipped his head up and back and opened a cut in my wrist in order to feed him. He swallowed on his own this time, which was in and of itself a good sign, but he still did not wake. I used the Telekinetic Gift that I had gotten thanks to sharing blood with Kain and kept the small wound open for a time since I did not need to worry about my blood overflowing and staining the bed sheets. Cancelling the magic after a few more swallows, I reached out to comb my fingers through the dark-haired male's hair and sighed softly.

"Must you worry us so?" I murmured softly. "When will you awaken?"

His eyes fluttered as if in response to my words and I held my breath. There was a brief flaring of his Aura, not quite giving the sense of wakefulness but a definite sense of _something_. My shoulders slumped a few moments later when there seemed to be no further change and his Aura's energy started to fade back to its' slumbering state.

"Raziel?" I questioned hopefully.

Surprisingly, his mind brushed against my own a moment later. Sluggish, tired and so soft as to be an almost non-existent touch, but there none-the-less.

~Core... Deep... Witch...~

Almost undecipherable that, I thought to myself even as I leaned close to him to press my forehead against his own.

"'Core'? What ' _core_ ' Raziel?" I asked in a soft tone. "And what 'witch'?"

His mind fluttered briefly against my own as if trying to form more words yet only emotion could be felt. His mind fell silent once more, quiet and lost in healing slumber. I let out a soft sigh, filled with a faint amount of frustration and reached to brush my fingers lightly against his brow.

"Rest and come back to us soon my sweet Knight," I murmured. I stood and started back towards Kain's chambers.

In returning to the room I found a pleasant sight indeed, the pair that I had left behind were sprawled out in a state of near-regal disarray that hinted strongly at a missed opportunity to witness the pair in action together. I had spent some time taking care of the Eldar. Raziel was spread out on his stomach next to Kain, wings spread out over the bed and laying in a way that left his head upon the other males chest. Kain was idly playing with the dark-haired males hair. A moue of disappointment escaped me and Kain flashed me a smug look at the noise. Laughing at his unrepentant expression, I moved to sit on the edge of the bed near the headboard. I combed my claws lightly through his silver strands and he nipped at my wrist.

"Any change?" he asked.

"He woke up just enough to Whisper to me," I responded with a nod. "Three words; 'core', 'deep' and 'witch'. I am not sure what he meant, but by the way he was focusing, it seemed to be important to pass that on to me."

"Hn," Kain tilted his head thoughtfully and Raziel shifted his head in order to look up at me with a small frown. "That he was so focused on passing on said information could be a hint that he might not wake before we deal with our enemy. As for the rest, perhaps a clue as to where to look next for information as well."

Dangerously-sharp talons continued to card through Raziel's hair as my silver-haired mate frowned in thought. Raziel let out a hum himself before he spoke.

"The Seer did say that we would need to seek out the Witch the next time we needed her aid, did she not?" he asked as he turned his head around to look at Kain.

"'The Seer'?" I asked, momentarily drawing a blank. The puzzle-piece clicked into place and I snapped my fingers a moment later. "Oh! The Hylden woman. Vorador's 'friend'."

Kain flashed me a look that was both amused and annoyed. I held up my hands defensively.

"I thought she was supposed to be dead," I said in explanation. "The story said something about her home being burned down. I'd thought nothing of it at the time."

"Her home was burned down, but she escaped. I had returned to her hut after the Hylden Lord's defeat to see if I could find anything useful left in the wreckage. I found a hidden path that led underground and away from the burnt ruins. It had amused me, finding out that the woman had been too clever for the Sarafan's trap," he rumbled softly and he nodded his understanding of my words. "It is understandable that you thought her dead. You had no reason to question it. Since then though, we have had the chance to work with her and have learned much about the original war that started due to the Parasite's influence. It is also thanks to her that we learned that you would need... extensive aid... after your capture the first time. She was able to say that, while she did not know the extent of the damage that had been done to you..."

"...what state I would be in afterwards," I finished for him and he nodded. "So a true Seer then? And she is how you found out the true history?"

"Yes," Kain responded. "And she does not need the Chronoplast to See. Though when it came to seeing what happens in regards to yourself, she was as limited as I."

"I remember. You said something about being unable to see me unless I was with a 'Key Player', someone who might affect history adversely if they made 'x' or 'y' choice or perhaps were slain before their time," I said with a hum. "The Lordling had been a lesser player and should have remained so save for Auron's influence, so she nor you could See what happened. I imagine she would also be limited, again like yourself, to what can be Seen in the Physical Realm, yes?"

"Correct, she did infer that," Kain said. "Still, that the Eldar Raziel referenced her..."

"Then we will need to figure out where the Seer has sequestered herself," Raziel said as he sat up.

"Hmm," I tilted my head a bit in thought. "Perhaps... we could start by asking the humans? We can go and check on the youngsters that we rescued, both to ensure that they made it home and to see if she has made her residence nearby? It's unlikely that she would have made her home near any of the territories that are controlled by the now wild vampires..."

"A fair assumption mine own," Kain said as he slid off of the bed.

He began to slip back into his armor with a casual ease. Raziel mirrored him on the other side of the bed and rather than help either of them, I just watched them dress with a happy little hum of breath and a faint smile. The pair of them really made a wonderful contrast. Silver hair versus black. Blue-gold eyes compared to blue-white eyes. The buff form similar to that of a body-builder compared to the sleeker form of a speed-fighter. I shook my head to clear my thoughts as Kain continued to speak.

"We will have a problem however," he was saying as he buckled his vambraces into place. "We will not be able to approach the village openly as we are."

"We could use the Guise Spell," Raziel offered as a solution as he worked on his greeves.

"You've not yet mastered that spell my Raziel," Kain rumbled. "And these humans will be more attentive as they will be looking for 'demons' trying to invade their homes."

"Are you two forgetting that I can easily pass as human without the wings? Or what I am know as by said humans?" I asked with a near to bitter laugh. "I might as well capitalize on my... deification if approaching as a 'human' fails. You two can remain at the edge of any settlement to act as backup in case anything goes south."

Raziel and Kain both looked at me with equally entertained expressions. I stood up and crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes on them at the same time.

"What?" I asked gruffly.

"It is only..." Raziel let out a small chuckle before he continued. "You are yet uncomfortable with such reverence regarding your person. It is..."

My eyes narrowed on him in warning and he coughed faintly into his hand. I just knew that he was hiding a smile.

"...charming, My Lady," he finished as he turned to pick up his own vambraces.

I turned my glare on Kain and sighed when I took in his familiar smirk. I waved a hand dismissively at them both and turned to look at Raziel.

"I've never truly seen myself as a 'deity' of any sort Raziel. Lover, Scout, Captain, Queen..." I flashed a look Kain's way once more, offering him a faint smile. "Now 'Empress'. Those titles I know. I can answer to and associate myself with. A deity? A Goddess? The 'Mother of Mercy'? _That_ will take some getting used to in truth..."

"Ah, that explains your request that I refrain from referring to you as such," Raziel nodded to himself as he fastened the final buckle of his vambrace into place and stood. A contemplative, almost teasing expression passed over his face as he glanced Kain's way. "I wonder, are you as demanding as our Lord? Would you command me to call you 'Mistress' as he is called 'Master'?"

His words came out in a purring, tantalizing tone of voice that sent a shiver down my spine. At the very last word I felt heat pool low and a soft, hissing sigh escaped through my clenched teeth. I turned away from the pair with a huff of breath that caused Kain to let out a loud laugh.

"Are we to fly or will you be teleporting us to the area near where we found the youngsters?" I asked with an even tone as I ignored Raziel's teasing.

"Teleport and then fly in order to find the settlement," Kain responded, his tone laced with delight at the byplay between myself and Raziel. "You may as well extend your wings now in preparation Dear Katrina."

"Hmph," I turned away, ducking my chin in the process and he let out another chuckle at my open display of defiance.

I extended my wings as suggested though and reached into my pack to pull out my own bracers. I slid them on and started to buckle them into place with prim and precise movements. My hand was caught in Kain's large grasp a moment later and I stilled. He examined the snap-buckle design on the bracer, an improvement on an old design. Humming thoughtfully, he then finished buckling them in place for me. He pulled me close a moment later and held out his hand toward Raziel. Raziel closed his own taloned hand about Kain's wrist. Teleportation magics coiled about us moments later and we reappeared upon the plateau where we had tested, and proven, my idea. I glanced up at the smoke-covered skies and frowned as I tried to judge the time.

"Two hours 'til dusk," Kain rumbled conversationally as he released me from his hold.

I shot him a look, brow raised. He chuckled.

"Your expression has always been less guarded and easier to read when you are around those you feel safe with my Dear Katrina," he said as he brushed his knuckle over my cheek. "I am glad to see that some things have not changed..."

I nipped at his knuckle playfully in response to his words and he pulled his hand out of reach with a knowing smirk.

"Shall we be off?" I asked.

"Yes," Kain nodded his head firmly, expression serious once more. "Let us see if the village for the little ones is nearby and if they know anything that can help us."

The three of us took wing moments later and began to search the area, Kain's bats coiling around the pair of us during the flight. It took little effort to find the small, struggling hamlet that was too small to be a proper village. Traveling on the wing made it easier to find such settlements. I could not see the children that we had saved, but that did not mean that they were not inside or doing other chores. We landed nearby, far enough not to be seen and I scented at the air. Nodding, I turned to Kain and Raziel.

"This is their village," I said. "The scent-trail of the youngsters is fresh enough to indicate that they returned safely."

"Good," Kain responded with a frown. "I do not think many other villages are out this far at this point in time. The Wildlings have become more and more numerous over the centuries and have expanded their territories accordingly."

"'Wildlings'?" I asked.

"The vampires who have lost themselves to their instincts," Kain answered with a small shrug.

"I see," I frowned a bit. Raziel cleared his throat a moment later and I turned to him, thoughts derailed.

"Is Lady Katrina to approach alone?" he asked. "They may be a small hamlet, however there may still be a number of healthy warriors within. That and there might be several traps. Such a place cannot survive on luck alone."

"I can take care of myself if there is a need Raziel," I said to him with a frown.

"I do not doubt that My Lady," Raziel said with his own scowl turning his lips downwards, "but all it takes is one human sneaking in close whilst the others distract you in order to cause you injury. I would prefer to be closer at hand then the forest-line."

Now _that_ was annoying...

"Do you believe that I cannot scent such a one as you suggest as they approach? That I would be unable to hear them and take note of their position?" I asked with a warning growl laced through my tone. "That I cannot hear a weapon being drawn? Gaia might well be a gentler world compared to Nosgoth Raziel, but I did not sit about on my laurels twiddling my thumbs whilst waiting for time to pass before I could return here!"

My Aura flared in warning and Raziel's rose up at the same time. It was a sluggish and almost confused press of energy however. I calmed somewhat. He was honestly concerned for my well-being, in a way that many an Eldar can be for a vampire that was younger than them and also Clan. Yet, I had defeated him in an instant and subsumed his Aura with my Gift in such a way that his instincts recognized me as an Alpha with a greater power than he. But that was not strictly true. He was physically stronger and faster than I and he knew it in his head, it was simply that his instincts were now warring with the facts of the situation. Which was the opposite problem that we had been facing earlier.

A chirrup sounded in my ear and the noise drew our combined attention. I flashed Kain a dark look, frowning at him even as I reached up to pet the small bat that had remained on my shoulder rather than merge back into Kain when we landed. It had made itself at home in my hair during the flight and I had not really paid it any mind. I'd not needed to. Kain's eyes were narrowed on the both of us though, with a stern and commanding expression upon his face. I kept my gaze locked on his own but tilted my head up faintly in a token baring of my throat. Raziel mimicked the action. Kain nodded as both our Aura's calmed under the subtle pressure of his own. He turned toward the hamlet.

"Katrina will approach without us, Raziel," he said in a tone that brokered no back-talk. "We will remain close at hand however. Hidden in the woods. If there proves to be a problem, then it will be dealt with accordingly."

Containing a sigh, I turned away, my fingers still scratching idly at the back of the small bat. I idly wondered what it would cost him to maintain the small form. Raziel looked away from Kain's form as well, though he shot me a perplexed, side-eyed look. It was clear from his expression that he was not quite certain as to why he was reacting the way he was now. He may had been physically present at the time that I had explained my Gift to Kain, but he had not been aware of the discussion. I would need to talk to him later...

At any rate...

"Very well," I said calmly as I started forward. "Let us see how they react and what information they might have..."

I drew my wings in close to rest comfortable and cloak-like upon my shoulder. Their normal resting place. The bat tucked itself further into my hair to avoid being pinned under my wing. A glance about the area showed that Kain and Raziel had seemingly melted into very shadows of the woods. A number of humans noticed my approach at that point. Several hid themselves away inside their ramshackle homes. Others milled about worriedly, protectively. Ready to react to a proven threat at a moments notice. A single, scarred older male looking to be in his thirties approached me. His expression was wary and his hand lay ready upon the hilt of his sword.

"Hold," he ordered in the gravely voice of someone whose throat had been badly damaged at some point. A blow anyone would be lucky to survive in this wild world. "Wha's a noble like you doin' out this way?"

"I seek information, if you have it," I said calmly even as I came to a halt. "I also wish to confirm if three youths were able to make it to safety as I assume this is their home given that it is the closest village to where they were being held captive."

"You rescued the brats?" disbelief rang clear in his voice and I smiled a grim, toothless smile in response.

"I and some companions of mine," I responded in a careful tone.

"Idiot children," he growled. He abruptly pulled a skin off his belt, popped out the cork and handed it to me. I blinked at it and raised a brow. "Here now, it's jus' water."

"Hn," I took the skin with a bemused chuckle and took a whiff first. "So it is."

And then I took a large drink. Several of the humans that had started to cluster a little closer visibly relaxed as I swallowed the clear fluid. I stoppered the skin and then handed it back to the man in front of me. I glanced about briefly and noticed that a few people had come out of their homes at that little 'show', a few children peeking through doorways past the legs of their parents or relatives. I frowned.

"Where are the three children that I rescued?" I asked.

"Bein' punished ma'am," came the blunt response. My head whipped back around and I narrowed my eyes on the male. He held his ground without flinching, which was impressive.

"For what?" I asked, barely managing to keep my tone level.

"Fo' hearsay an' blasphemy," he growled. He then spat to the side. "Damn brats came back sayin' tha' the Mother Herself saved 'em. Her an' the Demon King. E'eryone knows that the Mother turned her back an' blessin' away from him. Why else would he have turned on his favored spawn? Poor blighter received her blessin' by gainin' the sky, even what with her bein' gone, and got tossed int' the Abyss for it."

"I see," I said, tone now empty of emotion. That was how the human populace viewed things these days? Not surprising in all honesty. Still... "Where are the youngsters located then?"

"The Oubliette," the male answered with a careless shrug. "Bein' that their youngin's, they'll be down there for another day fo' their words."

"The 'Oubliette'," I repeated slowly in a dark tone. My Aura pulsed faintly with my anger.

~Katrina,~ Kain's voice purred through my mind in a dark thrum. ~Be mindful.~

~I'll not have children be punished for speaking true about me,~ I growled back mentally.

~I know your tells yet, mine own,~ he responded. ~We will get no information from corpses.~

~I am well aware of that fact Kain,~ I rumbled back. ~Do not mistake my ire for a sign that I will lash out. I am long past the days of my impetuous youth, nor have I made such an error since my second century on Nosgoth's soil. Besides, a simple action should have them on their knees and changing their tune faster than any physical blow...~

~A fair enough assessment,~ he purred. ~We will remain on guard, of course.~

~Of course,~ I agreed.

The male's stance had shifted at my darkened tone and his expression had blanked from a more relaxed expression to that of one that read ' it's none of your business, outsider'. Only this very much was my business now. I crossed my arms and allowed my wings to slowly rise from my shoulders to spread out to their full wingspan. I allowed a low growl to escape my throat. Many of the humans let out startled exclamations and either fled back into their homes or collapsed to their knees in their shock. The male in front of me went white as a sheet but managed to remain standing, hand now clenched white about the hilt of his sword. I waited a few moments and then shifted my hand so that I could extend and examine my claws.

"This... 'oubliette'," I purred in a low and dangerous tone. "Take me to it."

"Y-you c-c-can't..." he stuttered for a few more seconds before he swallowed roughly.

"Can't what?" I asked in a level, yet still threatening, tone. "Be real? Be... here?"

I waved my hand dismissively as I looked back up at the male. My wings gave a lazy beat at the air that ruffled the hair of the humans closest to me. Many of them whimpered. I let out a heavy sigh.

"Suffice to say that I am real and that I am indeed _here_. Obviously some of your stories about me are either wrong or lack information," I said firmly. "Now, one of you will lead me to this... oubliette... so that the children might be let out. You had best hope that they are all _well_."

Shock could be a wonderful thing sometimes. The male who had greeted me nodded his head dully and he turned to lead me toward where the youngsters had been placed. It was as I feared, a true oubliette. A literal hole in the ground with a stone slab covering the opening. A hole to place someone... and forget about them. He moved the slab with the aid of another, younger, male and then tossed a rope down the hole. I frowned at the older male.

"Go down," I ordered and he blanched. "You are to tie the rope under their shoulders, one at a time. I will pull them up myself."

He started to open his mouth to say something and fell silent under my glare. He climbed down the hole. I waited to feel a tug at the rope and then easily hauled the youngsters up one by one, mindful of the crowd that was growing behind me as I worked. Most were staring at me in a worshipful, spell-bound kind of wonder that made me uncomfortable. I dismissed the sensation and waved over a woman who also had a water-skin on her belt. She moved over eagerly and helped the three thirsty youngsters to drink. Rather than toss the rope back down for the male, I glared at the crowd.

"Who ordered the youths to be placed down there?" I asked in a low tone.

An older woman stepped forward slowly, also looking to be in her thirties and with the limp of one who had long ago broken one leg. Old by Nosgoth's terms at least.

"I did, M'lady Mother," she responded in a voice equally firm yet tremulous with awe and fear. "When... when the youngsters came back sayin' that the Mother o' Mercy 'ad saved 'em we had merely thought that they 'ad been speakin' figurative-like. Then they started sayin' that it was true an' tha the Demon King 'ad been there too. We don'... well... pardon please Lady Mother for my sayin', but t' say that the Mother, that you, be helpin' the Demon King in any way has... has been blasphemy for a long time now..."

"I left this world for my own in order to defeat my own foes," I said and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Not because of any _disagreement_ with Kain."

Ignoring the startled gasps that escaped the crowd at my use of the 'Demon King's true name', I glanced behind me at the opening of the oubliette. I turned back to the woman a moment later, rope still in hand.

"How long have they been down there?" I asked. It had not been that long since we rescued them. Just one full day...

"Since dusk last eve," she answered.

"And it is almost dusk now," I murmured. I nodded to myself. "Down you will go woman. You yourself will await the dusk of tomorrow eve for having placed those children into the Oubliette in error. Once your time there is done, you will return to your prior duties. There is to be no ostracization, nor any further punishment for your error."

The last was said as I glared at the rest of those gathered. I waited until I heard at least a noise that sounded like acknowledgement before I turned to look back at the woman. I ignored the wide-eyed looks of the youngsters. That I had been able to save the three of them a second time was likely a shock indeed and I did not want to add to what would likely be a growing case of hero worship... or outright worship, by acknowledging them any further. But they would make their own choices.

"Before your punishment begins however, I seek information," I said.

"Anythin' Lady Mother, if'n I know the answer I shall help," she said with a small bow. She was likely grateful that I had not ordered her to remain in the Oubliette til her death.

"Have you heard of a woman known only as 'The Witch' or perhaps as 'The Seer'?" I asked.

"Don' know of any 'Seer' Lady Mother," she responded carefully. "Bu' the Witch? We've heard o' her..."

My eyes narrowed when she did not elaborate further. It was easy to read the woman's stance. She wanted to protect the Hylden woman. 'Scripture' might well say that I was the 'Mother of Mercy' and that I had turned away from Kain, yet I had just proven scripture wrong. The woman was intelligent enough to recognize that fact and wonder what else that scripture had gotten wrong. I let out a soft sigh.

"I do not mean to cause the Seer, the Witch, any harm," I offered in a softer tone. "She has proven to be an ally. She told my companions that if we needed to seek out her aid in the future, to ask for 'The Witch' and that we would find her that way."

"I... I am meanin' no disrespect M'lady Mother, bu'..." a nervous tremor had crept into her tone and spread through the crowd. By the looks of things, they were all protective of the woman. "Bu' th' Witch... she helps our village in return for not a thing. The two smaller hamlets in the mountain caves get help too. She's been helpin' us to keep our village safe from the... the vampires that have gone wild. She set up wards meant t' keep 'em away."

I blinked and raised a brow at that. I'd not noticed any wards myself... and Hylden based wards were usually noticeable, as well as painful. I sent a wordless question Kain's way via the Whisper and got a response nary a second later.

There are a number of weak wards around the area, he hummed. They would drive off a mindless young fledgling venturing far from their usual territory in search of food, but not a vampire that is in control of their instincts, such as us.

~Hm, good thing that,~ I responded. ~Does it affect you at all?~

~Tis' nothing more than the brush of a feather against the edge of thought,~ he said with a mental chuckle. ~Far too mild a warding for someone in control of one's mental facilities. They are not like the powered wards that the Sarafan used in Meridian.~

~Ah,~ I hummed softly. I narrowed my eyes on the woman once more.

"I'll say again that I mean her no harm," I said in a firm tone. "She is my ally and I seek further aid and advice from her if she is yet willing to assist me in my endeavors. If she does not, then that is her choice and I will not fault her nor harm her for such a decision."

"I... I..." the woman let out a low sigh. "As you will M'lady Mother. You'll find her North of here. Look fo' the raven on the rock and then follow the left hand path a mile out til you reach a river. From there you'll want t' take a right at the river an' then follow the river t' the cave with a rose bush. Always in bloom it is, so you'll not miss it. Tha's where you'll find her..."

"Thank you," I said with a small, yet grateful smile. I indicated the oubliette. "Now down with you. If anyone disobeys my instructions, I _will_ find out about it."

I said the last with a side-eye glance toward the crowd as the woman was assisted down into the Oubliette both by the male still in the hole and by two other younger males. The male climbed out and then sealed up the Oubliette behind him. I listened as the others shared my instructions with him and he shot me a surprised look. Again... did they really believe that I would be so cruel as to leave her below for her mistake? I shook my head and looked over the youngsters briefly to ensure that they were in good head before I moved away. I took my leave of the awe-struck hamlet and met up with Kain roughly a half-mile North. We pushed on without word, keeping an eye out for the signs that the woman had said to look for.

My previous good mood had been all but eradicated at that point however. What else had been done in my name that I would never have agreed with? There would be nothing that I could do to change the past but... hopefully... The backs of Kain's talons brushed lightly along the line of my wing and my head snapped in his direction. I honestly couldn't say if he had been speaking to me or not. I shifted my wing and pushed at his hand lightly.

"Hn, you are quite upset," he rumbled in a bland, conversational tone. Raziel remained quiet yet watchful a few steps behind us.

"Of course I am upset," I said in a tone that was carefully bland. "The children were being punished in my name for speaking naught but the truth. For perceived 'blasphemy'. How many more were harmed in my name? Slain in my name?"

I sighed and came to a halt, pinching at the bridge of my nose in the process. Raziel and Kain both came to a halt, yet remained silent. They were allowing me to vent as I needed. If needed. I let out a low, frustrated growl and let my hand fall back to my side.

"This is one of the main reasons that I have never liked organized religion in general," I said and a note of sorrow entered my voice. "Things can be twisted so _horribly_ as time goes on."

"Indeed," Kain offered in a soft tone. "Whilst it was made known to all that you had returned to Gaia in order to put down your own foe and that you would be gone for an undetermined amount of time, most believed that you would return swiftly. Not several millennia later."

"A fair enough point, especially when dealing with those who are short-lived..." I let out a softer sigh.

"Your return will likely be hailed as the return of the 'Blessed Times' that the humans oft speak of," Raziel offered in a dry tone. I shot him a dark look and he shrugged shoulder and wing. I was pleased to note that he had not tucked them in close. Protective. "We can use such a view point to our advantage later as we begin to rebuild."

"Just as we will be able to use your own return," I pointed out. I got a raised brow and an almost sardonic smile in response. "The return of Kain's First Born combined with my own return? Still... my main concern is how we will be handling the younger vampires that have not yet been lost to madness..."

At the odd look that passed over both of their faces, I sighed. A small bit of almost expected dread filled me.

"...or are they already lost?" I asked.

Kain looked back toward me and shook his head.

"As time has passed, even the newest fledge has shown signs of madness upon Turning. Most loose themselves to their predators instincts immediately nowadays," he said grimly. "I have discussed things with Raziel in detail and believe that the Children of my other Sons are lost. Unless there is some way to share the purification that Raziel granted to me en masse without endangering Raziel, then there is nothing to be done to restore them."

"You gained quite a bit from that purification then?" I asked as came across the river. We turned to follow it.

"Yes," his tone became wistful and pleased.

"Not only did he gain the ability to see the Parasite," Raziel started, "he also gained what Gifts I had... absorbed... from my fallen Brothers."

"Hnn," I thought for a moment, trying to recall all that Raziel would have gained. There would have been the boost to Telekinetic abilities from Turel. Dumah gave him some kind of constriction ability. Rahab... I snapped my fingers. "Water! You are immune now, aren't you?"

"I am," came the smug response. I glanced at Raziel with a grin on my lips.

"How long did it take to drag him away from the baths?" I asked. Kain let out an indignant, yet playful, huff of breath.

"What, pray tell, makes you believe that I could drag his lazy carcass anywhere?" Raziel asked me. His tone was playful, with a hint of wariness as he side-eyed Kain.

Wise, as Kain's hand lashed out to cuff Raziel upside the head in a playful blow. The other winged vampire dodged the blow easily enough and I used that second of distraction in order to use my own Telekinetic Gift to send roughly a bucket-full of water at the back of Kain's head. A flicker of magic briefly filled the air and was then released barely a second later. I recognized the fading magic as the beginnings of a shield spell and I blinked as he allowed the water to hit him. He looked over his shoulder at me and raised a brow. I shot him a cheeky smile and a wave before frowning.

"You could have continued to call up that shield," I said and I walked to his side as if nothing had happened. I eyed the rivulets of water as they dripped down his hide and nodded to myself when I saw no signs of even the beginnings of irritation.

"I will not react to something that no longer harms me mine own," he rumbled in a soft tone.

"Good," I said, pleased yet again by his wonderfully stubborn nature. I dodged his first, testing grab for my arm nimbly and then yipped with the follow up lunge pinned me in his arms.

I beat my wings rapidly, managing to lift us upwards a few feet in playful struggle. Dark laughter escaped his lips and he twisted about so that he could grab a handful of my hair in his hand. Sharp fangs pressed against my throat in a silent demand for me to yield and my wings stilled, dropping us back to the ground. He caught us both easily enough, preternatural speed and grace preventing us from falling over. He nipped at the skin of my neck lightly and let out a purr as he lowered me down to my feet. Raziel shook his head and let out a small sound that drew my attention. I raised a brow at him.

"Are you always so... playful?" he asked. "Outside of more serious situations you often seem... kittenish."

I let out a small laugh.

"I can be, when I choose to be," I answered with a small smile. "And normally only when away from the dreariness of politics when one's every action and very breath is being watched for signs of weakness. Only a few individuals know this side of me, simply because I do not trust easily and such playfulness is pleasure that cannot always be indulged in. Still, sometimes you just need to... hm..."

I shrugged and finished my thought with a wistful smile.

"...carpe diem."

"I... can understand that," Raziel said with a small bow of his head. "Still, it is a surprise to see you act so. To see Kain act so. I am... honored."

I smiled gently at him, glad that he understood what I meant by my actions. It was not merely an indulgence in playful actions, but a showing that I trusted him just as I did Kain. This was especially true given how he had aided me in my youth. The events were likely fresh for him, given the pairs time-travelling. Kain let out a hum of breath and released me a moment later, eyes no longer playful but serious. At the look on his face I pulled away and scented at the air warily. Raziel tensed as well and did the same. The scent of roses was on the breeze.

"Ah, we're close," I said.

"Indeed. Let us proceed," he turned and started ahead of me along the path. "Remain between myself and Raziel."

I blinked and then frowned as I started after him. Raziel followed on my heels.

"You are being protective," I said in a low tone. The 'over' remained unsaid.

"The Seer's assistance has proven valuable indeed," he started with a low rumble, "however that does not mean that I am unwary of a potential trap. Be it a trap lain out for us..."

"Or for _her_ ," I finished with a nod.

"Correct," he sniffed at the air and then let out a huff through his nose. "The scent is almost overpowering at this point. We are close."

I scented at the air delicately and had to fight off a sneeze, biting my tongue in the process. A small, choked squeak escaped me. They both paused long enough to raise a brow at me and I continued to move as if nothing had happened. Before I could actually pass Kain, he started moving again. Amusement rippled over the Marks.

"The scent is strong," I said as I fought down the blush that threatened to stain my cheeks. "It's likely to hide her own scent from predators as well as act as a confirmation that the one searching for her is close to their destination. I imagine the scent is less potent to a human's nose."

"Likely," Kain said in an agreeable tone.

We continued in silence for several long minutes before we finally found a rose bush that seemed to sprout from the side of a cliff wall. There was a single, narrow opening in the cliff that was an obvious entrance to a cave system. Kain frowned as he looked it over. I raised a brow and eyed it warily myself, glancing first at Raziel, then at Kain. I hummed. Raziel and I both, despite our wings, were of slight enough builds that we would be able to slip through the opening without issue. Kain though, had long ago grown in bulk and would not be able to slip inside without either Misting or turning into his Cloud of Bats. A huff of breath escaped him and he Misted, slipping through the opening and into the caves. Raziel and I waited rather than follow. A moment later Kain's voice sounded clearly in my mind.

~The way is clear. Come through,~ he Whispered.

We shared a brief look before I started through the small opening, wings tucked in close to my shoulders. Raziel moved to follow me after a few moments and it was obvious that he was having a little more difficulty given the way his own wings folded against his back. Still, we made it through the narrow opening and into the larger cave system within. Kain watched us with bemused patience as we extracted ourselves from the narrow entrance.

"There are wards up to prevent teleportation," he said softly as I brushed some loose rocks from where they had gotten stuck in my wings.

I jerked my head up at his words and frowned in concern. He would not be able to teleport us out in the face of an emergency. Not unless said wards were brought down first. How wonderful...

We continued deeper into the tunnel as there was only a singular path to follow. The scent of roses faded almost immediately to be replaced by the scent of nearly finished stew. The tunnel opened up into a large cavern and I let out a soft hum at the sight before us.

The cavern was large and had been turned into as much of a 'home' as possible. Plain silvery cloth lacking in pattern lined the walls and ceiling of the large cavern and helped give off the illusion that we had entered an actual building. Furniture that looked to be finely crafted, yet again lacking any unique designs, filled the large space and there were wooden dividers spaced about that clearly marked out the different 'rooms'. The Seer might well habitat in other locations from time to time, but this was clearly the place that she called 'home'.

There was a faint rustling sound from the closed off area that the food-scent originated from, likely the 'kitchen', and a voice, soft and lilting, rose in a soft, humming tune. The Hylden Seer moved out of the room, book in hand and she started faintly when she looked up, snapping the book shut with a soft clap of sound. She blinked rapidly for a few moments, as if disoriented, and then frowned.

"You are... early?" she said to herself and the frown faded as a rueful smile curled her lips upwards. "No, I simply lost track of the date..."

"A Seer can do that?" I quipped in a gentle tone.

"It happens more often than one might think My Lady," she answered with a self-deprecating smile. "Especially when one has recently had multiple visions regarding past, present and future. In no particular order. Combine all that with a recent trip through time itself and one's sense of time can become skewed and muddied."

"..." I blinked and shook my head. A glance at Kain showed that he was nodding his head in bemused understanding. I turned back to her with a chuckle. "That sounds headache inducing."

"Indeed, it can be," came the dry response. She set aside her book. "May I interest my guests in some refreshments?"

"That would be appreciated," Kain rumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest and idly looked about the cavern.

She bowed her head respectively and moved to open a nearby cabinet to pull out a large bottle. She opened it deftly and set it to the side to breath for a moment as she pulled out three goblets. A bit of magic was used to warm the goblets with an idle wave of her hand as she turned to pick up the bottle once more. From there she poured a satisfying measure of the sweet-smelling blood-wine into each goblet and then passed the goblets to us, starting with Kain and ending with Raziel. I took a sip from my own goblet only after Kain had sampled his and Raziel mirrored me a moment later. Amusement flickered through me at the subtle intricacies of vampiric social norms that we slid so easily into without a thought. The Seer stoppered the bottle and then clasped her hands together in front of her. I would almost say that she was nervous.

"If I may, I do hope that the half-vision that I had of two Raziel's has come to pass?" she questioned hopefully. "Somehow?"

The three of us shared a wary look.


	58. and plan for the Endgame

Chapter Fifty-Eight: ...and plan for the Endgame.

Kain nodded his head regally at Raziel and Raziel rolled his shoulders, wings twitching uneasily at his back as he turned to look at the Seer.

"It did," he answered in a stiff tone. "Though you will forgive us if we do not explain the _how_ of such events."

"I do understand. Completely," she said and she raised her hands briefly in a shrugging gesture. "What I do not know cannot be forced from my lips, nor from my _mind_. It was one of the reasons that we never spoke of our plans to Janos despite him being the Guardian of the Reaver. He would have remained silent and would not have spoken of things to others..."

"Yet he was eventually possessed by the Hylden Lord," Raziel said in a dark and knowing tone. "Anything he knew at that point would have been made available to our enemies."

"Precisely," the Seer said in a sorrowful tone. "Janos has always an open-minded sort. Had we brought our evidence to him, he would have been willing to aid us. Of this I have no doubt. The war between our races saddened him greatly. Friendships were shattered. Lovers separated. Oath's and treaties made between long-time allies broken down into meaningless dust. Yet... I fear at this point that if he came to know the truth, it would break him. I was glad indeed to see a vision of him leaving for your home-world, My Lady."

A non-so-subtle request to be provided with _some_ kind of information with regards to my adopted Sire. Some small scrap of hope. From Raziel's expression, and Kain's as well, they were also curious. I sipped at the blood-wine thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded my head.

"He had indeed overheard one of our discussions regarding the Parasite, though I know not which one," I said and I looked Kain's way. "He had a severe crisis of faith as a result, but I and my Siblings were about to help him through it."

"He tried to do himself harm then?" Raziel questioned.

I closed my eyes and bit back a growl of frustration at the other male's question. I had been _purposefully_ vague in order to avoid going into such details. _Fuck, shit and damnation!_ I opened my eyes and took in the Seer's changed expression. Her eyes were wide, worried and I knew by the sincere fear in her expression that I would have to give her something more in order to assuage her fears regarding her old friend.

"Yes," I answered in a dark tone and Raziel frowned at the change in my voice. I flashed him a slightly annoyed look and he flinched faintly, just the slightest tightening around the eyes signalling that he understood why I was upset with him. "He did. However, with time and effort we were able to work with him and get him through it. It helped that he was unknowingly assisting your own efforts in trying to restore Nosgoth and the true Wheel."

"You... you are certain?" she asked, tone hopeful now.

"Very," I responded in a firm tone. "He was happy. Content. Mated to a wonderful partner and surrounded by my Siblings, all of whom readily accepted him into their Clan-subset. He has Vorador, his first childe, and Alma at his side as well. Believe me when I say that by the time I left, he had his hands full with that lot and _happily_ so. He is again with a Clan that knows the joy of the skies and can share that joy with him. He is fine."

The 'now' remained unsaid and Raziel was wise enough not to press for more information this time around. The Hylden woman had looked particularly distressed at the thought of Janos being harmed and were it not for the clear knowledge regarding my Sire's preferences in companions I would have wondered just how closed they had been. As it was, it made more sense now for Janos and Vorador both to have kept the Hylden Seer secret from the others and known only as a 'friend' if she needed to be sought out.

She had started to relax as I spoke of Janos' well-being and she finally nodded once I was done. Her stance had changed to a relieved one but she did not speak further. Kain sipped from his own goblet and broke the silence moments later.

"You said to seek you out when next we needed your aid woman," he started in a low tone. "Mayhaps you will be able to assist is deciphering a message for us."

"I can but try Lord Scion," she said with a small bow of her head.

Kain nodded his head at me and I returned the nod before I spoke.

"I was given a message of three words only; 'Core', 'Deep' and 'Witch'," I said.

"Hnn," she tilted her head and blinked thoughtfully. "And who delivered this message to you, if I may ask?"

The three of us shared another glance before Kain nodded his head. Raziel turned to the Seer and spoke this time.

"My future self," he responded.

"Hm, from the focus being on those three words alone, I imagine that your future self is... incapacitated?" she asked with a small frown as she tapped on her chin thoughtfully.

"He is," Kain responded begrudgingly.

"The last word is an obvious clue to seek me out," she hummed. "And mayhaps a sign that your future self will be unable to assist in the battles ahead of you..."

"Conclusions that we have already reached," Raziel said in a stiff tone.

Kain shot a look Raziel's way and the other male twitched faintly before he looked away and focused on nursing his blood-wine. There was the faintest tilt of his head in the process, enough to count as a token yielding to his Sire's will. I blinked and then frowned faintly. It was plain that Raziel had issues centering about trusting others. Understandable really. I had hope that we could work with him on that though. Given that he had allowed Kain at his back, and more besides with him allowing us to Mark him, and that he was willing to back down now gave me hope regarding that facet of life.

The Seer spared me a small smile and then went back to looking thoughtful.

"'Core'... 'deep'..." she murmured. Her eyes seemed to loose focus on what was around her. "No hint of 'where' or even 'when'. Perhaps in the 'now'? I wonder if this might be tied to..."

The Seer collapsed abruptly. It was as if she were a puppet whose strings had been cut. Raziel and I moved as one to catch her arms to prevent her from hitting the ground. Her head lolled back and I noticed that her eyes were glowing with a golden light compared to a vampires white glow. At Kain's direction, we laid her out upon the couch in her 'living room' and watched her trembling form carefully. Were it not for the constant golden glow of her eyes and the slow beating of her heart, I might have thought her dead as her chest barely moved. That, or comatose. As it was, the three of us were forced to keep a silent vigil over her prone form.

Roughly ten minutes later, the Seer's body spasmed violently and she shot up into a sitting position with a high, fearful gasp. Between one blink and the next, her eyes lost the golden glow and she looked around frantically. Her eyes locked onto an odd stone that lay on the table and she grabbed it up and held it tight in her hand, obviously using it as a means to re-orient herself on the 'now'. A low, ragged sound escaped her and Kain moved to where she had grabbed the blood-wine that she had offered to us. He opened another bottle, sniffed at it and nodded after a moment. Rather than poor the fluid into anything, he moved over and handed the entire bottle to the Seer. She took it with a daze, yet grateful, look and knocked back several swallows of the fluid within. She fell back against the back of the couch, bottle held tight in one hand and hand clasped tight about the stone in the other with her eyes clenched shut.

"What did you see?" Raziel asked in a careful tone.

"There was not much to see in truth," she said softly. "I saw the Pillar's themselves extending from their broken points on the surface down to the secondary chambers and then... down further still. It is odd in a way..."

"What is?" I pressed gently.

"I did not realize just how far _down_ they extended," she said and her tone grew awed. "Down into the very depths of the world. They seem to end in an open, massive cavern... that housed an equally massive lake of all things..."

"An subterranean lake, likely formed thanks to an aquifer," I said with a knowing nod.

"What else did you see?" Kain pressed.

"Just the Pillars themselves, though it is... odd," she frowned and moved her hand to rub at her forehead. "They ended in sharp points and stopped just above the bed of the lake... like..."

"Like spears," I breathed, suddenly excited. Another possibility suddenly being confirmed. "They look like the points of spears being stabbed _through_ something, don't they?"

She looked at me, startled at first and then her face twisted with a dark satisfaction and awe.

" _Yes_ ," she hissed. "Just like spears piercing the body of a creature that I cannot see. We wounded the beast in truth then! Ah, but if only the blow had been enough to _slay_ it!"

"Anything else?" Kain asked in a firm tone, forcing the woman to focus on him rather than focus on her lamenting.

"Ah... no," she shook her head. "I cannot _see_ anything in the Spectral Realm. My sight is for those in the Realm of the Living, not the Realm of the Dead."

"Still, this helps us in part," I said and I flashed the woman a grateful smile. "'Core' must reference the Parasite core or heart and 'deep' the fact that it is trapped deep underground in the cavern that you saw. The beast has no way to escape us if we mount an attack on him there."

~It is a damn good thing that you inherited Raziel's Gift's when he purified you,~ I Whispered to Kain.

~Indeed,~ Kain nodded his head once as I glanced at him.

It was a harrowing thought. If Kain had not been granted Raziel's immunity to water, then he'd have been unable to reach the Parasite's core _at all_. As it was, Raziel would need to shift into the Reaver form in order for Kain to do any substantial damage to the Parasite, so we would be down a fighter. A glance at Raziel showed that he had reasoned that out as well, if his clenched jaw was anything to go by at least. I let out a huff of breath and looked back to the Seer.

"If I may, what made you gasp so?" I asked in concern. "You acted as if you had been hurt."

Given that I had some experience with dreams that could cause true harm, I wanted to be certain the other woman was alright.

"Ah, that," she frowned. "I am fine. In the vision, whilst there was nothing to be seen, it felt as if something had grabbed hold of me and had started to crush me..."

"Was this seen from one of our perspectives?" I asked with a frown.

She shook her head.

"No," she responded. "It was from my own. This vision... I believe that it ties in with another, long-standing vision that I have had before regarding a long set of tunnels and _if_ I am right... I may very well end up trading my life in the process of leading you where you need to go to defeat the Parasite."

"Oh?" Kain raised a brow at her

"Mmm," she looked up at the ceiling. "I have long had a vision of being led to a cave by another. There are then two paths. One is well know by this 'other person' or 'persons', whilst the other leads down a particular set of tunneling pathways with dozens of branching paths, yet I know the way deeper underground. The vision always ends with the same sensation of being grabbed... which is then followed by a darkness that does not end..."

I shared a brief look with Kain and then stood up. I moved over to the Seer's side and lightly knocked my knuckle against her skull. She blinked up at me in confusion.

"I do not like the finality in your tone," I said to her. "Do not simply give up because you have seen _a_ possible path. Now, tell me... why are you so certain that this vision of yours was from your own point of view and not someone else's?"

She gave me a bemused look and sat straighter.

"Because a vision regarding another person is always seen in the third-person, whilst a vision regarding one's self is are from my own eyes," she said in explanation. "It was how I knew that it was I that needed to have an escape route planned when the Hylden Sarafan Lord sent his minions to burn down my hut."

"Hmm, I understand," I nodded and then tilted my head, wings twitching and fanning lightly at the air with my continued annoyance. "This does not mean however, that you will _die_. One of us may well be able to prevent the incident that you have seen or you may merely have been rendered unconscious at the end of that vision."

"I do hope that you are correct My Lady," she responded with a faint, almost shy smile. "I would like to see the end of the beast that caused so much grief and the world that Nosgoth can grow to be once it is gone."

"We will need to plan out our strategy from here," Kain rumbled in a thoughtful tone.

"The Parasite's limbs can be equally unwieldy or alarmingly fast for their size. A blow will likely send you reeling regardless," Raziel said, offering up his own experiences.

"Let me hazard a guess, the larger they are, the slower they move?" I asked in clarification and he nodded. "Hm, that may well work in our favor in truth. Any limbs that close to the main body are likely to be large and cumbersome. Perhaps a handful of smaller limbs usually used to draw prey in."

"We cannot make assumptions however," Kain pointed out as he crossed his arms and tapped the tip of one talon against his bicep.

"True," I responded with a nod. "We do not know for certain what protections he might have. Hell, at this point I am not even certain what aid _I_ might be able to provide beyond my usual scouting abilities. We do not know if I can even see or sense the beast given that I am not from Nosgoth. I do not like the idea of you fighting it alone."

"I will have Raziel with me," he said in response to my concern and Raziel nodded his head in agreement with his Sire.

I let out a huff of breath.

"Yes, but in what form?" I asked. "Reaver or Vampire? If the Parasite thinks that Raziel is yet trapped within the blade, than it will be prudent to initially approach with Raziel in Reaver form. If the blade is knocked from your grasp at any point, then there will be a brief time in which you can surprise the beast."

"That might not work given the numerous eyes upon the Parasite's limbs," Raziel pointed out as he raised a hand slightly.

"A fair point. Taking an enemy off guard requires _keeping_ the element of surprise," I responded with a nod.

"Your own Gift may help in that regard," the Seer offered.

"Perhaps," I said. "But only if I have been able to remain out of sight and only if I can reach the blade itself and envelop it in my own Gift in such a way that the Parasite does not notice its' disappearance. It is just as likely that the beast may try to cause a cave in to separate Kain from the Reaver blade in such an instance and that would cut me off from it as well."

I did not mention that if such a thing happened and I was with the Reaver that I had a way to get to Kain's side in an instant.

"He will have the home-field advantage," I continued, "and that is even with the Pillars keeping him pinned in place. My Gift is nigh on useless for scouting at this point though, simply in lieu of the fact that we do not know if I can see the Parasite. Not do I believe that we should risk revealing Raziel's true ability to change forms too early in this end-game."

"These are all valid points," Kain said thoughtfully as he took a seat in a large chair, sprawling out in it as if it were his throne. "The Seer is unable to see into the Spectral Realm. Understandable given that even the Chronoplast is incapable of allowing such a thing. We can only use her abilities to gain a rough approximation of the size of this underground lake..."

"One can barely see the other end of the lake from the shore and the Pillars can be seen in the center of the body of water, the vision gave me that much to go on," the Seer offered.

"Not too big a lake then, but still large for an underground lake," I said with a nod.

"Hmmm," Kain shook his head faintly. "It would be prudent to confirm if you can even see the Parasite before we continue my Katrina. Or at the least see if there is a way to share our ability to see it to an extent."

"Try to see if Raziel can 'purify' me?" I asked. Kain nodded. "I am not certain if that would even work given my own other-world nature, but that would be the easiest thing to attempt first. If I still cannot see the Parasite after such an attempt, then we will have to plan from there."

I glanced at Raziel and he frowned faintly, but nodded his head.

"Be aware that I am uncertain if I can even duplicate the process," he warned. "I may well cause you harm in the attempt should we proceed..."

"I am aware," I said with a faint smile. "And we should at least try. Better to do this kind of a scouting mission armed with as many tools available to me as possible."

"Very well, if we are all agreed then?" Raziel asked as he looked at Kain.

Kain nodded again, silent and stern-faced. I could tell over the Marks that he was concerned with this idea but also willing to allow it to proceed. He stood and moved closer to us, ready to catch me if need but also to place himself subtly between myself and the Seer. For all the aid that she had freely given thus far, there had been too many times over the centuries that Kain had been betrayed by those who 'helped' him up to the very last second. Until the Parasite was defeated and the woman's loyalty proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, he would continue to be mindful of her actions and reactions. He might even watch her afterwards for any hidden agenda that required _success_ in our current endeavors.

Raziel moved to stand in front of me and held out his hand, trepidation writ clearly upon his face. I gave him a reassuring smile and placed my smaller hand into his taloned grasp. I nodded my assent and he returned the nod a moment later. His eyes started to glow a soft, white-blue and I suddenly felt that odd touch, the brush of something stroking along my very soul. Like before, the sensation was equal parts reassuring and wrenching. The sensation increased in increments as a glow of white-blue light appeared at his hands and began to spread over my own. The wrenching sensation increased and then...

It suddenly felt like someone had taken a club to the back of my head...

I felt myself collapse much as the Seer had earlier and watched as if from a distance as Kain forcibly separated Raziel and I. Sensation was muted, _dulled_ but I knew that I had been picked up and placed onto the couch that the Seer had previously been sitting on. Said woman had moved to the side and had distanced herself appropriately as to minimize her presence, and thus the perceived threat she presented, from the room as much as possible without actually leaving. I blinked dazedly at the cloth-covered ceiling and tried to organize my thoughts, yet thought remained as illusive as the dust motes within a beam of light.

I felt... _exhausted_. A kind of soul deep exhaustion really. Dimly I realized that fresh blood was being poured into my mouth. Kain's power-rich blood. My body reacted reflexively, swallowing down that lightning tinged fluid but it did not feel as if I needed the blood. Voiced and sound registered to me once more and I blinked in surprise. I had not realized that I could not hear anything until that point...

"...ring my own energy," Raziel was saying in a stiff tone. Like a soldier making a report... "Only it back-lashed abruptly and pulled some of her own soul into me, feeding me in the process... I stopped as soon as I realized things had gone wrong. I did not take much."

"Hn," Kain's voice was dark with his upset emotions. "If this did not work, then we will _not_ be attempting it a second time."

"Agreed," Raziel responded, voice equally stiff and relieved with Kain's commanding tone.

I pushed Kain's wrist away from my mouth and licked my lips clean reflexively. Both males turned to look at me, worried frowns on their faces. I chuckled faintly at the sight. Rolling my shoulders, I stretched out and tested each limb critically and relaxed as everything worked like it was supposed to. I found that I did not feel physically sore. Rather that I felt... almost as if I had gotten a full night of sleep and yet remained tired. Honestly, a few hours of rest in a warm bed would have been _wonderful_...

"'m fine," I managed to say and I frowned at the slight slurring in my voice. "Jus' gimme a momen'."

"Even when waking up from a deep slumber, drained of blood or drunk you have never slurred your speech so Katrina," Kain growled out. Ah... he was pissed...

"I am fine," I stressed, focusing on keeping my voice. "I am just a little drained is..."

My eyes flew wide and I could feel the blood drain from my face. I sat up abruptly, damn near braining my skull against Kain's own. His taloned hands closed on my shoulders even as my fingers fumbled for the stone necklace about my neck. I outright ignored Kain's snapping voice, not even bothering to focus on his words. Nor did I focus on Raziel's own concerned sounding tones or the Seer's more soothing voice. I focused instead on the stone... and slowly relaxed as I realized that there had been no change to the energies contained within. Opening my eyes, I let out a relieved sigh of breath and felt my shoulders slump.

" _Katrina_!" I winced at Kain's tone and felt the sudden press of his Aura bearing down over my own in a demanding shove. "You _will_ heed me!"

"I hear you," I said, voice now more steady than earlier. "My apologies for my reaction..."

At the steadiness of my voice, just the slightest bit of tension drained from his shoulders. He still looked pissed though...

"What happened to make you react so?" he asked, his voice a low growl.

"I thought of something and panicked," I said. I shot a half glance in the Seer's direction before meeting his gaze once more. "Everything is alright though."

"My Lady..." Raziel started, voice showing his anger and concern even if his face remained blank. I cut him off.

"I find that I am hungry," I said. And I was, almost desperately so compared to the earlier lassitude that I had felt. "Whatever just happened knocked my vampiric senses ass over teakettle. I only recently registered both your Aura and my own hunger."

Raziel stepped forward at that point and then dropped to one knee next to where I sat on the couch. Kain shifted to sit regally next to me, allowing Raziel to offer his throat up to me in supplication. I let out a hum of noise at the silent offer of both apology and sustenance. I leaned forward and placed a light kiss upon his throat, a silent acceptance of his wordless apology for having inadvertently done me harm. Moments later I sank my fangs into his throat in order to swallow several mouthfuls of his own power-rich blood.

~ _What_ is the importance of that small stone My Katrina?~ Kain purred into my mind. His tone was cold, sharp like the edge of a blade. I shivered faintly when his hand came to rest on the base of my back, talons teasing an idle pattern over my skin.

~I would rather not discuss it until the Parasite has been defeated,~ I responded as I fed. Slowly as not to force Raziel over the edge from my feeding.

 _~Katrina_ ,~ his voice was a growl once again. He was not pleased with my response.

~I said earlier that it was a gift. I did not lie,~ I said firmly, holding my mental ground. ~I'll not discuss what it is but I _will_ say this much; ask yourself why I might be concerned about it after having been drained so by Raziel's Reaver nature.~

I saw Kain frown out of the corner of my eye and his hand went still against my back. He looked at Raziel thoughtfully for a moment. His gaze snapped back to my own mere moments later, eyes narrowed. Hoping that he understood what I had hinted at, and that he would let it go, I turned my focus back to Raziel as I pulled my fangs free of his throat. Raziel let out a sighing groan and I kissed his neck lightly.

~I will leave this be for the nonce mine own,~ Kain rumbled into my mind. ~Know however that I do not like that you are keeping things from me.~

~Was I not wise to keep information regarding most of the weapons of Gaia to myself?~ I responded as I sat up, fingers raising as I moved to lightly stroke over Raziel's neck. I met Kain's gaze and straightened my shoulders. ~Would that information not have caused great harm if the wrong people found out or simply overheard our discussions about such weapons? I do not keep things from you out of spite my King. Mine Emperor. My reasons have always been well-reasoned and justified.~

~They have,~ he said with a nod of his head. He reached over and brushed his talons through my hair lightly.

Raziel looked at us both, face blank but concern in his eyes. I gave them both a gentle smile and then let out a faint sigh of sound. The Seer yet remained at a respectful distance yet within our sight.

"Well then," I started, "do we have a way to test the results of our little experiment before braving the depths?"

"At the moment, I do not believe so," Kain said with a frown. "The Parasite has hidden as much of itself as it can. Raziel and I have traveled to areas where he recalled seeing the beasts tendrils with him in Reaver form and we found nothing. However, now that we know where he lays skulking in the dark, we can perhaps scout the area."

"I might well be able to go down the paths that the Seer knows with her in hand," I said with a thoughtful hum. "My Gift can be wrapped about us both. If we also have one of your bats with me, then at the least you would be able to see through its' eyes and warn me if I am unable to see the Parasite myself."

Kain's visage darkened somewhat, yet remained thoughtful. Raziel frowned at my suggestion and shook his head. He started to say something and Kain moved his hand from my back in order to close it on the other male's shoulder. Raziel's face twisted with a brief flash of confusion before understanding flitted across his face. His expression went blank once more. Kain had likely just shared the properties of the ear-piece that I still wore even now. It was something neither of us wanted the Seer to know about.

If she didn't _already_ know given her own gift of Sight...

"It is a fair plan," Kain said after another moment. "However, I would not risk our plan to attack him in his lair too soon if it fails.."

"Hm," I snapped my fingers suddenly and looked at Raziel. "Those lower levels below the Pillars... could you see the Parasite's limbs there?"

"I could," Raziel answered with a nod. "But when we visited the area with me in Reaver form, he was not present."

"Hm. He would not have shown himself to Kain of course, but it _is_ still possible though that a portion of his body is trapped near the area," I reasoned aloud. "I can check that area first and foremost. Minimal risk. If neither of us can see him though, perhaps I could take a brief swim?"

"I would _not_ advise that course of action," Raziel said with a shake of his head. "Whilst not as sensitive as a spider's web, the water would still transmit your movements in a way that might warn him of your presence regardless of any abilities you have. If you are still unable to see him, then you would be unable to defend against an attack."

~Nor would you be able to _speak_ underwater,~ Kain added in my mind.

I nodded my head in acknowledgment of their words and tapped at my chin thoughtfully. Raziel let out a soft, frustrated sigh.

"I see no other way of scouting ahead," he said. "Traversing down to the levels that we may need to go to might well involve paths that Kain's Mist and Bat forms cannot reach."

"A fair enough assessment My Raziel," Kain rumbled.

"I can at least lead Lady Katrina to the entrance of the Pillar's lower level," Raziel started and I raised a hand.

"If the Parasite is not yet aware that you are anything but a sword, then we need to avoid anything that will tip our hand," I said. "Regardless of our respective means of keeping hidden from sight, he might still be able to sense your presence. We need to avoid that, so unless your Reaver Blade form is needed to unlock a door or something similar, then you need to remain _here_. I can continue ahead alone and have you direct my movements via the Whisper."

Raziel's mouth snapped shut and his jaw worked slowly. Other than that visible strain along the line of his jaw and the faintest twitch of his wings, there was no other sign of his current upset. Even with the Marks, even with my Gift, he wanted me to be safe. I softened my expression and ran my fingers through his hair soothingly. He nodded his head stiffly a moment later.

"My range over the Whisper is greater than most," he said and there was a small hint of pride in his tone. "This course of action may be the most prudent given your abilities My Lady. I would still suggest caution in your movements however. There is always the potential chance that the Parasite will be able to somehow sense your own presence via the simple fact that you have a soul. He might also try to coerce you into revealing information by pretending to be a benevolent benefactor... or by vicious mockery meant to enrage."

"Hm," I tilted my head at his words. "I'd not thought of that... Kain?"

"We will cross that bridge later, if we even arrive at such a point," he said firmly in response. "As it stands, we are close enough to the Pillars at this point for you to be in range of Raziel and myself via the Whisper. Fly ahead for me, mine own. Scout and be mine eyes once more. Let nothing hinder your hunt."

I flashed him a fanged smirk and bowed my head as I stood. He and Raziel would both remain here, I knew that. He would want to keep an eye on the Hylden woman while I was gone in order to ensure that the woman remained loyal to our cause.

 _Paranoid bastard,_ I thought to myself with fond exasperation. But he always did operate under that old saying, 'friends close, enemies closer'.

Or as my Brother Elijah oft liked to say, 'trust, but verify...'

Kain's small little bat from earlier had remained buried among the strands of my long hair. As such, Kain had not needed to create a new 'companion' to go with me on my mission. Similar to Vorador's Ravens, Kain's bats could act on their own when he was not focused upon them. This meant that the small creatures could oft be found in random nooks and crannies similar to normal bats and Kain had learned how to use them to spy on others when necessary. Oft times though, at least one small form made its' way to my side if he was using them in such a manner. While it was not _always_ the same species of bat that came to me, it was _usually_ one of the fox-faced fruit bats that found me and then nestled in the hair next to my throat and close to my Mark in order to rest. Kain knew how much I had adored, _still_ adored, the small creatures. One could always tell when he was in control of the critters by the lightning-like glow that the eyes took on in such times.

Before I left, he had taken control of the small creature and moved it so that it could see yet still remain hidden. I'd left the two males behind to watch over the bemused Hylden woman and had taken flight, my Gift active before I even reached the cave's entrance. Following Raziel's directions, I made my way to the hidden path that now lay hidden near the Sanctuary of the Clans. It took some time to move a bit of the rubble aside, but I was able to clear a path down to the second level directly beneath Kain's throne. It was a wonder as to whether or not it had been galling for my Mate to find out that his seat of power had been built directly above his greatest enemy or perhaps now it was ironically satisfying to know that his throne would be directly above the Parasite's grave site.

We would not... _could not_ lose to the beast...

As I continued down the hidden path, the cave got dark enough that I was having some trouble navigating the tunnel even with my enhanced sight. There were a few branching paths here and there, but Raziel guided me carefully through. Eventually things opened up though and as they did a larger and larger amount of bio-luminescent growths, mushrooms and other plants, lit the way for me with a natural light. Still, I was uneasy...

It had been some time since I had traversed through caves deep enough to reek so of such mushrooms and deep-rot. Elijah had loved exploring such locations and had often dragged me along on his little adventures. They were occasionally fun, but somewhat claustrophobic given that I preferred the wide open spaces of the sky. Considering the fact that I was actively touching Kain's and Raziel's minds, I should not have been surprised when they picked up on my low-level unease.

~Unless I am mistaken mine own,~ Kain rumbled bemusedly into my mind. ~I have never had you scout such a local for me.~

~You have not,~ I agreed with a small chuckle. ~I'd not have let you forgetting putting me through such a thing. Cave like this have a very unique smell due to the plant-life...~

~When and where have you traveled such areas then?~ Raziel asked, curiosity clear in his tone.

~On Gaia,~ I responded with fond frustration in my mental voice. ~My Brother, Elijah, enjoyed travelling once a year to places that most humans did not dare traverse. Some of the deepest caverns were somewhat like this. He often dragged me along with him on his little adventures. Many times they were spur of the moment trips designed to keep me from strangling Vorador...~

The last was said with a disgruntled air and not a little embarrassment that I could not quite hide. It amused and confused both males.

~What did that green-skinned hedonist do?~ Raziel asked.

I felt myself flush. One might well learn how to conceal one's emotions from their facial expressions, body movements and voice given enough time and effort. What one could not do however, was conceal one's emotions over a mental connection such as the Whisper. You are literally opening a mental link with the other person and to do that, some emotion would always be shared through said link. Fuck, shit and damnation!

When I continued to remain silent Kain's mind pushed against my own in a soothing wave.

~What, pray tell, happened to cause you such distress mine own?~ he asked.

~...Would you be willing to entertain a change of subject?~ I asked, mental tone near-formal and still somewhat embarrassed.

The touch of Raziel's mind shifted to the sense of one who's thoughts practically screamed 'oh, now this'll be good' and I shot him a flash of wordless annoyance at his open amusement as I continued down the dark-lit path before me. He gave a mental chuckle and sent back a wordless sense of mock-contriteness. The sense of Kain's amusement skyrocketed to almost palpable degree. Beneath it all, I could also feel his satisfaction at the continued, yet slow, sense of growing comradere between myself and Raziel.

~Explain your upset to me mine own,~ Kain Whispered. ~You have a bit of a journey yet ahead of you before you reach the underground chamber from what Raziel has told us.~

 _~Hmph_. Let us simply say that despite my skill with card games,~ I hedged my words carefully as I spoke, ~that taking a bet whilst drinking and playing said card games with said green-skinned, hedonistic Eldar proved to be... ill-advised indeed.~

The amusement that I had been feeling from the two males fairly trebled in intensity. I let out a soft sigh as I rubbed at my forehead. I could taste just the edge of unease along the mental link that led to Raziel's mind.

~What did he ask of you My Lady?~ he queried.

~...better that I show you two some time later on,~ I said as the path before me abruptly widened further still. ~Suffice to say that it involved a dress fit for Gaia's standards, not Nosgoth's. And even then just barely so.~

~Very... well,~ Raziel responded, his mental voice pitched low with his confusion.

~Hn,~ Kain's voice was practically a lustful purr in comparison to Raziel's, but then again he knew about Gaia's standards of dress. ~I will eagerly await the chance to see this dress mine own. Did you by chance keep it or do you merely have one of your photo's?~

~Both,~ I grumbled good-naturedly after a moment of silence. ~I knew that you'd enjoy seeing the bloody thing if I decided to return. You are lucky I did not see fit to burn it.~

~Your propensity for pyromania is well known my own,~ he responded with a laugh. ~I am glad to hear that you refrained from taking such action.~

A rippling movement suddenly caught my attention and I froze warily. Both males went silent in the back of my mind, sensing my sudden unease. I relaxed as I realized that the rippling was the natural light reflecting off of the surface of water ahead of me. I hummed softly to myself, a noise that would go unheard by any but Kain's bat due to my Gift, and I continued ahead at a sedate pace. I turned a rounded corner and saw the wide platform which was speared through by the Pillars. I could just make out the grey and yellowed stone of the Pillars themselves. Unbroken here, but definitely showing signs of damage and age.

~I've arrived,~ I Whispered and their attentions focused razor-sharp on my own mind. I glanced down and saw the the little bat's eyes had started to glow faintly.

Nodding to myself, I began a careful approach toward the water's edge. I peaked over the edge and frowned faintly as I looked into the murky depths. Thankfully, there was a small number of creatures that glowed like star-light within the depths of the water, not many in truth, but enough to give me some light to go by as they swam about their home. Yet... I could see nothing more than those water-bound life-forms from my current angle.

~Can you see anything Kain?~ I asked.

~No,~ his voice was wary. ~While bats do not have the best sight, they would still allow me to see the Parasite's bloated corpse.~

~Let me try a different angle then,~ I said. ~This is not a good one to see deep into the water.~

~Be wary,~ Raziel said in a clipped tone that reminded me that he was a lieutenant-general in his own right.

~Of course,~ I responded in a firm tone as I crouched low.

Leaping across the distance between shore-line and platform was a simple enough thing to do. I landed and immediately crouched low as I looked around the area critically. The natural light was near as good as torch-light here, but the flickering on the walls was less distracting that the shadows that would have been created by flame. Still, what shadows existed were very closely examined to make sure that there was nothing lurking in wait. Nodding to myself once more, I made my way to the edge of the platform and looked over. The angle was by far better than the shore. I made my way along the rim of the platform, watchful of my step for any debris so as not to send them skittering. I froze abruptly.

There was an odd rippling movement in the water below and I could see no creature to created such motions...

As it neared, I tensed further still. There was a half-image of something not quite there. The creatures in the water took no notice of the half-shimmer, nor was there any movement of the water itself as there should have been with such a large form moving about so.

~I believe I see something,~ I said stiffly.

~Where?~ Kain snapped.

Kain's bat form shifted on my shoulder, head turning back around. It had been looking behind me to watch over my back in case of a sneak attack. I turned the small head so that it was pointed at that odd half-shimmer and then shifted as I knelt down a little closer. The bat swiftly slid down my arm, wings wrapping firmly about my wrist and the small form bristled seconds later with a little hissing chirp.

~It is one of his limbs,~ Kain growled into my mind. Dark satisfaction rang clear in his voice. The plan had worked, at least in part. ~Mine own... move to the left five paces for me...~

I tilted my head thoughtfully, confused by the order. I shifted to the right a few paces and then to the left roughly seven paces as if searching for something.

 _Better_ , I thought to myself, _that it seem as if I am here on my own and seem confused, just in case the damned Parasite can see or sense me despite my Gift._

~As I thought...~ Kain rumbled thoughtfully, his voice still somewhat tense. I do not believe he can see you in truth, however he does seem to be capable of sensing you. The eyes upon the Parasite's limb followed your movements at a delayed pace, as if he had trouble tracking you.

~Should I...?~ I started, only to be cut off by an odd rumbling in the air and the rough trembling of the platform that I stood on. Shit!

"What manner of being walks through one of the Sanctums of the Divine?" A voice filled the air, tone equal parts threatening and conjoling. "Show yourself."

 _Well_... fuck, I thought.


	59. Deception

Small reference snuck in here if you guys can spot it. To give you all a clue, it references a fav parody group of mine, teamfourstar. Digital Cookies for those that spot it!

Thank you to Rymann for your kind review. I do hope you continue to enjoy the story!

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Chapter Fifty-Nine: Deception

The half-shimmer moving about in the depths of the water was relatively easy to track and I eased back a step as it rose high enough to breach the surface of the water without distorting the natural ripples. I turned to the side enough that, if I dropped my Gift, it would not seem as if I knew just where the Parasite's limb was. Again it took a moment for it to shift and seemingly follow my movements.

~Well then... we've confirmed that he cannot see me when my Gift is active,~ I mused over the Whisper. ~Kain, should I show myself or just leave the area?~

~Hm,~ I could practically see him tapping a talon-tip against his bicep, his arms crossed and his face thoughtful. ~Show yourself. Let us see if he will attempt to coerce you and make you see me as an enemy or not. You have been gone for quite some time now. I doubt that he is aware of just how much knowledge you actually have regarding Nosgoth's history.~

~Be careful as you converse with him. He can affect the physical realm if he so chooses,~ Raziel added. ~He may be a bloated, egotistical creature, but he would likely see through any blatant attempts to... hmm...~

~'Sweet talk' him into giving me information?~ I asked with a dark chuckle. ~No worries there. I've never considered myself capable of pulling off a passable 'sycophant' role and would not have attempted such a thing at any rate. It is not in my nature. A Queen who has returned to find the land in ruins and is seeking answers, however? That is a simple enough thing to be.~

~Still, guard your words carefully mine own,~ Kain rumbled. ~If we are able to pull this off, then we will have a way to get close to the beast without him realizing that the deceiver has become the deceived.~

~I will be mindful,~ I responded and I let go of my focus upon my Gift.

I stood slowly and looked about as if expecting an attack from any direction whilst also seemingly searching for the source of the voice. Keeping my eyes peeled for that half-shimmer of movement lest he try to strike at me, I moved toward the center of the platform. Kain's bat form remained pressed tight and un-moving against my wrist, as if part of an elaborately designed portion of my bracer rather than a living creature. The bat's eyes had slid half-shut and the glow of those eyes appeared like nothing more than that of a pair of magical jewels shining with an internal power.

Best that the Parasite not realized that his current audience was made of more than just myself...

"The better question is this; what manner of being resides unseen in these underground ruins claiming to be Divine?" I asked in a stern voice. I crossed my arms and flared my wings in open threat-display. "Most would call such actions cowardly. Not 'Divine'."

There was a flash of movement to my left followed by the soft sound of something moving. The noise was akin to that of a snake slithering over stone. From what I could see out of the corner of my eye, another half-seen limb had extended from a large hole in the wall. I ignored the movements of the limb as it shifted closer to my form and instead turned full-circle to seemingly examine the 'empty' room with a wary expression upon my face.

" _True_ gods do not need to surround themselves with opulence and finery," the Parasite said patiently...

Mockingly...

"There are no temples or luxuries that I need to surround myself with," he continued, "all that I am and will be, is the Wheel and Hub of Nosgoth. My body is the very world, though it is only here at the Pillar's that I might speak to my Children, damaged as they may be."

"Funny. In my time here as Queen, I have not _once_ heard you speak to me or to Kain," I said, keeping my words vague, yet truthful, even as I fought not to scoff in derision.

I knew _damn_ _well_ that the Parasite had set up a number of different 'divine' pools for him to speak to his sycophantic servants. I let a small amount of that disbelief cross my face, not enough to show my blatant scorn but enough that it was plain that I was not yet buying into his bullshit. The longer limb that had extended from the wall abruptly brushed against my wing in a light caress. I twisted about with a hiss. I allowed my stance to falter faintly and looked around in seeming confusion, as if I didn't see the half-shimmer that was only a foot away from my face. A low, mockingly-kind laugh abruptly filled the air.

"Ah, I hope you will forgive me my rudeness My Child," the voice all but purred. "I had given up hope that you might one day return and had thought you lost. The Queen of the Vampires. The Mother of Mercy. The Half-blood Angel. The Lady of the Skies. Welcome home My Child."

~Oh yeah, work the shaft,~ I Whispered to my Mate's with a mental roll of my eyes.

Kain immediately burst into dark mental laughter, the sound reverberating in my mind and Raziel's own mental touch briefly devolved into incoherent, incredulous stutters of disbelief at my crude comment.

"You know me then, creature-that-hides?" I said and this time I did let out a scoff of disbelief. " _Many_ can claim as such. If you truly are Nosgoth, then why were you not aware that I had returned to this world? You should have felt my return, the dimensional fluctuations, no?"

~Lady Katrina!~ Raziel had finally managed to work past his incredulity enough to speak coherently. ~By the Pillars, _why_ would you say such a... a...?~

It took everything I had to maintain a straight face and not burst into laughter at his tone. Kain had _long_ ago gotten used to the rare bursts of crude speech that came from me. Well, crude by Nosgoth's standards at least. Given the prim, proper and Shakespearean... nigh on _princely_ mannerisms that Raziel had, I realized that I would probably be shocking him more often in the future. His reaction was... cute really. I would enjoy seeing if I could get such reactions out of him in the future. I wished at that point that I could see his face.

~He is doing the verbal equivalent of sucking on my metaphorical...~ I started with a mental smile.

~ _MY LADY!_ ~ Raziel cried out as I had expected and in a suitably scandalized tone that set Kain off into roaring laughter once more.

I tuned the two out as the Parasite started to speak once more, but the mental background noise was _highly_ amusing. I had to raise my hand to press a knuckle against my lips to fight down my urge to smile. Hopefully, I would simply appear to be pensive about the conversation...

"Alas My Child, I am not as strong as I was before the fall of the Pillar's," Faux-sorrow filled the air, though the tendriled limb made no move to touch me a second time. He had neatly ignored my earlier question about his not talking to me or Kain. As I expected. "You have flown the skies since your return, have you not? You have seen the ruins of the once vibrant land? You have been gone for far longer than you might realize."

~Oh hells,~ I sighed. ~I am listening to Grade-A Bullshit right now. He seems quite skilled at spinning elaborate stories...~

~Indeed,~ Raziel said. A flash of bitterness briefly flared bright along the connection despite his continued sense of flustered upset.

~This is proving to be far more fruitful than I had hoped mine own,~ Kain said, amusement still tinging his mental voice. ~If we can continue to make him think of you as a viable pawn that he can cultivate, then we may well be able to trick him into leading you down to where his main body is. As long as I can _see_ a location in my mind's eye, then I can teleport there and if my bat is with you, then that will be make things far easier..~

~You are still wary of trusting the Hylden Seer to lead us there via the path she saw in her visions?~ I asked, simply to clarify.

~Yes,~ he responded in a grim tone. ~She has proven herself _thus far_ , but recall how long Moebius kept up his own deception before revealing his true colors to me. To Raziel. We have been playing a long game indeed mine own and I will _not_ risk that to a casual ally that I have only known for a handful of months all told.~

~Especially one that you did not groom yourself,~ Raziel added in a dry tone.

~Precisely,~ he responded with a dark rumble.

~Very well. I will continue with the act,~ I Whispered to them and I hummed aloud, seemingly in thought.

"There _are_ odd beasts about the land," I said slowly as if in contemplation. "And the land itself has changed far more than I had expected... drastically so. Tell me then, 'Wheel', what happened whilst I was gone?"

"Corruption happened," came the seemingly lamenting voice. "The decay of the cycle of life itself. I am certain that my ever faithful servant, Janos Audron, taught you that all things return to the Wheel, to me, yes?"

"You will leave my Sire out of this!" I snapped out abruptly with a downwards slash of my hand. I allowed the sorrow that I felt at the knowledge that I would never see Janos again fill my voice. I wanted the Parasite to believe that the Eldar had been lost in truth whilst on my world.

"Ah, is he lost then?" faux-sorrow filled the false-god's voice, thick enough to almost choke upon. "I am sorry My Child. That he cannot return home to the Wheel is a tragedy indeed."

~The only reason that you are _sorry_ is because he is beyond your reach now, you vile _beast_ ,~ I thought with a vicious mental hiss.

~Calm, my Katrina,~ Kain said soothingly in the back of my mind. ~As you say, Janos is safe from his grasp.~

"Perhaps I should begin a different way?" the Parasite offered softly. Again the tendriled limb brushed my wing. I twisted about and allowed a frown to curl my lips downwards as if I did not see the half-shimmer of the limb that had touched me so. "I do not wish to distress you, but I fear that it is unavoidable. You mentioned the odd beasts roaming the land? I am sorry to say this My Child, but those beasts... are _Vampires_."

"You _lie_ ," I growled out, allowing myself to bristle in supposed disbelief.

"Ah, but how I do wish that it was a lie," came the faux-mournful response. "Sadly, my Champion has failed me and in doing so, he has doomed us all... even you."

"Your 'Champion'?" I repeated with a frown. I started to pace as if agitated. "Whom do you speak of voice?"

"I speak of your King; Kain. He who is now known as the Demon Emperor. The fallen Guardian of Balance," he answered in a low purr.

I froze as if shocked.

~Shall I head back? Leave in a huff of disbelief?~ I asked over the Whisper. ~Or shall I subject us to his version of events?~

~Hm... stay a bit longer my Katrina,~ Kain responded. ~Let us see how he twists things to try to gain your favor.~

~Speak carefully,~ Raziel warned. ~He will be quite attentive of your reactions given that you are Kain's Queen.~

~Of course,~ I responded.

"You... you lie, _Voice_ ," I said hesitantly and I shook my head. "Those creatures were no more than animals and whilst I did hear a handful of humans speak of a Demon Emperor, Kain was well respected by the humans when I left! He is no _Demon_!"

"He had been, for a time," the Parasite said agreeably. "But you will find out for yourself as you travel that your once-beloved King fell from grace and doomed the world in creating a strain of demon-twisted vampires. His own Sons devolved into monstrous beasts and their get became just as twisted and deformed."

"Sons?" I echoed as if confused. "He was able to create his own Children then?"

"He did indeed..." the Parasite purred.

The following version that I received was a highly twisted version of events that was... upsetting in a way. He wielded portions of the truth with vicious precision that would have angered the unawares. He spoke of Raziel and his Brother's being made shortly after my own departure. He spoke of the rise of Kain's Empire. He spoke of Raziel's Gift of wings so like, yet unlike, my own. He even twisted events to make it seem as if Kain had torn Raziel's wings from him in truth, but did not outright lie about what happened. He spoke of 'saving' Raziel from his doom in an effort to stop Kain's 'growing madness' and the degradation of the world. He then spoke of Raziel's willing sacrifice with the Reaver and turned it into a seemingly epic battle that resulted in the 'callous destruction of a hero's noble soul', not once mentioning that Raziel was the Soul Reaver.

Honestly, if I had not known the truth, and was not as stubborn a creature as I am naturally... this trickery of his _might_ have worked. As it was, I wanted to laugh in his face at the absurdity of his version of events... that or puke. The beast kept touching my wings lightly, small brushes that mimicked that of a hand being placed comfortingly on one's shoulder. I rubbed at my forehead as if greatly upset and then turned to look at the Pillars themselves.

"I... cannot believe this..." I said, keeping my voice low as I spoke. Morose... disappointed... "I... I need to leave... to think."

"Please... take all the time that you need to absorb this information My Child," the Parasite said consolingly. "I will be here if you have any further questions for me. If I may suggest something to you however?"

"What?" I snapped out even as I started for the edge of the platform and the path out.

"Mayhaps you can take some time to examine the ruins of his fallen Sons?" he offered. "You will likely find written documentation there regarding the history of Nosgoth."

"Mayhaps I will..." I responded darkly and I left, coiling my Gift about myself like a cloak in the process.

I waited for a brief moment and eyed the half-shimmering tendril before leaping across the water to the other side. I sent a silent question Kain's way.

~The tendril is still following you. I will tell you when it is gone,~ he said in answer.

Ten silent minutes were spent making my way back along the winding tunnel. Finally Kain advised me that the Parasite had ceased following my movements and I growled a single word under my breath as I closed my eyes.

"Dominus."

I dropped my Gift after the sense of teleportation spell twisted about my form and sent me to Kain's location. I wobbled unsteadily as the sensation faded and Kain's hands were almost immediately on my shoulders in order to help steady me. I leaned into that touch and took in a deep breath of his scent in order to help calm myself. Pulling back a few moments later, I turned to look at the Seer.

" _Please_ tell me that you have a bathing chamber somewhere in here..." I said in a dry tone.

She grimaced sympathetically as she spoke.

"Yes, I do Lady Katrina," she said. "I will ready the supplies for a bath for you and Lord Raziel if he decides to join you. There is a naturally flowing hot spring within these caves, so you will not have to wait for hot water."

"I would greatly appreciate that, thank you," I said with a small smile. She nodded her head and left the room and I let out a growling, upset sigh. "Being stuck listening to that piece of filth for an extended period of time was... ugh... I feel dirty..."

"Just by listening to him?" Raziel asked with a warily raised brow.

Kain's hands started to move lightly over the same areas that the damned squid had been touching. I twisted away from the touch for a brief moment and then relaxed when he let out a deep purring rumble of sound as he persisted. I shot him a brief, dark look before I turned my attention back to Raziel.

"It was not merely that, no," I said, a low growl in my voice. "He also kept using one of his tendrils to offer up 'otherworldly and comforting' touches as he spoke, adding in another layer of his attempt to seem 'divine' whilst he spoke. Those touches were focused around my shoulders and wings."

Raziel stiffened, face twisting in a grimacing snarl of upset and he started to say something. I held up a hand to forestall him from offering any kind words or from going off on an angry rant at the Parasite's actions. Kain continued to stroke talon-tips over those same areas as if to wipe away the memory of the Parasite's touch.

"It was a rather... foul... situation to have been in all the way around," I continued with a twitch. "Still, it was a predictable action on his part."

"My Lady?" Raziel queried as the grimace faded from his lips.

"Is it not obvious what she means mine own?" Kain asked with a chuckle and his hand moved to rest at the base of my wings. "As soon as our enemy realized _who_ had approached the chamber, he immediately started to test her to see if he could make use of her and trick her into turning against me."

The Seer returned before Raziel could say anything, a basket filled with bottles on her arm. His face turned thoughtful as she led us down another tunnel to where the hot springs that she used as a bathing chamber lay. Raziel hummed thoughtfully as we walked.

"Can we truly use this?" he asked. "Use his hubris against him so?"

"Possibly," I answered with a shrug and a glance Kain's way. " _If_ we play this right. I could allow him to believe that that he has swayed my perceptions and then we can act from there. Perhaps I should openly visit the areas that he suggested. There is the likelihood that he is already moving his limbs towards those locations to see if I actually _do_ go."

"Indeed," Kain let out his own thoughtful hum of sound. "He might not yet be aware of my own return to this point in the Time-line. I have not made a trip to the Sanctuary nor anywhere close by in this time as of yet. _If_ we must interact with each other in a way that helps maintain the illusion we are trying to convey, then we will be able to do so."

"I can easily remain in Reaver form as well if we proceed with such plans," Raziel pointed out.

I contained a happy sounding cry, mostly reducing it to a contented chirr of noise at the sight of the massive hot spring pools in the large cavern that the Seer had led us to. I eagerly started forward and Kain let out a low chuckle behind me.

"Is the Parasite aware of _you,_ Seer?" I asked thoughtfully as I reached back for the hooks that held my top in place.

"He knows that I am not his ally, but he is not aware of the _extent_ of my actions over all," she said as she set the basket next to the natural stone rim of one of the pools. She moved to my side to assist me a moment later. "I would not be able to assist you in such a ruse."

"Yet you now know that the tunnel that you Saw is _likely_ to be the path that we need to take that leads to his 'core'," I hummed thoughtfully to myself and then smirked. Kain and Raziel were both idly watching my movements. I shimmied out of my clothing and slipped into the hot springs. "Perhaps... _ahh_ , but the water feels good."

I let out a contented little sigh and closed my eyes as I eased the rest of the way into the almost-too-hot water. Lowering my wings so that they could be enveloped in that heat sent a shudder through me. Even though they would even up being water-logged for a time afterwards, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Clawed fingertips lightly brushed my arm and I opened my eyes to glance at the Seer who had taken a seat on the rim of the hot springs. She was holding up a vial of what looked to be shampoo of some kind. I let out a noise of assent and then glanced to the side when movement caught my eye.

Raziel and Kain had both settled down on the rim of the pool as well and were watching me, and the Seer, closely. I chuckled and then outright started to purr when the Seer started to massage the shampoo into my hair. I knew that if she made one move to harm me, that they would be upon her in an instant... and yet I felt that we would be able to continue to trust her. Still, it was a good idea to be somewhat cautious even with that gut feeling.

"You were about to suggest something mine own," Kain said in reminder and I laughed softly.

"Yes," I stretched contentedly. "Perhaps at some point as I 'explore', the Seer could potentially be caught following me? Given that I would know of the 'Hylden Threat' from events shortly before my arrival, such a confrontation could also be seen as furthering the Parasite's seeming manipulation of my viewpoint."

"Hnn, I doubt that such action would be needed in truth," Kain pointed out and he looked at the water thoughtfully, glancing at the Hylden Seer narrowly out of the corner of his eye.

I smiled faintly. His continued wariness regarding water despite his new immunity was clear for me to read. That and the fact that he did not want to reveal that immunity to the Seer as of yet. Another hum of sound escaped me at the Seer's continued ministrations as I thought to myself. Kain might be hiding it successfully from the other two, but I knew that he was not comfortable as of yet with the Gift that he had received when Raziel had purified him. Millennium of having to be wary of water was not something that would disappear overnight, even for one as stubborn and oft bull-headed as my Mate.

"You may well be correct Kain," I said as the Seer started to rinse my hair of the shampoo and started to apply a conditioning oil under the watchful eye of the two males. "We may well not have to do such. However, I do believe it prudent to have some back up plans in place in case the Parasite begins to doubt my 'conversion' to his cause. As it is, if this ruse of ours is unsuccessful, then we will need to rely on the Seer to lead us down the path that she has seen in order to reach his core."

"He may simply guide you down there himself the next time he speaks with you," Raziel said darkly.

Both Kain and I looked at Raziel in surprise.

"You believe that he will be so foolish my Raziel?" Kain asked.

"His hubris is such that he might," Raziel said with a shrug of shoulder and wing. "He led me to many a place that he perhaps should not have."

"Hmm, it is likely that he will lead us down there for a final confrontation as it is," I said as the Seer's hands moved to wash away the conditioner. Kain raised a brow at me.

"Ah?" Kain let out a questioning noise.

I smiled at him playfully.

"Of course," I said in an equally playful tone. "All that _water_ in the area. We have our little 'domestic' and then he tries to use me as bait for you after leading me down to his domicile. The Parasite would then try to use that to his advantage to do away with you..."

"Only we would be aware of the danger," Kain nodded, "and would be able to stage our attack immediately."

~It helps that I am now immune to water's acidic burn,~ Kain Whispered to us.

"It will likely not be that easy," Raziel pointed out.

"We are aware of that Raziel," I said soothingly. "We will plan for the worst and be surprised by the best. The Parasite may very well have seen through my play-acting. Or he might see us speaking together later on. He might even see you as you are now."

"Or _I_ might prove to be your enemy," the Hylden Seer offered softly.

We turned as one to look at the woman with narrowed eyes and she chuckled at our darkened expressions. She reached into the basket and pulled out another bottle of blood-wine. She held it out to Kain and he examined it openly, almost rudely so, before handing it back to her. She then pulled three goblets out and poured a measure for each of us before handing us the goblets, Kain first and foremost.

"I am only putting a voice to that which, _each of you_ , have already thought or are thinking this very moment," she said as she moved to sit demurely on the rim of the springs next to me. "I do not begrudge you your wariness regarding my person."

"Your assistance _has_ proven to be useful," Kain said in a dry tone, eyes still narrowed upon the woman.

"I am glad," she said with a small smile. "I do not expect you to trust me in full though."

I let out a faint huff of amusement.

"Perhaps it might help matters if you explained what you intend to do once the Parasite has been defeated," I said.

"You speak just as confidently as your Lord," she said with a small chuckle. "It is heartening to hear. Once the Parasite is defeated, then my people would no longer need to be sealed away in the Demon Realm in order to protect their souls from his hungry gullet. I would hope at that point that the portal could be opened to allow those within the City to return to Nosgoth."

Kain spoke and his voice was cold and filled with deadly warning.

"And what guarantee would I have that your people would not come through said portal armed for war?" he asked. "Once already I have had to put down a Hylden invasion. I will not tolerate another such invasion of my world."

"So _possessive_ you are, my Lord Scion," the Seer said with a low bow of her head.

"You speak as if he should be anything else," I said with a chuckle, amused despite the tension in the air. Raziel also let out a faint huff of amusement.

"Katrina," Kain growled out, yet my name came out in a good-natured rumble of noise that belied the usual upset when he spoke my name without any endearments.

"Oh hush," I said with a purring laugh. "You _know_ that you are a possessive bastard."

"Again you insult my parentage," he said with a raised brow. "Must we have this discussion again?"

"Maybe later," I chuckled, relieved that much of the tension had drained from his shoulders as he turned back to the Seer.

"Well then, what say you?" he asked. "Who are you to your kith and kin that you might be able to speak for this 'City'?"

"First an explanation will perhaps help things," she started as she folded her hands in her lap. "Seers are rare amongst my people. The ability is also a hereditary one."

"Ah?" I saw Kain's eyes narrow faintly in interest.

"Mmm," she nodded her head. "Hereditary, and by this fact, bound to the line of Hylden Royals."

"So you claim to be a Queen?" Kain asked.

"No, merely one of the Royal Advisers," she answered with a bemused shake of her head and her expression turned sad. "It was my Non-identical Twin Sister whom was the Queen at the time. She had been swayed by the Parasite's words and my own visions did not make sense to me until it was too late to make a difference. All I could try to do at first was mitigate some of the damages caused by the war, but thanks to the Parasite, my sister drew away from my counsel. Ignored it. I was only able to retain any influence thanks to her own daughters..."

"Also twins?" I asked as a guess.

"Yes," she chuckled. "My line was blessed, or perhaps cursed if you'd like, to always have non-identical twin girls. One a Seer, one not. Because of this Gift my family, originally distant cousins of the Royal line, managed to move things in their favor and eventually claimed the Hylden throne for themselves. Ever since that time, the twin that is the Seer becomes one of the Royal Advisers whilst the other becomes Queen."

"You do not sound pleased with your own history," Raziel said. "May I ask why?"

The Seer grimaced.

"Not many can say that their line came into power through... proper channels if you will," she said and she shook her head. "Ours is not _precisely_ a history to be proud of, but I will not deny the bloodshed that occurred to put my family line into power. Unlike others. Still, the following generations managed to help our people prosper..."

"Until the events involving your own generation," I said softly and she nodded.

"Correct. My Sister's actions were deplorable. _Monstrous_ if I am being truly honest," she let out a soft sigh and looked away from us. "Eventually her eldest daughter deposed her, but with the war already in full swing and the Ancients under the rule of one _also_ converted to the Parasite's control, she could not end it. We could only plan ahead."

"You have no children of your own?" Kain asked.

"No," the Seer shook her head. "Not because I am _unable_ to, but because I did not feel it an appropriate time to have a family. Not with the war going on. Not with the extensive efforts that would be made across time itself. Not with the fact that I would be physically travelling to multiple points in time. Rearing a child in that kind of life... I felt it unwise."

"And by now, you'd have outlived the family that you knew," I said softly.

She nodded her head.

"With the curse affecting us at this time, we can still have children, but they are few and far between," she said with a small shrug. "If I activated the communications crystal that I have at _this_ point in time, then I would be speaking to a grand-niece of mine roughly _fifty times_ removed from my sister. To them, I am now known as the 'High Adviser' or 'She whom paves Time for the Scion'."

"Lofty titles indeed," Kain said in a dry tone.

"Indeed," she chuckled weakly. "Still, they heed my advice above all others since my people withdrew to the Hylden Realm. Even the Consulate will listen when I call."

"What happens if the current generations Seer does not agree with your orders or if there is an internal conflict?" Raziel asked curiously.

"In all honesty, most conflicts are over before I am even _aware_ that there has been an incident," she said with a sad shrug. "My traversing time has left me outside of the loop with regards to my people many times. I rely as much as I can on the other Seer's to maintain their roles. This... does not always work of course and sometimes there are many years of strife as a result. Events that are drastic though, such as those that allowed the Hylden Lord and his followers through to this side, come through as Visions and I can act upon those Visions to the best of my own abilities. My family and the City itself was placed at great risk thanks to the war that he waged both here on Nosgoth and in the Demon Realm. There are also times that a Seer may choose to obtain power for themselves, forgoing traditional norms in raising the other Sister to the throne. In those instances, it is usually the Usurper's own children whom bring about the traitor's downfall."

"Knowledge gained through visions of the past, present or future that reveal their Mother's crimes?" I asked.

"Precisely," she nodded her head in acknowledgement of my words. She turned to Kain, who looked thoughtful. "I know that you have every reason to doubt my words Lord Scion, but my people, those within the City at the least, only wish to return to their original home world. To end the long, necessary exile that was called for. Can I promise that there will be no fighting as my people readjust to life on Nosgoth? No. Can I ensure that there are none currently within the walls of the City who might harbor hatred for you and yours, for what was necessary in order to save our people? No. Can I promise that even if such a transition does go smoothly that there will not come to be malcontents later on as the years pass? Those who might rise against you? _No_ and _no_. I can only ask that if you are successful in this final battle with the Parasite that you take the change and restore the Third of the Triumvirate species of Nosgoth. To allow us to come _Home_."

Kain eyed the woman with narrowed eyes as she finished speaking. He let out a faint hum of noise and took a slow sip of his blood-wine. Raziel shifted where he sat and whilst he seemed relaxed, there was a wariness in his eyes as he watched Kain and the Seer. I picked up a cleaning cloth from the basket that the Seer had brought in and indicated for him to enter the spring. Considering that his own immunity to water was already known, we would not be revealing anything by having him join me. He tilted his head at me in a small nod and then slipped his own armor and clothing off before slipping into the hot spring. Kain eyed him for a long moment, seemingly distracted as I moved to clean Raziel's wings, but when he spoke it was clear that he had not lost his focus on the conversation at hand.

"You are wise not to promise anything," he purred in a low, yet deadly tone. "I will continue to consider the situation. Much will be dependent on your continued good behavior."

"I understand," she said with a bow of her head, "and I thank you for your honesty."

"Hn," Kain held out his goblet to her silently.

She moved to refill the goblet with a polite bow of her head. I continued to clean the joints of Raziel's wings, containing a chuckle as he started to let out a low, thrumming and contented purr. Kain did not bother to hide his amusement and his low laughter filled the air. He turned back to the Seer after she had refilled his goblet and waved his free hand.

"Go," he ordered. "I wish to speak in private with mine own."

"As you wish," she stood and bowed respectively to each of us. "Please call for me if you have need of anything."

After she had left, Kain turned his attention back to myself and Raziel. Kain's eyes darkened with hunger as he watched me tend to Raziel's wings but he made no move to approach or slip into the hot spring pool with us lest his secret be revealed. He shifted where he sat upon the rim of the springs and took another sip of the blood-wine. Raziel turned with a contented hum and took the cleaning cloth from me, turning me about to where I could lean against the edge of the pool and allowing him access to tend to my own wings. Talon-tips gently carded through my soaked feathers and the cloth passed over them a moment later to clean away any dirt and muck. A happy sigh escaped me. Kain chuckled and the noise drew my attention back to him. He waved a hand in the direction that the Seer had gone.

"Opinions Dear Katrina?" He asked, voice low and thrumming with more than one kind of hunger.

"I _believe_ that her intentions match her words," I said in an equally low voice. My wings mantled upwards when Raziel started to clean at the base of my wings and I purred. He was certainly being attentive! Warmth had pooled low in my belly a while ago, but now that warmth turned into a low, simmering heat. "I agree that it was wise of her not to make any promises. At this point, she is heavily disassociated from her people and has been an independent agent for much of the time after the others in her group passed away."

"Nor can she guarantee that there are no others like Hash'a'gik hiding in wait to make their own attempts at taking over Nosgoth," Raziel pointed out. "With our world as She is now, such an attack from an organized foe would be... difficult... to contend with. The sheer number of Wildling vampires is high enough that it would hinder our own defenses drastically."

"Fighting a war on two fronts with low numbers is never wise," I said and then let out a choked purr when Raziel's talon-tips started to card through the more sensitive spots at the base of my wings. "Worst comes to worst though, would we be able to use the Wildlings and turn them on the Hylden if they turn hostile?"

"The Wildlings of this time do not readily obey the commands that I send them," Kain said, voice going blank. "In truth, until Raziel's reappearance, it was all that my other Son's could do to keep their own Clans in line and within their respective territories. As it stands now..."

"With the deaths of my Brothers, the Clans are running rampant and unchecked," Raziel finished in a stiff tone. "The only thing that stops them from spreading like wildfire is the fact that the other Clans are there to hinder them simply by existing."

"True," Kain inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of his First's words. "While it has not been long since you slew your brethren, the Clans are expanding outwards swiftly and fighting has broken out along the borders of the various territories."

"In summary; it will take centuries to deal with the corrupted, Wildling vampires," I let out a soft, sad sigh. "You said that the madness seeps into the fledgling's minds nigh on immediately now?"

"Yes," Kain responded stiffly.

"Would it not be possible to share Raziel's Gift of purification through blood rather than what we attempted?" I asked. I straightened and leaned back against Raziel when his hands moved to rub my shoulders with the cleaning cloth.

"As I mentioned, we have discussed the situation," Kain responded with a heavy sigh. His lips quirked upwards in a faint smile but his eyes were dark. Serious. "To explain our reasoning mine own, Gifts shared via blood take time to develop in an individual as you are aware."

"I am aware," I said with a nod.

"There is also the fact that it is not a guarantee that the Gift that you are trying to share is the Gift that will develop in the individual," Raziel pointed out, a slight purr marring his otherwise serious tone. "The process would take too long for something we would not even be able to guarantee to produce results."

"And holding one of them captive until such point and time would be pointless," I said sadly.

"Correct," Kain nodded his head.

I let out an assenting, understanding hum of noise and shifted back against Raziel with a soft sigh. It was a tough situation to be in, writing off the Wildling Vampires the way that they had. But even I could not see a path to take that would lead to restoring them their sanity. Raziel could not do a mass purification and on an individual basis... well, we might be able to try but my own reaction might have been mild reaction. I shook my head. I would not put the situation from my mind completely. I would keep an eye out for a potential resolution, but... now was not the time to review this particular problem. We had a bigger threat to deal with first.

Sighing, I tilted my head to the side to allow Raziel to scrub the cleaning cloth against my neck. I shivered when his talon brushed over Kain's Mark. I smiled faintly when, instead of a sickly sensation, a lesser pleasurable sensation flitted through me. That piece of Kain's Aura bound to that Mark recognized and welcomed Raziel's touch. There were a number of things I wanted to do after that touch, but this was not our home nor the proper time. I tapped the tip of my claw lightly against the rim of the pool and then looked over at my silver-haired mate instead.

"Have you decided how we will proceed from here?" I asked as Raziel lifted my hair and started to tend to the back of my neck.

"Yes," he responded in a serious tone. His expression mirrored my thoughts though. "We will use your idea for the time being mine own. The Seer's vision and the path that she states she saw can be our back up plan in the event that our attempt to 'trick the trickster' fails. This course of action will be as much a test for her as it will be an attempt to deceive our Foe. Raziel..."

"My role will be to remain in Reaver form," Raziel said knowingly. "I am well aware that we will have to be careful."

"Indeed," Kain hummed. "The Parasite is a boastful creature, so we know that he is not yet aware of your ability to change forms. If that changes and he reveals that he knows about that ability or even the Eldar Raziel..."

"We know who to look to," I finished with a knowing nod.

I turned to look over my shoulder at Raziel and frowned at the guarded expression on his face. Shifting, I reached back to trail my fingers over my Mark where it lay hidden and he shivered.

"You are _wanted_ , sweet Raziel," I said softly and his gaze met my own. "You are _needed_. Even now, your Eldar self rests safe and protected from harm whilst we plan. You are _safe_ and you are _ours_ , Raziel."

There was another brief flickering in his eyes. It was easy enough to read. It was the expression of someone who had believed themselves to be lost and, while they had been found by those who would help them, they did not yet truly believe what was in front of them. It was the same look that I'd had upon my face those first few months on Nosgoth's soil when I yet thought myself dreaming. Kain reached out abruptly and caught Raziel's chin in his hand, turning his head so that their gaze's locked. He then moved his hand along Raziel's jawline and down his throat to rest the tips of his talons on his own Mark.

"No matter your continued doubts my Raziel, mine Empress is correct," Kain said in a low, thrumming voice laced with the power of his Aura. "You are ours and have always been so. Set aside your doubts."

Raziel's eyes fell shut and he leaned into our comforting touch for several long moments. His doubts were understandable and like Janos it would take him time to come to terms with the differences of the past and the uncertainty of the future. He shook himself, visibly throwing off his uneasy thoughts. He leaned back and away from our touch. His voice was steady when he spoke, but I knew as did Kain, that Raziel's mental wounds would take time to heal despite our Marks.

"So to confirm, I will change into the Reaver form and remain with Kain to perpetuate the illusion that I am yet trapped," Raziel said. "What then?"

"I will fly out to the heart of each Clan territory," I said as I lifted myself to sit upon the rim of the pool. "I will show a growing sense of panic or disgust at finding the territories so torn apart. Though I must ask, if the Parasite refrains from communicating with me in that time, how long should I wait before I go back to the lower level platform?"

"Hn," Kain tilted his head thoughtfully. "It will take time for you to visit each territory. Wait no more than a week at the most. Take the time needed to peruse the libraries that remain intact. Most know that you were, and still are, an independent creature. I do not think he will risk his hand too soon. Nor should we."

"Be careful if you do choose to explore the libraries though," Raziel warned. "I would not put it past him to have tendrils laced throughout such places of knowledge in order to watch over what histories have been written by the scribes. Or what has been hidden. He may well also attempt to collapse a building upon your head if you are about to delve through texts that would prove his lies."

"Wisely spoken," I responded with a nod. "That reaction would fit his usual modius operende. From there we can arrange for a 'confrontation' for him to 'manipulate' to his seeming advantage."

"If the ruse holds," Kain said as he raised a talon pointedly.

"As you say," I said with a chuckle. My lips curled downwards in a frown a moment later. "If things do not go as we expect, hopefully we will still have a 'plan b' with regards to the Seer's vision. I... would like to avoid that if at all possible as I would not like her to be harmed if she continues to prove true. So far working with her has been.. beneficial."

"We shall see mine own," Kain rumbled in a low voice. "We shall see."

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Please read and review!


	60. Breadcrumbs and False Trails

FYI, heavy edits have been done to my story 'Mirror, tell me something' if you want to check it out. There are a LARGE number of warnings on that story, hence its' M rating so please be aware of that if you check it out.

Thank you again for all the views/reviews! Love you guys lots!

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Chapter Sixty: Breadcrumbs and False Trails.

With a rough plan and back up plans hashed out, I was about to take to the skies several hours later. I winged my way towards the closest Clan territory, that which had been Rahab's domain. I reached the lands swiftly and circled the formerly water-protected, and now water-logged, remains of the city that had been built in the center of Rahab's territory. Briefly I wondered what changes Kain's brood might have gone through had they had the chance to go through their torpor's after being purified. I shook the thoughts off as useless though. There was no point in ruminating so about events that needed to remain in the past. Out of all of Kain's turned Sons, I would only ever know Raziel. Unless Kain chose to Turn others...

 _Thoughts for later,_ I reminded myself as I focused once more on my task.

I winged my way downwards towards a safe looking patch of fallen masonry. Movement caught my eye and I had to back-wing furiously to avoid the sudden lunge of a water-bound vampire that hoped to catch me unawares. Flipping backwards mid-air, I lashed out with one booted foot to kick the vampire backwards. The shark-like form struck against a fallen pillar and a burst from my Telekinetic Gift held it pinned in place. The creature, and it was a creature for there was no sign of sentience in those hunter's eyes, hissed and strained against the unseen bindings that held it in place. I allowed the disgust and horror that I felt at such a sight pass over my face in case the Parasite was actively watching me. I spoke as if stunned.

"What the hell are you?" I asked as I landed on top of the pillar that I had the creature pinned against.

The vampire in question did not answer me. As expected. It merely bared its' fangs at me and hissed in my direction. Taloned hands lined with webbed reached out uselessly in my direction, as if it wanted to wrench me close. I allowed myself to flinch back a bit from the grasping talons and purposefully slowed my breathing and heart-beat to a crawl. The creatures hungry thrashing slowed in response and I felt a small flash of hope. It sniffed at the air, confusion marring its' wild features. I tried to reach out to the Wilding with my Aura as I was not _quite_ ready to simply right off those turned by Kain's other Sons as lost just yet. The vampire calmed for all of a second before it renewed its' struggles in earnest. A sense of animalistic thought hit my mind over the Whisper and I winced as I struggled to make sense of the not-words that it was projecting.

From what I could glean of that jumbled mess, Vampire I might be... but I was not a part of its' Clan. As such, I was either food or threat... or both.

In short, the Wildling wanted me dead. _Now_.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, I dropped the vampire Wildling back into the water and allowed my pensiveness to show on my face as I looked around the area. I could not see any half-shimmers in the area, but that did not mean I was not being watched. I leapt from my impromptu perch and landed on a broken balcony that led deeper into the watery ruins. I glanced backwards when I heard the ringing sound of talons scrambling against marble and then started deeper into the ruins. A half-shimmer caught my eye, close to the ceiling of the long hallway that I was in and I allowed my eyes to pass over it without focusing on the limb.

Knowing that I did have an audience on hand meant that I would have to tread very carefully...

A low rumbling noise filled the air on occasion and I paused each time. Since the ground was not roiling unsteadily under me, I pressed onwards at a slow pace. More than once though, I heard loud thudding in the distance and then found myself coming across a freshly collapsed hallway that fairly rippled with half-seen shimmers. Raziel was right to have warned me before I left. I was being herded...

I was not-so subtly led to a mold-ridden library. Most of the scrolls and tomes within were damaged beyond all repair, save for a handful of books that had once been stored behind a magic barrier... that showed signs of having failed recently. Convenient that... I looked over the tomes carefully, mindful of their fragile condition despite the magical protections that had been on them and frowned. After a few moments reading, I had to contain a disbelieving scoff.

These tomes were clearly human accounts of the 'Demon Kings' rise to power. Likely written by Sarafan followers, warriors or the upper ranked ages ago. The fact that they had not been burnt meant that Kain had likely kept such tomes and scrolls of propaganda on hand to show younger vampires the kind of hatred that vampires had been viewed with over the centuries. The blind hatred some people could hold in their hearts even if the great 'vampire menace' did more to keep the humans in their care safe and healthy. Vampire lords did not need wheat, meat, bread, cheese, etc. Just blood. It was a better exchange when compared to the harsh food tariffs that some Human lords placed upon their people.

The author of the tome in my hand often waxed poetic about how my presence had 'kept the Demon King in check' for several centuries before my abrupt disappearance and lamented sorrowfully on the Sarafan's many failures in their attempts to 'rescue me' from Kain. The writings spoke of how 'obvious' it was that I was sacrificing myself for 'the greater good of humanity' and that they could do no less in order to 'save' the 'Merciful Mother' from the depths of the prison that I had 'been sealed in'. I scoffed at as I read such useless drabble and set aside that particular tome as useless.

The next couple of tomes were less propaganda pieces and more like a book-keepers, or series of book-keepers, marking down highly exaggerated reports of humans killed, enslaved or Turned by the 'vampire menace'. I allowed my eyes to widen and let out a small noise that could be mistaken for shock. One of the shimmers in the room slid closer to me and I leaned over the tomes as if intent on their contents. The numbers were out and out unreasonable, but I needed to make the Parasite believe that I was concerned by them...

Had the numbers been even remotely close to the realm of accuracy, then the human species would have been wiped out less then a century after my departure. Not all humans were literate on Nosgoth however. Many only knew basic numbers and letters, just enough to get by on a day-by-day basis. The exaggerated numbers would have been used to scare people into fighting... and behaving if they lived in Sarafan ruled territories.

In reality, most vampires were as much creatures of habits as humans were. Leave the majority of us alone and you'd avoid confrontation. There would always be the outliers, but still... we could live and let live where applicable.

I shook my head in unfeigned and open disbelief. I reached for another tome that looked intact and opened it up in a careful, but hurried manner. This one was filled with both more, and somehow less, credible information than the others. The handwriting was the same throughout the rather massive tome and the protective magics that I felt on it held an echo of vampiric energy. This was the journal of one of Vorador's brood who believed that Kain had 'slain the eldest of us', Vorador and Janos, rather than send both males to my realm. By his writings, he well and truly _believed_ that Kain had murdered Vorador, Janos, Alma and Nikolai. He wrote of his fear that even I had 'met with a ghastly fate' at Kain's hands.

The male in question, a youth that I could just barely recall as he had been only turned one month prior to my departure, had rallied some of Vorador's other Children to his side to stand against Kain's 'murderous tyranny' after the other four had left Nosgoth for Gaia. It was due to the actions of this one _fool_ that a lengthy war broke out between those loyal to Kain, including Raziel and his Brother's, and a large number of Vorador's Children who joined the ranks of the Sarafan much as Sebastian, Marcus and Faustus had done centuries ago.

There was a small amount of comfort to read that Vorador's Eldest Bride's remained loyal to Kain throughout that war. True tears of grief and sorrow fell from my eyes when I came across his rather smug report of the successful murders that the whelp carried out. Tara and Victoria... Out of all of Vorador's Brood, I had been closest to Nikolai and Alma, however... Tara and Victoria were Alma's sisters before they'd been Turned, with Alma being the Eldest. One could not be close to Alma without getting _somewhat_ close to the other two. That they had been slain... and so... so _gruesomely_ by what I was reading...

"I..." I bit my bottom lip to force myself to silence.

I pushed away from the tome and started to pace. I came to a halt and pinched the bridge of my nose. Closing my eyes, I fought back the need to cry openly. Now was not the time yet... I reached out for the solid weight of Kain's mind to help steady myself. I knew that there was the possibility that things might have gone south between Kain's Brood and Vorador's at some point but...

~What is wrong my Little One?~ he Whispered to me.

~I... had often wondered what happened, or what would happen, to Vorador's Children,~ I responded in a despondent tone. ~I found a rather... _horrid_ journal in Rahab's territory, written by one of his Children that turned traitor on you...~

~Ah... him. Josiah,~ Kain's voice filled with the edges of remembered rage. ~His actions pit Vorador's kin against themselves. He succeeded in slaying several, nearly slew Turel and Melchiah and was a general nuisance over all. I took _great_ pleasure in being the one to put that worthless mutt in the ground. _Permanently_.~

~I just read about the attack that claimed Tara's and Victoria's lives,~ I Whispered softly. ~They gave their lives for your Sons...~

~They did,~ Kain responded in a gentle tone. ~The whelp had a particular hatred for those two as, after Alma, they were the Eldest of Vorador's Children. He _truly believed_ that they were traitors for following me so after Janos and Vorador left with Alma and Nikolai in tow, he believed that they had been slain. The things that he did to them were gruesome indeed, yet I was unable to assist them. I will always be grateful for their sacrifice.~

~Though that sacrifice would not have been needed in the first time-line,~ I said with a soft sigh.

~True enough,~ he said in a grim tone. ~Until I prevented Raziel from being consumed by the Reaver while we were in William's tomb, that time-line did not exist. Regardless, their sacrifice is still something that I value even with the altered state of reality.~

~I see,~ I let out another sigh. ~Did _any_ of Vorador's brood survive to see the height of your Empire?~

~A few,~ he said in answer. ~Those that lived acted as their Sire had, as my Advisers. For a time at least. Two ended their own lives due to various losses over the long centuries whilst the rest fell prey to... hnn... to the increasingly _feral_ changes that affected my own Brood. An Eldar by the name of Tobias was the only survivor of Vorador's brood by the time Raziel's wings appeared. He had been focusing on studying, and hopefully halting, the negative mutations that began to crop up centuries later. One of the experiments went horribly wrong and he too passed.~

I fell silent as I processed that information. A thought struck me during that silence.

~You and Raziel created the time-line in which the Hylden Lord broke through to this side,~ I started hesitantly. ~Vorador's restoration and... Did... did I even _exist_ in your original time-line?~

~An odd thing to inquire about _now_ mine own,~ Kain responded in a bemused tone. ~In short; no you did not. As I said when Raziel and I rescued you from the Sarafan Brat, you were going through those events for the first time. That does not, however, mean that the memories that I gained at that time meant nothing to me, even with some events being in a flux-state. The changes in the time-line become a part of me mine own, emotions and all.~

~I see,~ I shook my head, hoping that it would merely look like I was lost in thought. ~Such a strange thing...~

~It can be,~ he responded bemusedly. ~You should return your focus to the book and then the others, if there are any further to find. The boy painted a rather... 'flattering' painting of my nature in his written tirade. That you are 'seeking' such information openly will help continue our ruse. You _are_ still being watched after all.~

~Of course,~ I said as I turned back to the book with a frown.

Kain's bat yet remained a still and silent decoration on my bracer, a warning system in case the Parasite decided to simply attack me. I could see from the corner of my eye that the shimmer had moved closer still to my location, watching my movements carefully. Whilst I could not allow myself to react to that shimmer, I allowed the disgust that I felt to cross my face as I turned to the next page of the book. I finished reading the tomb and closed the cover carefully. I ran a hand over my face.

"Did you truly turn your back on your principles Kain?" I asked softly, as if to myself. "There were lines that even you refused to cross... it is why I hold such respect for you. Did that really change?"

I shook my head a few moments later and began to pace once more as I continued to 'talk to myself'.

"The written words of one man do not mean much," I muttered as I tapped my chin. "Tara and Victoria were both decent sorts and they both knew that Vorador and..."

I broke off with a pained wince as if recalling a particularly harsh memory and shook my head.

"They knew that the others had joined me... hrm..." I let out a sigh.

After reviewing the remaining two tomes that were intact, I put them into my pouch, turned and made my way out of the ruins. The entire building gave a shudder and I stumbled. I swore and darted down the path I had taken. The damned Parasite had cut me off from all other avenues of escape save for the way I'd entered! I reached the broken balcony and leapt into the air with a frantic beat of my wings. I was barely airborne when the building collapsed, seemingly yeilding to time and decay by sinking into the watery depths. I could make out several very large shimmers around the area, dragging the massive structure down into a watery grave that should not have claimed it in full for centuries yet.

I could only hope that the bastard did not try to bring each Clan Ruin down upon my head!

I let out a huff and flew higher still as I sought out a place to land that would be free from observation. I came across another small human settlement and carefully knocked out a strong young male of about eighteen summers to feed from him to alleviate the small pangs of hunger that I felt. He looked healthy enough to survive a small amount of blood-loss. Rather that than take some of their limited amounts of food. It was plain that the harvest this year was proving to be poor indeed by the look of the lot and I did not wish to make their lives worse.

From there, I spent a small amount of time dilly-dallying about as if I might be off examining such texts further. I waited for a period of two days before winging my way to the next Clan Territory. The ruins of Melchiah's domain. The territory was... very much like an exceedingly large graveyard. Filled with what amounted to vampiric-zombies. The decayed forms of the Melchiahim was... saddening. Like the Rahabim that had attacked my before, all of the Melchiahim saw me as 'not Clan' and thus 'Food' to be caught despite the definitive presence of my Aura. The more I interacted with the Wildlings... the more certain Kain's conclusions seemed to be.

It was... a heart-wrenching thing to acknowledge...

From there I paid the briefest possible visit to the Zephonim Clan territory. Even after so long, a full thousand years of life, I still hated spiders with a passion. The fact that the Zephonim now greatly resembled the arachnids meant that I was out of their territory within minutes of raiding their own great libraries. Ick. Next was the Turelim and Dumahim territories. Each time I found myself carefully and subtly herded by those shimmering limbs to where I could find more tomes that 'proved' Kain's 'guilt and madness'. Tome after tome that I knew had been stored away as lessons in propaganda tactic's for the younger generations of Vampires. But if one did not know the truth, it painted a rather damning picture over all.

Thankfully, the Parasite did not see fit to drop another building upon my head. It made me believe that he might have only pulled down the building in Rahab's territory simply because I might have been close to books that would have proved the lies he was trying to feed to me. It was not a far-fetched thought either. A Whispered question to Raziel had confirmed that his water-bound Brother had been the book-worm amongst Kain's Sons.

Winging over what had been the Razielim territory was... heart-wrenching in and of itself. Even though the Clans had gone wild, they only ate away at the very fringes of Raziel's lands. Some deep-seated Clan memory kept the lot from delving further into those lands. It would still have proven difficult to traverse those lands on foot though. Many humans had taken refuge amongst the massive ruins. Yet again, only really along the outskirts. Raziel's massive castle, second only to the Sanctuary, remained uninhabited as did the largest neighboring structures nearest the heart of the city-scape that surrounded said castle. I found many a tome in the heart of a large library within the castle, but one in particular was filled with writings from Raziel's own First-born.

The accounting within was tragic. Raziel's First-born, a male by the name of Ambrus, had believed his Lord and Sire to have been blessed by the missing Mother of Mercy, _me_ , by developing a Gift of wings. The words following the loss of his Sire, Raziel being thrown into the Abyss with no warning by the irate Master, Kain, was... poignant. His last words were written in a frantic script.

 _'The Master is coming, the army of the Clans upon his heels. Why? Why did He turn his back on his Favored Son? Why does he now turn his sight upon us? His Wrath will crash over the gates like an ocean tidal wave within the day and I fear that, like a true tidal wave, none of us will survive._

 _My Lord... I cannot protect them all from the fate that awaits us. I am not sure if it will do any good for me to send our youngest to the mountains to flee the army. They would be brought low like the wheat of a field once the Eldar's catch up with them..._

 _I do not understand why this has happened! The Mother Blessed you with the skies! Why did the Master react so?_

 _Why?_

 _Why?!_

 _..._

 _It does not matter. We will fight honorably in your name, my Sire, my Master... and we will die._

 _Mother... have mercy upon our now lost souls. Take us into the sheltering embrace of your wings and forgive us for the sin we are to be slain for. Forgive us for not knowing what crime we have committed to have earned the Father's rage._

 _Forgive us all Fair Mother..._

 _Please..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _The Master is_ here _...'_

I left the building swiftly after reading that, tears in my eyes, and I made my way to the highest spire of Raziel's castle. Half-shimmers followed my movements as I landed and wrapped my wings about myself. Raziel and Kain both felt my distress over our mental connection and through the Marks, but I ignored them. I needed to work through a few things first.

Given what I now knew of the Wildlings and the fact that it was looking certain that they would not be able to be healed and restored to sanity, I knew _logically_ that the slaying of the Razielim could only be looked upon as a mercy killing. They would have devolved just like their brethren Clans and that would have left us with a Clan of Wildlings that owned the skies once they reached a certain age. It did not change the fact that Raziel's Children had been slain not knowing what they would have potentially become, the madness that faced all of the Clan's or the slow decline and decay of the world around them.

Was it truly a mercy for them to have died in ignorance? Would anyone amongst their numbers have been willing to accept that their Master had seen the future, multiple futures even, and had chosen amongst all of those futures which would be the most merciful for the Razielim? Did he see a long, drawn out war as Razielim after Razielim rose up against him out of revenge for their Sire's death and decide that he would grant them the cold mercy of an early grave?

~Kain?~ I Whisper softly to my chosen Emperor, keeping Raziel separate from this particular conversation simply because I needed to hear Kain's explanation. ~ _Why_ did you kill off the Razielim the way you did? Every soul trapped within a Wildling is another soul that is safe from the Parasite. Once we defeat him, once the true Wheel is restored, each trapped soul can then be freed to face a new life. Why lose such souls as theirs to the Parasite?~

~Ah... you would ask the hardest question of all after visiting Raziel's Clan territory, wouldn't you mine own?~ Kain responded softly. His mental voice was filled with a clear regret. ~Some things seen in the Chronoplast were unavoidable. I looked at all of the potential paths that I could mine Empress and none of them involved the Razielim surviving to this point in time to be anything but twisted things. Those that could have survived, would have become the most dangerous of all the Wildlings. Enough so that they would have become a drastic threat to the Human species without a Sire to keep the Clan in line.~

~If you let _any_ of them live, then humanity would eventually be threatened with outright extinction,~ I said understandingly. ~So you slew them all at once, when they were still knocked off guard by their Sire's supposed death.~

~Precisely,~ he responded in a grim tone. ~I could _not_ allow that to happen. As it stands, even now humanity lays upon the brink of extinction. Once we defeat the Parasite, their birth rates _should_ have the ability to recover. Indeed, as you said, at that point each Wildling slain will return a soul to the Wheel and allow for greater recovery. The only reason I have allowed the Wildling Clans to continue as they have been instead of culling them has been with that end goal in mind.~

~I... understand,~ I Whispered with a sad sigh. ~It is only... the tomes left intact in the Library here are...~

~I am aware,~ he said in a mournful tone. ~I have read them for myself. I will not shy away from my actions over the centuries, necessary or otherwise. Nor do I take pride in those actions. Being the Balance Guardian of the world does not mean that the choices put before me are _easy_ ones.~

~I understand that,~ I said. I reached out to include Raziel in my next mental Whisper. ~The bloated squid was clever indeed with his 'suggestion'. The journals and histories that I have been led to find paint the story of a King turned mad tyrant quite clearly. But then again, the best lies are oft formed with at least a grain of truth behind them. Even if that truth has been twisted.~

~Very true My Lady,~ Raziel responded knowingly.

~What have the two of you been up to whilst I have been gone?~ I asked.

~Openly travelling the land myself with the Reaver upon my back,~ Kain responded. ~I have caught brief glimpses of our enemy here and there, but he has been swift to withdraw in attempts to catch me in various traps or has simply left me chasing his shadow, voice raised in mockery as his tendrils slide away into watery homes. Our deception continues.~

~He is afraid and knows that you can harm him,~ I said with a hidden nod from my perch. Wrapped as I was in my own wings, none would be able to see my movements. I scratched at the small bats chin lightly, though it remained silent upon my wrist.

~Indeed,~ came the dry response. ~I trust that you had no problems in your 'hunt'?~

~None at all,~ I responded. ~Though the Zephonim territory did give me pause.~

~Still, mine own?~ Kain asked bemusedly.

~Why would only Zephon's territory bring you pause My Lady?~ Raziel asked a hairs-breath after Kain's question.

~Oh _hush_ you,~ I responded to Kain first. ~And to answer your own question my Knight, I have as much a dislike of spiders as Kain does.~

~Hn, my own dislike is _not_ to the same degree as yours mine own,~ Kain said with a dark laugh. ~I have never screamed _'Kill it! Kill it with all the fires of hell!'_ when jumped by one of the larger breeds of spider whilst not paying attention to my surroundings, now have I?~

~ _Dammit_ Kain!~ I felt myself blush. ~You agreed that we would not speak of that again!~

~You _assumed_ that I agreed to that. I never _actually_ agreed to keep silent,~ he said smugly as Raziel's mental voice buzzed with amusement. Kain's voice turned serious a moment later. ~At any rate, I will be travelling to the ruins of Mortanius' Cathedral shortly and Raziel will be in Reaver form. You might wish to visit our enemy now as I intend to be there for some time examining a few texts.~

~Now is as good a time as any and he may direct me towards you to arrange that expected 'confrontation',~ I said as I stood and spread my wings. I wiped at my eyes as if I had been crying for some time.

~Precisely. Fly safe mine Empress,~ he responded with a purr.

~I will,~ I released that mental connection and took flight.

An hour or so later I landed near the cave that would lead down to that lower chamber below the Sanctuary. It took a bit of time to reach the actual platform, but I kept a pensive seeming expression upon my face during my walk. That proved a wise thing to do as halfway down the tunnel I noticed several half-shimmering tendrils along the walls and ceiling of the wide tunnel. The light ahead was brighter than it had been on my first trip and I raised a brow at the increased activity of the bio-luminescent creatures in the water. The Parasite had to have agitated the algae and creatures in their watery home. I leapt across the distance and onto the platform itself and then walked over to lightly stroke my fingers over the Pillar of Balance. There were several long seconds of silence before the Parasite spoke.

"You've returned I see. My child, my Lady of the Skies," he started silkily and I had to control the urge to roll my eyes as he once more emphasized the title I had been given. "Do you see now? The fallen and decayed state of a once-fair empire? Your adopted home? See you now the madness that claimed your once-noble King?"

"I have seen the ruins and found many a tome that seem to prove you words, 'Voice'," I said in a soft, yet dark tone. "But those tomes do not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was all Kain's doing. I know well the definition and nature of the words 'Propaganda' and 'Demonetization'. Do you have any further proof, voice who claims to be Nosgoth itself? Or are you just a voice in the dark spouting falsehoods and flattery?"

"Ah, my fair, sky-born child. It is not I whom can prove or disprove the truth of what I have told you. I can tell this much. You need more than the written words of those long dead and I do understand my child, I do," he purred in a voice that made me twitch. I had to avoid flinching when the bastard again stroked a tendril over one of my wings. "Only upon speaking with Kain himself will you believe my words. He alone will be the one to prove that he has gone mad. Tell me, do you know of Mortanius' Cathedral?"

"I do, yes," I said in answer as I ignored the increasingly vile touch of that tendril passing 'soothingly' over my wing. "Why do you ask?"

"Kain is currently within the Cathedral and has been for some time," he said in a low tone. "You can easily go there and speak with him. Ask him of Raziel and his brethren. Ask him why he would pit kin against kin in having Raziel and his own Children slain so cruelly. Ask him why he would end all of Vorador's great Brood when only a handful betrayed him. It will be _his_ answers to those questions that will guide you to the truth of him My Child."

I frowned as I looked around the seemingly empty room. I let out a low, annoyed growl of sound.

 _"I do not_ trust you voice," I said in a tone that might have been considered wobbly. "You are constantly 'suggesting' that I go here and there rather than answering me directly..."

"Would you truly believe me without seeing the truth for your own eyes My Child?" the Parasite chuckled softly, smugly. "We both know that the answer is 'no'. You do not have to trust me, My Child. Speak with Kain and learn the truth for yourself."

"Believe me," I growled as I turned for the exit. "I mean to."

I left the underground room and swiftly made my way to the surface. I bit back a curse as I reached the tunnel's exit. I had openly landed outside and as a result, there were a handful of Wildling vampires milling about trying to track my scent. They looked more human than the others that I had run into, but they too did not respond to the press of my Aura, my Whispered warnings for them to leave nor my Gift of Aura Shot did anything to pierce that wild, mindless sense of hunger and 'not Clan' that they were projecting. When they attacked me, I fought them off with a bitter heart. Were it not for the damnable Parasite... well, a lot of things would have been different for this world.

I left the Wildlings alive, though rendered unconscious. I refused to slay them and leave their older souls as food for the already bloated Parasite. Threat dealt with, I started for the Cathedral. I brushed my mind against Kain's wordlessly.

~What news do you have mine own?~ Kain asked, his tone the distant one that meant he was focused upon his reading.

~He has directed me your way as we expected,~ I said in answer. ~With a suggestion that I 'ask' you a number of specific questions.~

~Oh?~ his attention focused upon me in full. ~What questions?~

I told him what the over-grown squid had said to me and he let out a low mental growl of annoyance.

~Querulous questions indeed,~ he said. ~Clever beast. Such questions would immediately raise my ire and would be difficult enough to answer at the best of times.~

~And the damned bastard seems to know just enough about me to know that any answer given that amounted to 'it's complicated' would raise my own hackles,~ I responded bemusedly. ~Still, I am uneasy...~

~We have a sound plan my Little One,~ Kain pointed out, though his tone remained fond. ~But tell me what has you uneasy. More than once you have voiced such concerns and those concerns have led us to find dangers we were otherwise unaware of. I recall well the nights of the masquerade.~

~It is merely that I feel this confrontation will be an immediate trap for you,~ I said a few moments later. ~It is possible that the Parasite may use our 'confrontation' as an attempt to do away with you at the Cathedral. It is a large stone structure and could be brought down upon our heads.~

He went silent for several long moments in contemplation. He let out a mental snort a few moments later.

~I see what you mean,~ Kain's amusement with the situation bled through across our Marks clearly. ~We will press on with our plan for the nonce, the foul creature should yet be unaware of our own plans. Be mindful of our surroundings though and be ready to flee in an instant if it proves to be necessary.~

~Have you thought of something?~ I asked.

~We will simply take the chance provided to us with eyes wide open, My Katrina. Be ready for anything,~ he ordered. ~As I said, he may yet be blind to our plans.~

~As you say,~ I responded and I increased my pace through the skies, confused by his amusement.

The Cathedral was not an excessive distance from the Pillars when one could fly faster and longer than the crow flies. I arrived several hours later and circled the large structure openly, as if wary of what lay within. I landed gingerly upon a damaged balcony. It supported my weight with a small creek of noise and my wings twitched with my nerves. I gingerly made my way forward and into the Cathedral proper. Throughout the building I noticed several shimmers that signaled that the Parasite's presence. I sent a Whispered warning Kain's way when it looked like the shimmers were starting to close in behind me. Several wrapped around a pair of support columns as I passed the large stone pillars.

~It is looking more and more likely that the damned thing was going to try to bring the building down on our heads...~ I told him in a dry tone.

~He has a habit of using such tactics,~ Kain responded distractedly.

~Several tendrils are following my progress,~ I said in warning. ~Most of the path that I have taken thus far is filled with the shimmers of his limbs.~

~Hn, I understand,~ he murmured thoughtfully. ~Continue with the plan.~

~As you will,~ I responded in a tense tone.

I came to a stop at the doors of the library. Kain's scent was heavy upon the air. My lips twitched and I forced myself not to smile. Instead I hardened my expression in preparation of our little faux-fight and pushed open the doors carefully and looked around the interior of the library. Kain was standing in front of a pedestal and was carefully perusing one of the larger tomes by the sound of a page slowly, carefully, being turned. I leaned against the doorway, wings being drawn in close to my shoulders and I crossed my arms.

Show time...

"You always _did_ love your old tomes," I said in a dry tone of voice edged with seeming anger.

Kain twisted about to look at me with a raised brow. He kept his body tense, as if surprised by my sudden appearance and I had to contain a small smile at the stance he'd taken. Ready to attack or defend in an instant if it proved to be necessary. Not that he would be attacked by me.

"Little One," he said in a soft tone, allowing his fondness for me to ring clear in his voice as if truly surprised. "It is... pleasing to see you again."

"Is it truly?" I shook my head and straightened, moving away from the door frame but not into the library proper. "Kain... what the hell happened here? I left a world that was vibrant and wild. I returned to a world whose lands look barren, to creatures that seem like vampires gone mad, twisted even and written accounts aplenty of Son's, Betrayal and Insanity..."

"Are you _accusing_ me of something mine own?" he asked as his eyes narrowed. His hand clenched about the rim of the pedestal but did not break the stone. "This is not a good time to levee accusations mine own. There are pressing things for me to attend to."

"I am _asking_ you to _tell_ me what happened," I snapped. "Do you truly expect me to believe everything that I read? I am not a fool."

"No, you are not," he said in an agreeing tone, though his stance remained tense. "Again mine own, we can have this discussion _later_. There is much going on that needs to be tended to."

"Hn," I growled as if displeased by his answer. "Perhaps you might well be willing to answer different question then since you seem to be _avoiding_ my first one; Who is Raziel?"

"Raziel is... my first Childe," he responded as if pained. He frowned and glanced behind me, over my shoulder. His next words sounded distracted. "The first of six..."

"Where is he then?" I asked in a slightly softer tone. "He and the other five?"

Kain let out a heavy sounding sigh, true grief in his tone as he looked back to me, "The others are dead."

"And Raziel?" I asked as if dreading the answer.

"Raziel... understand that Raziel _is_ the Reaver," Kain said in a serious tone. At my 'wide eyed' look he continued. "I'll not keep the truth from you of all people, mine own."

I closed my eyes and rubbed at the bridge of my nose, "I... _why_ would Raziel be the Soul Reaver? Kain.. that does not make _sense_..."

"Mine own..." a note of warning had entered his tone and I knew it was not because of my words. He started toward me as I tensed and looked back up at him.

"Is it true then? What was written within those tomes?" I snarled through grit teeth. "Did he grow wings? Did you tear them from him?!"

" _Tear_ them...? No! Mine own..." he stopped and let out a sudden vicious snarl of breath. "Katrina, come here to my side. _Now_!"

~Stay,~ he Whispered, ~but be wary. I do believe that he is attempting to 'prove' me mad.~

I shot a wary glance over my shoulder and then turned to look back at him with a frown. I snarled softly and shifted my stance to a more defensive one. I'd seen no less than a dozen, various sized shimmers though...

"What game are you playing at Kain?" I growled.

"Woman, this is no _game_!" he snapped back with a growl of his own. "You are in danger! _Come here!_ "

"What danger?!" I yelled in seeming annoyance and anger. "There is nothing there! What could you possibly see that I cannot?!"

I let out an unfeigned yelp of noise when he suddenly grabbed me up with his Telekinetic Gift and yanked me to the side. I hit one of the bookcases and raised a hand above my head to prevent several tomes and scrolls from hitting me. I pushed myself back to my feet swiftly enough and fell into a defensive crouch as I looked around the area. Kain was glaring at a large area of shimmering movement, Reaver in hand. I frowned.

"The hell...?" I straightened up and frowned at Kain. "Have you gone mad? There is nothing there!"

"Woman, now is not the time...!" he snapped verbally even as his mind brushed my own. ~You are well?~

"Now is precisely the time!" I shouted. "Do not avoid my questions by pretending that we are beset by an enemy force!"

~Just my pride is hurt at having been flung about so,~ I responded, my mental tone ringing with the amusement I could not put voice to.

"You know very well that there can be unseen foes woman! Your own Gift attests to that fact!" he snapped back. ~I am glad you are not harmed mine own.~

"Yes, I do know that," I growled. "but my Gift blocks anyone from being able to see me. Are you trying to tell me that there is something here that only _you_ can see?!"

"...Raziel could see the beast as well," Kain said slowly as he crouched and readied himself to leap forward in an attack.

"Isn't it a pity then, that he is not _here_ to back up your words," I said in a seemingly bitter tone. "I am _done_ with this. I am leaving to think. Anyone else seeing you act so would think you insane..."

"And you...?" he asked in a soft, though still angry tone as he remained focused on the limbs before him.

"Hn," I let out a non-committal sound and turned to exit the building via the massive windows of the library. He and the Parasite did have the main doorways blocked after all.

I took flight swiftly, ignoring Kain's enraged roar as he started to lash out at the Parasite's limbs. I kept a look of disgusted confusion on my face until I was higher in the air. I wrapped my Gift about myself and circled the building, careful enough to not fly too low as to potentially be sensed by the Parasite. Large shimmers rose up from below and coiled about the Cathedral like a large serpent. I felt a sudden surge of concern.

~If you have not already teleported out then you need to do so soon!~ I Whispered to Kain. ~The entire building is covered in tendrils from what I can tell from the shimmering movements!~

~Ah, thank you for the warning mine Empress,~ he said in a dark tone. ~I am tired of listening to his voice at any rate.~

Mere seconds after he responded to my Whisper, the Cathedral seemingly began to collapse in on itself. An enraged roar filled the air as the ancient building was brought low. I winced at the sight of the buildings fall. It had stood against the test of time for so long, repairs and magic helping the massive structure and the objects within survive to the height of Kain's empire and beyond. To see such destruction was... painful for a book/tome lover like myself. All that knowledge... lost. Hopefully, Kain had spent time removing and protecting tomes of note.

At any rate, the enraged roar of the Parasite meant that Kain had managed to escape from the building before it collapsed.

~Where did you go?~ I Whispered, hoping that he had not gone beyond my rather extended mental range.

~Back to my Retreat to check upon the Eldar Raziel's condition,~ Kain rumbled in my mind. ~I will meet you at the Seer's domicile in a few hours.~

~Very well,~ I responded. ~I will see you soon. Tend to our fair Knight.~

I turned and swiftly winged my way back toward the Seer's hidden home, keeping my Gift active for the entire trip. I did not want the Parasite trying to track my movements at this point. I entered the tucked away entrance to the cavern and dropped my Gift once I was inside. I was surprised to find the Seer sitting down and staring pensively at a drink held loosely in one hand. I felt a small flash of concern and made my way to her side. I let my hand fall to her shoulder and she started horribly. I had to catch her drink to prevent a mess. Handing the goblet back to her with a reassuring smile and she returned my smile with a weaker one.

"Is something wrong Seer?" I asked.

"Thank you, and mayhaps," she said as she looked back at her drink. "The vision remains unchanged..."

"The one where you are injured?" I asked as I sat across from her.

"Yes. If current events would change a path, stop it from happening, then I would cease receiving said vision as it no longer has the ability to come to pass in truth. I admire your efforts to assist me in return for my own assistance in the past, but it seems yet likely that it will happen and..." she raised her glass and took a slow sip. She sighed a moment later. "I fear that it is not merely an injury."

"Death?" I asked in a softer tone.

"No," she responded with a bitter smile. "I do not fear Death, even with the Parasite still a threat to our souls. No, what I fear is an un-waking, eternal slumber..."

"Coma," I said a moment later with a humming noise. "You fear being rendered comatose, trapped within your own body."

"Unable to speak, to see, to feel, to eat... yes, yes I do," she swallowed heavily and then sighed. "If it were a vision of my death then I would no longer have any visions beyond that point, at least with regards to myself. I might yet have a few visions regarding others and their own lives..."

"What exactly happens in the darkness of your vision?" I asked in a soft tone.

"I see naught but darkness, but I can hear the voices of others. The Scions, Raziel's, your own and more besides. Most of the time, I cannot make out what is being said in the visions," she let out another heavy sigh.

"I see..." I blinked and then placed my hand on her own. "As long as you stay true to us, we will do our best to make sure you are not rendered comatose."

"My Lady," she set aside her drink and took my hand up in both of hers. "Please... swear to me that if it seems a permanent coma... _swear_ that you will end it for me. I cannot bare the thought of living in such a state."

"I..." I let out a soft sigh and smiled weakly. "If it comes to pass that you are rendered permanently comatose, I swear that I will end it myself. As long as you remain true."

She swallowed roughly and then nodded her head rapidly. "I have no intentions of betraying any of you willingly or knowingly. I swear it. But I do understand that if I do..."

"That you know _precisely_ what your punishment will be if you turn upon us," Kain's voice filled the air with thundering warning as he entered the room.

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Please read and review! I do appreciate reviews, even helpful ones that point out spelling or grammar errors :)


	61. No Plan Survives Contact With the Enemy

Again thank you all

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Chapter Sixty-one: No Plan Survives Contact With the Enemy

The Seer froze at Kain's cold words, her hands clenching about my own almost painfully tight. She swallowed roughly and then released my hands so that she could stand and turn to look at Kain. She bowed low at first and then straightened up and tilted her head to the side in an obvious baring of her throat.

"I have given you what oaths and promises that I can, my Lord Scion," she said in a soft yet firm tone despite the small tremor in her fingertips. "I can only say again that I understand your wariness... and will submit to any punishments if that becomes necessary..."

"Hn," a low rumble escaped Kain as he stepped forward, Soul Reaver still sheathed at his back.

He reached out with one talon and forced her chin up and to the side, further baring her throat to him. His eyes narrowed upon her form, taking in the sight of the small tremble and the open scent of fear on her person. He nodded a moment later and then turned away. She started to relax and then tensed when he let out a low hum of breath as he looked at her over his shoulder.

"Your very doubts may lead to a self-fulling prophecy woman," he said in a firm tone. "Calm yourself and focus on the task at hand."

"I..." she smiled faintly, weakly and bowed her head. "As you wish my Lord."

I smiled myself as she visibly relaxed and then tensed when I looked back at Kain. From this angle I could see an odd pattern of shimmers upon his form. I waved a hand in his direction, catching his attention.

"There's an odd shimmer on your arm and shoulder...?" I said in a questioning tone.

"Hn," he looked down and then nodded his head as he flicked his talon at one of the shimmers. "The Parasite's blood. He took great pleasure in mocking me regarding the 'subversion' of our relationship and I was able to return a blow of words with the blows of a sword."

I let out a soft snort of sound and he shot me a brief, feral smile. His expression turned serious a moment later.

"You did well mine own, speaking as you did," he said softly. "Your cleverly spoken responses left room for him to assume what he wished to. To our benefit and his detriment."

"I did not let my speech-craft skills go fallow," I responded with a chuckle and a fanged smile of my own. "The Vampiric politics of Gaia were just as convoluted at those found here at home. More so in some ways, given the sheer number of Clan sub-sets that exist."

I did not miss the brief flash of pleasure that crossed Kain's face at my use of the word 'home' when speaking of Nosgoth and Gaia. He let out a soft chuckle and then he turned to glance at the Seer. She bowed her head and smiled knowingly as she turned and left the word at his silent order. He looked back at me a few moments later.

"Raziel is recovering slowly," he said in a soft, yet bland tone. "But he is showing clear signs of recovery."

"How long do you think it will be before he is back on his feet?" I asked.

"I believe that it will be a month, perhaps two, before he wakes," Kain replied. "In the mean time, we will continue with our plan. Wait for a few days before you seek out the Parasite for more 'advice' however."

"Of course," I responded with a small smile. "Even had I not known the truth of him, I'd not have gone down there so soon after our little 'conversation'."

Another chuckle filled the air.

"You are a stubborn and independent creature mine own," he said in a fond tone.

"Damn straight I am," I responded with a laugh. "At any rate, this will give me some time to test a few more things."

"Ah?" he tilted his head. "You will be flying about then?"

"Yes," I answered and I moved over to his side. "I need to gather some soil samples to test another hypothesis."

Kain nodded and flicked one talon in the direction of the small bat that still lay wrapped firmly about my bracer. I glanced down at it and fondly scratched it behind its' ears. Kain shivered a moment later and I laughed softly as I noticed that the bats eyes had started to glow again. When he was focused so upon one of his bats, he could see what it saw... and feel what it felt. I smiled gently and reached up to run my claws lightly through his hair.

"I have an escape route already," I said bemusedly, knowing that he wanted me to keep the bat with me. Just in case.

"You do mine own, you do," he said and he nodded his head as he reached up to trail his talons through my own hair. "I would rather have the ability to reach you swiftly if needed, especially if something happens that renders you unable to activate said escape method. Besides, did you not state at one point that you enjoyed the company of such creatures?"

"Smart ass bastard," I said fondly, my wings twitching forward to curl around him gently.

"Again mine own, my legitimacy is and has never been in question," he said with a chuckle and a fanged smirk.

"Mmhmmm," I hummed.

I rolled my eyes and then leaned into him for a kiss. He bent down to meet my movements and we shared a long, gentle kiss. We indulged for several long minutes before I pulled back with a satisfied purr. He let out an echoing rumble of noise and allowed me to pull away. I smiled at him and then left the Seer's home. Kain would be remaining here to watch over the Hylden woman's movements, ensuring her continued loyalty to our cause. I felt a deep-seated certainty that she would do nothing to betray us and that the Parasite no longer had any allies or puppets to call his own. We had him very firmly in check.

It was almost time to clear the board...

I spent the next four days flying about Nosgoth, getting the samples that I needed whilst keeping a careful eye out for any shimmering tendrils. I'd brought numerous kits and items with me in preparation for my return. Items that, had I chosen to remain on Gaia, that I still would have sent through to Nosgoth's side with instructions on how to use them. A handful of kits were used to test the soil fertility of Nosgoth and I had to contain a relieved noise as those tests came back positive for most of the areas that I checked.

Nosgoth's ground, though seemingly a barren wasteland in many areas, was fertile ground. As Cu and I had thought it would be. The only reason why there was not more growth, more life, was the simple fact that there were not enough souls in the world to sustain more than that of an almost desert-like ecosystem.

I jotted down my findings eagerly in my journal as I worked and then carefully tucked everything away in one of my pouches once I was done with the current sample. I scratched the chin of the small bat on my wrist and smiled happily at it, earning a contented little chirr from it. Spreading my wings wide, I took flight once more and winged my way towards Kain's retreat. I landed silently and then made my way to the Eldar Raziel's room. I looked the Eldar over and then moved to open the drawer of the dresser nearby. I took out several of the pouches that I'd been using and set it into the empty drawer. I slipped off the stone necklace and set it next to the pouch. I could not risk that any of the objects within those pouches nor the necklace itself being knocked off by the Parasite during the upcoming, expected battle. Not with those pouches holding such the sheer amount of helpful information found within the pages of the books that I'd brought back with me. The rest of the pouches held various objects like healing potions, blood vials and a few other vials of things that I and Cu had thought might be useful in the future.

Raziel shifted uneasily in his sleep as I wrote out a series of instructions out on a piece of parchment. I was hopeful that we would all survive unharmed, but there was always the chance that I could be injured if not slain and the same was true for both Kain, Raziel and the Seer. Whilst I was optimistic about our chances, I was also a realist. I finished writing the message and left it next to the pouches and the necklace before I turned to look over the Eldar male. His eyes were moving rapidly, a clear sign that he was dreaming. I smiled and pushed a few dark strands of hair aside and kissed his forehead lightly. I brushed my Aura against his soothingly and his shifting movements eased.

"Hush sweet Raziel," I said in a soft and soothing tone. "You are safe now. You are whole. Sweet Knight..."

The tense expression on his visage eased at the touch of my Aura and the sound of my voice. The last of his uneasy movements stopped and he seemed to fall into a deeper slumber. I smiled gently and continued to comb my claws lightly through the silken strands of his hair as dreamless sleep seemed to claim him once more. I let out a soft sigh. Kain and Raziel had both been through so much over the centuries and whilst Nosgoth might never be a 'kind' world, these two had earned a reprieve for their long-term efforts.

After making sure that our spirited Knight was tucked in, I left the retreat and took flight once more. This time I made my way to the underground entrance that led to that lower platform beneath the Pillars where I knew the Parasite would be waiting to speak with me in an effort to further convert me. As the Seer's vision regarding her own fate had not yet changed, I proceeded warily into the lion's den, taking note as I did so the different branches that the tunnel broke into as I moved down the main path that led to the Pillars. Were one of those the route we would take later if this failed? If the Parasite had seen through our ruse? That I had not seen any shimmers nearby did not mean that he had somehow tracked my movements over the past several days. I had been careful but...

My wings tensed around my shoulders as I leapt over the water and onto the platform. The surface of every wall was practically writhing with shimmers and my unease ratcheted higher still. I kept my face blank of everything but a seeming pensiveness...

"Voice!" I called out in a mildly upset tone. "I have questions for you!"

Kain's bat lay silent once more, wrapped firmly around my bracer. The eyes yet gave off a soft glow, signaling that Kain was watching. I controlled the uneasy urge to reach out to scratch at the bats ears and focused instead upon the rippling water. The algae within started to glow, filling the room with a 'mystic' light as the Parasite agitated it. He spoke a moment later.

"So you return to me, Fair Lady of the Skies," the Parasite purred in a soothing tone. "You say you have questions for me?"

"Several," I answered with a frown and I started to pace about the platform. I stopped abruptly and let out a frustrated snarl of breath. "You claim that Kain went mad. How did he go mad?"

"You know the history of the Pillars, yes?" he asked, rather than answer outright.

"Of course I do," I let out a scoff. "What does that have to do with my question?"

"Everything," he purred and I had to fight down the urge to tense as several shimmers drew closer to my form. "You see, Kain was born insane my Child. Functionally insane yes, but still as mad as the rest of the Guardian's that he eventually put down."

"Many people can be labelled as functionally insane voice," I said coldly, "up to and including myself."

"Ah, but I do not speak of insanity as defined by societal norms my Child," he said. "I speak of insanity caused by the slow deterioration of the mind itself over time. Kain had been a wondrous Guardian... at first."

"Brain deterioration does not affect vampires Voice," I said, allowing my frustration with the Parasite to bleed through into my tone.

"But magical deterioration can," he responded in a swift and firm tone.

"Hn," I frowned. He wasn't wrong in saying that. More truth used to conceal the lies. "And you claim that he is mad due to such an affliction?"

"Indeed," his tone changed, growing faux-mournful. "I had hoped that despite, or perhaps because, he had been born so, that the madness would not claim it as it had his fellow Guardian's..."

Silence filled the air. The shimmers... were growing closer still to where I stood. I shifted my stance and crossed my arms to conceal my sudden tension. Every nerve, every instinct, was coiled tight as a spring wound far too tight. Had he...?

"I was wrong..." he said, that faux-mournful tone thrumming through the air almost soothingly. A moment later those dozen or so tendrils launched toward me and his voice rose in anger. "... to believe that you would be of use to me!"

"Fuck-!" I dodged to the side swiftly to avoid those shimmering limbs.

One of the limbs still clipped my left shoulder and wing and I was sent sprawling as a wide gash was opened. My blood was flung outwards by the blow in a wide arch over the platform itself. Surprisingly enough, my blood actually stopped mid-air, splasing against one of those tendriled limbs and outlining it. I rolled to my feet swiftly, raising a hand to cover the wound as I looked about. I wasn't sure if it was because he was focusing on affecting the physical world or if it was due to Raziel's partial purification of my person that allowed my blood to remain on those limbs but...

"So you can see me," the Parasite's voice filled the air again, this time thoughtful. "At least in part. Interesting..."

"Hn," I cupped my hand carefully to allow my blood to pool. "What gave me away beast?"

"I do yet have my ways to track my enemies, child," he hissed angrily. "And I know very well Kain's usual methods of using his bats as a means to spy on others, as Vorador used his ravens to do the same."

"Hn..." I shifted warily as the shimmers writhed in the air, mindful of any further sign of attack. It was not an easy thing to do... "The Sluagh. They are your own spies!"

"Very good," he said in rumbling satisfaction. "You are a quick and clever little thing, aren't you? Not that it will do you any good. You will be the perfect bait that I need to lure Kain to his death. I imagine after all the desperate, futile effort that he put into saving Raziel, he will be equally desperate to save his treasured 'Queen'."

"You are an egotistical creature indeed if you think you have won the day, beast!" I hissed and flung my hand out wide, sending my blood in a wide arch to splatter over several tendrils. The move helped me see the individual outlines a bit better.

"And you are as blind and worthless as your vaunted Scion!" he roared and several limbs swept outwards to strike at me.

I rolled, tumbled and leapt swift as I could to avoid the blows meant to knock me unconscious. Kain's mind pushed against my own.

~Katrina, be mindful,~ Kain's voice was a dark thrum against my mind. He was displeased with the turn of events, but it was also something that we had planned for. ~He has all avenues of escape cut off.~

~Wonderful,~ I growled as I rolled to avoid another blow. ~Do I allow myself to be captured? We now know for certain that he will be using me as bait for you. Once you arrive, I could simply use the ear-ring to teleport to your side. We would then have the advantage when dealing with this bloated carcass~

~I dislike the idea of using you as bait yet again,~ Kain growled into my mind. An outright snarl rumbled through my mind when I was unable to dodge properly and my wing was clipped a second time. ~Return to me! Now!~

~Fine,~ I responded as I winced. I twisted about, having to stand and lean to the side in order to dodge another limb and gave the Parasite the two-fingered salute. "Dominus!"

The teleportation spell took hold seconds before several blood-splattered limbs converged upon my location. I appeared in front of Kain and his hands immediately closed with a steadying pressure upon my shoulders to help steady me after the abrupt teleportation. A taloned hand ran gently over my right shoulder and wing where I'd been wounded and he let out a frustrated hiss of rage. I closed my blood-covered hand over his larger one and gave it a small squeeze to help reassure him that I was alright. We both ignored the blood. I raised a brow at my Eldar Mate and smiled faintly at him.

"I am capable of taking care of myself," I said in a soothing tone. "I am fine, you can see that I will heal with no complications. The wounds are clean enough. Though... are you sure? We could have been able to take him by surprise."

"Perhaps," he answered, his voice a low rumble and his eyes flashing briefly white in either warning or upset. "However, it is equally likely that the Parasite would have bound you up in such a way that the spell would not work or where you would have been left unable to fight. I would not risk such a thing happening and leaving you in his grasp with no true way to escape."

"A fair point," I said with a nod of acknowledgement. I let out a soft sigh and looked my wounds over, noting that they were indeed healing properly. "I had hoped that we would have been able to avoid that vision of the Seers."

"She has proven an apt ally thus far mine own," he rumbled understandingly. "We tried our other plans and her own vision was a last resort. Thus far, the Parasite has proved to remain ignorant of just what he is facing. As long as that remains true, then she is true. Besides, she is now the only one who can lead us down to his lair where he will consider himself safe indeed from our vengeful rage. We will have to take the risk that her vision comes to pass as we seek the lion's true den."

"Hnn, " I stepped back with a sigh and his hands fell away from my shoulders. "You would think that being responsible for another's life so would be an easier thing to deal with after so long..."

"War can make callous creatures of us all if we allow it mine own," he responded knowingly.

"At least you have an excuse," I said as I turned to go retrieve our ally.

"Oh?" bemusement tingled his tone now that I had acknowledged his reasoning.

"You are literally heartless after all," I said over my shoulder, a low and teasing purr in my voice.

A low laugh followed me out of the room and I smiled as I tracked the Seer down easily by her scent. I found her staring at an odd tapestry that looked old and frayed despite the preserving magics that I could sense upon it. It took me a moment to realize that the tapestry was a mix of Hylden and Ancient styles. That alone easily explained the wistful, sorrowful look upon her face. I scuffed my foot lightly against the stone ground of the tunneled room and her head turned in my direction.

"Seer," I said in greeting.

"Lady Katrina," she responded. She turned partially towards me and flashed me a weak smile. "I take it by your expression that your efforts to deceive the Parasite failed and I will need to lead you down the path that I saw in my vision?"

"You would be correct," I said with a nod. "I had not realized, nor had Kain, that the Spectral Sluagh act as the Parasite's spies much as Kain's bats can. Though, I imagine that it is not precisely the same. Kain's bats are literally a part of him whilst the Sluagh are their own creatures."

"It is likely that they only aid him in return for food," she said thoughtfully.

"Which would be the souls of others," I said as I moved closer to her. "My Brother, Cuthbert, said that the Sluagh are natural creatures of the Spectral Realm. Even Gaia has them. A natural means of reducing the number of souls on a world without drastically reducing the cycle of life and death."

"True," she said with a soft hum of breath. "Too many souls on a world would be near as bad as too few..."

"Likely so," I looked up at the tapestry. "I am sorry that we were unable to successfully fool the Parasite."

"It is quite alright my Lady, you did not have all of the facts of the situation available to you," she turned to look at the tapestry as well. "I had long ago resigned myself to my fate, though I do yet fear what that fate will be. I will face my future head on as I always have. Though, I will be honest, simply having someone to speak to regarding my fate has helped and your promise to end things for me if the worst comes to pass and I have remained true has done much to ease my fear."

"I had hoped to bypass your vision in its' entirety," I started a few moments later and she waved her hand.

"I understand and appreciate the attempt my Lady," she said softly, yet firmly. "You are a good leader, a good ruler whom attempts to do her best to ensure that all of her troops and people survive an encounter with the enemy. However, we both know the truth..."

"I am aware of the old adage," I said with a small, pained smile. "It might only be a small incident gone wrong that does not impede the overall plan itself, but still..."

"Exactly," the Seer let out a soft laugh and then turned to pick up a small pack that I had not noticed. Glass clinked lightly against glass and I raised a brow at her.

"Healing potions and blood vials," she said in answer to my silent question. "I would rather have them on hand in case of injury and find that we will not need them, than not have them at all."

I let out a low laugh at that.

"Wise," I said bemusedly and I gave one of my own pouches a small pat. "Do you need anything else?

"No," she said and she squared her shoulders, giving the tapestry one final look before she turned away from it completely. "I am ready. Let us go."

"Yes," I smiled, a vicious baring of fangs. "Let us be off."

We made our way out of the room and found Kain. He looked us both over critically and then nodded his head. He held out his hand to me and I moved over to take it. I waved the Seer close and then wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Kain wrapped his teleportation magic around us both and teleported us to an area close, but not too close, to the Sanctuary. From there, I wrapped my Gift around all of us and, keeping hold of each other's hands to maintain my Gift, the Seer began to lead us.

From there, we led the Seer to the tunneling path that would eventually branch off. One path which led to the lower platform where I had spoken to the Parasite, the other... well, it would be up to her to guide us to where we needed to go from there. We reached the branching point swiftly enough and from there the Seer was the one to silently lead us forward whilst Kain kept an eye out for any of the Parasite's limbs. Glowing mushrooms and other plants helped provide a modicum of light for us to see by.

At one point the Soul Reaver shuddered and glowed violently upon Kain's back and Kain yanked us all into a small alcove until the Reaver stopped moving. I frowned at him.

~What was that about?~ I asked.

~Whilst you were speaking with the Seer, I took the time to speak with Raziel,~ he answered silently. ~Whilst I can see the Parasite, I cannot see anything that naturally belongs in the Spectral Realm. Raziel however? As long as he is in the Reaver form, he is more aware of the Spectral Realm and its' denizens.~

~He can sense the Sluagh?~ I asked, startled by the realization.

~Somewhat,~ Kain rumbled in reply. ~Either the Sluagh or the wandering souls of those yet to be reborn. With us being this close to the Parasite, do you really believe that the later could exist here of all places?~

~Fair enough,~ I responded with a nod. ~I am glad that he can sense them...~

~Indeed,~ Kain responded, his tone equally bemused and dark.

From there we proceeded with caution, falling back when we needed to in order to avoid having our souls sensed by the Sluagh and thus warn the Parasite of the presence of intruders. It was slow going because of that and at least two days passed simply travelling along the winding tunnels that led further downwards. Thankfully, both the Seer and I had thought to bring blood-vials with us. None of us were surprised by how long it was taking, yet all of us were eager to reach our destination. We were on the hunt and tensions were understandably high for all of us.

Despite the knowledge that we were entering the place that housed our greatest enemy, when we came to the wide entrance that led into the massive underground cavern and the wide lake within, I found myself filled with the same sense of awe and wonder I would often feel when Eli dragged me on some of his little nature adventures. The place was beautiful, filled with bio-luminescent algae and plant-life whose souls had likely been ignored simply because they were too small for the Parasite to bother with eating. It was vast, large enough for me to fly about easily enough and the underground lake was wide enough that I could not see the other side of the shore. I doubted seriously that even Kain, with his full-blooded, Eldar's sight, could see the other side either.

What we could see easily however, were the Pillars themselves standing tall in the very center of the cavern. The white-grey lengths looked to go down to the very floor of the underground lake, yet from the Seer's descriptions in her vision, we knew that they ended in spear-points just before they could actually reach the bed of the lake. The glow of the plant-life filled the cavern with an ethereal light that only enhanced the noblesque beauty of the Pillars. Yet... as I looked on at the Pillars, that beauty was marred by a huge, shimmering mass that I realized filled at least half, if not more of the damned cavern. I winced at the sight.

~I imagine that what you see is far worse than what my own eyes are able to perceive,~ I Whispered to Kain, my mental voice soft and sorrowful.

~Indeed,~ Kain growled back, his own voice filled with disgusted awe. ~The Parasite looks like a cancerous blob with massive limbs snaking outwards through the various tunnels in the walls. Its' very existence is an affront to nature itself. We will need to sneak down to the...~

Kain abruptly yanked us all forward, down and to the left away from where we had been standing against the right wall of the entrance. We may well have been concealed by my Gift, yet the beast had sensed our general location and had either realized that we were not his little Sluagh puppets or had recognized the presence of my own unique soul. Either way, a massive shimmering limb had launched in our direction to try to catch us unawares.

Despite Kain's swiftness, the limb still caught hold of the Seer and her hand was yanked from my own. She hit the far side of the wall with a sickening crunch of sound. It happened so fast. She hadn't even had the time to scream. Kain shoved me to the side, behind a large boulder and he stepped away from me as he drew the Reaver from his back. The Reaver lashed out lightning fast and a wide arch of shimmering fluid, the Parasite's blood, flew in an arch to cover the ground. A roaring, enraged bellow filled the air and Kain rolled to the side, another massive limb hitting the ground where he had been. A wide dent appeared in the ground, cracks spreading outwards from the force of the blow and Kain let out a challenging roar of his own.

~Take to the air! Now!~ Kain roared in my mind as he Misted to avoid another blow.

Rather than leap into the air as ordered, I rushed over to check on the Seer first. I made sure that her limp form was out of sight and then checked her over.

She was breathing...

I let out a soft sound of relief and looked over her wounds. The wounds were, for the most part, not critical, yet it was the head wound that was the worst of them. Right over the temple... I winced and pulled out a healing potion and poured it into her mouth, forcing her to swallow. Another roar filled the air and I rushed out from the nook that I'd tucked her into and leapt straight up, beating my wings fiercely to gain height. I could not afford to tend to her any further than what I had, not with the battle joined as it was.

I avoided the large shimmer that was flailing wildly in my general direction and sending more spurts of its' blood being flung over the general area. Digging my claws into the wall next to me, I used it as a second launch point to send myself higher still. With Kain's bat yet wrapped around my bracer even now, he was able to keep some of his attention on me in order to help me better dodge the limbs now flailing around the cavern trying to catch me.

Kain was darting about near the shore line, using his Mist ability to phase out of the way of attacks and then striking out as he reformed with the Reaver blade. The swords hungry cries for blood filled the air and the glow around the eyes was unmistakable even as I winged my way about the cavern. Even with all of the natural light around us, it was still too dark for even our eyes to see where his 'core' might be.

Thankfully, I'd come prepared for at least this potentiality.

I reached into one of the pouches on my waist and pulled out a large vial, one of a dozen. Inside was a glowing mixture, a variation of the fluids found in glow-sticks that had been invented roughly fifty-years after my capture. Non-toxic, could last for hours and sticky. It would remain on an object, person or animal even if said subject was submerged in water for an extended period of time. Considering the damned Parasite was affecting the physical world, that meant that the fluid could stick to him as he had to be more in the Physical Realm in order to do so. I popped off the lid and flung a wide arch of the fluid outwards to the wildly flailing limbs. The fluid stuck, and the more the beast flailed about, the more it spread over the limbs.

Kain's bat suddenly dived off of its' perch on my bracer and flew about a largish area before darting off.

~Here! Use that fluid of yours to blind the beast!~ Kain ordered over the Whisper.

A grim, fanged smile came to my lips as I realized just how effectively we would be able to use the fluid I'd brought with me. I back-winged swiftly to avoid one of the limbs searching for me and dove towards where the bat had been and dumped a large amount of the glowing fluid around that area. Another enraged, and this time pained, roar filled the air and I had to dive to the side to avoid the mass that abruptly moved to cover and wipe at the area. I pulled out another vial and flung the fluid outwards to splatter over yet more of its' massive limbs.

"You foolish little ants!" the Parasite roared. "Do you really believe that you can defeat me?! I am Eternal! I am the ethereal Wheel upon which this world turns! There is nothing you can do to stop me! Nothing!"

"You are nothing more than a canker. A blighted cancer to be excised!" Kain yelled out with a triumphant roar as he successfully cut away yet another limb. "A vile, gangrenous mass of flesh that will be removed! Your time of turpitude has ended and the corruption that you have spread across my world, my Nosgoth, ends now foul beast!"

"You are nothing!" the Parasite snarled and he lashed out with now glowing limbs at Kain's form. He Misted and then reformed, then had to burst into his cloud of bats to avoid another blow. "You can do nothing!"

Kain reformed again and again, darting into Mist for and then Bat form to avoid blow after blow, lashing out whenever he reformed to do a brief bit of damage. He timed one transition just a little too slow and a limb manage to catch hold of his leg and he was dragged underwater.

"DIE!" the Parasite roared in pained satisfaction.

"Kain!" I shouted frantically as I allowed my Gift to drop.

I dove for the water where he had disappeared and a mass of shimmering, and in some cases glowing, limbs abruptly blocked my path and forced me back up. The Parasite's mad laughter filled the air and he started to jab his limbs towards me with the kind of cold air that a cat might bat at a trapped mouse. He thought he had won.

Little did he know that things were going according to plan...

My job now was to continue to act as a distraction for the Parasite, to keep his attention on me and away from Kain's currently not-melting form. With that in mind, I flew about frantically, flinging the fluid about with a distracted air as I dove again and again to try to 'save Kain from the water's burn'. Cold laughter filled the air and I was suddenly flung backwards with all the force of a mild-backhand. I twisted about and caught myself before another limb could catch me in its' grasp.

"You'll not be able to save him now, child," the Parasite purred, voice filled with vile and dark satisfaction. "The vaunted Scion of Balance will die knowing the very agony that he had doomed his precious First-Born to. Both of the so called 'Champions of Nosgoth' have failed! Nosgoth is mine!"

"Damn... you!" I roared in unfeigned rage as I dodged another blow. "You will not win!"

A large mass abruptly slammed into me and pinned me painfully against the ceiling of the cavern. I let out a pained grunt and struggled violently in an effort to claw free of the limb that held me trapped. I realized dimly as a shimmer began to coat my hands that my claws were able to do some damage, but not nearly as much damage as Kain had been doing earlier with the Reaver. I managed to get one of my wings free and I re-doubled my efforts to get free.

"I have already won little 'queen'," the Parasite purred. A tendril covered in glowing fluid darted forward and wrapped around my freed wing and I let out an enraged hiss. "As I always knew I would!"

"You are nothing more than a predictable, contemptible piece of filth!" I shouted. A roar of rage and pain escaped my lips when his grasp about my wing.

"Perhaps I should keep you a time," the Parasite rumbled with a dark chuckle. "I am in need of a new servant after all..."

"As if you could break me," I said with a pained scoff of breath.

"We shall see now wont we?" he purred in a disgusting tone.

"No, we shall not!" A voice roared.

Not even a second later Raziel was suddenly in front of me. Magic flared in his hands and the Parasite's limb was forced away from my form. I caught myself with a rapid series of wing-beats, taking note that they were sore but mobile, and I flung another vial of glowing fluid at the beast to coat it further still.

"What?! You...!? HOW?!" the Parasite roared and several tendrils swiped at the area I'd thrown the bottle at. I'd managed to nail another of his many eyes.

"Dammit Raziel!" I hissed as I flew close to the other winged vampire. "What are you doing up here?!"

A dark chuckle escaped him, his gaze yet locked on the Parasite's writhing form.

"I am confusing the beast further still," he said.

The next words out of the Parasite made me realize what was going on.

"HOW?! How is this possible?!" the Parasite roared in sudden pain. "How are there two of you?!"

I blinked and almost laughed as I dodged a madly flailing limb.

"Were you playing at being comatose?" I asked and Raziel dove next to me, lashing out with his claws and doing damage to a limb that I'd not noticed.

"Not at first," he said in answer as the Parasite roared again. "Kain and my Younger self are currently attacking the main bulk of the Parasite's body. With Kain being purified, the Parasite has no avenue of escape."

"Not with the Pillars spearing him so," I said with a grim smile and I pulled Kindness free from one of my pouches. "Let us continue to distract and harry the beast from above then."

Eldar Raziel nodded his head in agreement and we dove as one to attack. Even with Kindness in my hand, the damage that I was doing seemed to be less than what Raziel wrought upon the Parasite's half-seen flesh. Beset as he was on four sides by at least three individuals able to do extensive damage, the beasts roars of pain and rage filled the air with an almost constant cacophony of sound. It was music to my ears in truth. Shimmering movement along the Pillars caught my attention and I called out to the Eldar Raziel rather than attempt to Whisper and end up speaking to both males. I did not wish to distract the younger of the two...

"Is he trying to bring down the Pillars?!" I shouted.

"No!" Raziel spun about and used the cavern ceiling to aid him in dodging a blow. A massive hole appeared in the ceiling and it was obvious that the Parasite had tried to spear Raziel upon the limb. "Kain and my younger self have done a significant amount of damage to the main bulk of the Parasite's form beneath the water! He is trying to lift himself up and away from the other two. See how several of the glowing limbs are ducking under the water? He is trying to protect the damaged areas."

I noticed that he was right, several limbs coated with the glowing fluid had darted under the water, leaving most of the limbs that were not covered above water in a way that would leave me more reliant on Raziel's warnings to avoid the swiftly moving limbs. Raziel suddenly held out his hand towards me.

"Toss me your sword!" he shouted.

I blinked in confusion but tossed Kindness his way. He caught my blade easily in his hands and then winged his way back up to the highest point of the ceiling. He dived. I let out a cry of vicious satisfaction as I realized he was targeting the largest of the limbs coiling about the Pillars. Kindness connected viciously and the shimmering mass shifted downwards slightly. Raziel flew past for a second strike and the Parasite's roar of pure pain filled the massive cavern. A third passing strike did yet more damage and I could swear that I heard the sound of flesh tearing away from flesh as the shimmering mass dropped back down. The thick limb had been damaged enough that it could no longer support the Parasite's bulky weight.

"Damn you, you insignificant little gnats!" pain suffused the beasts tone as he roared. "Worthless rats scurrying about and not learning when to just die!"

The entire cavern rumbled ominously and I had to dodge a falling stalactite. Raziel snarled and flew up to my side.

"You are alright My Lady?" he asked.

"I'm fine!" I responded. "The hell is he doing?"

"He intends to bring the cavern down upon our heads!" Raziel had to dodge a falling rock himself. "We need to stop him and swiftly!"

"Damnation!" I snarled and then lit in on an idea. "Raziel! Do you trust me?"

"Of course My Lady," he looked over at me as he regained some height.

~Kain!~ I called out over the Whisper. ~I've a plan!~

~Tell me!~ he snarled and his voice sounded pained. Kain too had been injured during the fighting.

I did so and a dark, rumbling, victorious laugh filled my mind a few moments later.

~Do it,~ Kain ordered, hungry satisfaction in his tone.

"Raziel! Change into the Reaver. Now!" I called to the Eldar.

His eyes glowed for a moment, a beautiful, ethereal light and then he nodded, a faint smile upon his lips. He flew up to the roof of the cavern and then his form blurred and condensed as it solidified into the form of the Soul Reaver. I flew up and caught the hilt of the Reaver in one hand and Kindness in the other. Kain abruptly appearing in the air on the other side of the Pillars, the younger Reaver blade in his right hand. I coiled my Telekinetic Gift around the Reaver in my hand and knew that Kain was doing the same. I threw the Reaver in my hand toward the main mass of the beasts body, speed boosted by Telekinetic power so that the blade would not merely stab the beast, but pierce through and into the beasts body. Kain mirror my movements and both blades disappeared into the shimmering mass.

It was difficult, but I was able to keep hold of the Reaver even though I could no longer see it. A roar of pure agony filled the air as I started to focus on spinning the sword as if it were the blade of a blender as I forced it deeper and deeper into the Parasite's bloated, soon-to-be corpse.

"AARGH! You vile little ants! GRRAAAAGGGH! Worthless little- GNNHNH! I WILL KILL YO-!"

The Parasite's roaring voice abruptly cut off and the shimmering mass and limbs that had been writhing about violently suddenly stilled. The cavern was abruptly filled with a deathly silence. I held my breath and simply worked at that point to maintain my current height. Kain shifted to bat form and then reformed near the ceiling, talons digging into one of the Pillars. I watched for further movement but the shimmering and fluid covered limbs remained still as stone. My eyes widened in shock as the massive form slowly became visible to my eyes, a massive, wounded and bloody blob of flesh that looked very much like a cancerous growth.

A shudder seemed to run through the form but then I realized that it was not that, no, the form was dissolving into motes of... of 'soul stuff' for lack of a better term. The motes of light rose up and then slowly disappeared from sight. Kain held out his hand and one of the Reaver's shot out of the water and into his hand. I focused and did the same, calling the other to my own hand. I sent out a pulse of reassuring energy and then dropped the blade. Eldar Raziel appeared in the air a moment later next to me and the younger Raziel next to Kain.

Another odd rumble filled the air of the cavern, but this sounded... less than ominous somehow. Kain let out a startled hiss of breath that I could easily hear even with the distance between us. He pushed away from the Pillar in question, his movements oddly jerky and he shifted to bat form nary a second later. He reformed upon the shore-line and I moved swiftly to land nearby. Both versions of Raziel made their way to our side.

"Kain? What... are you alright?!" I yelped in shock and reached for his hand.

One of his talons was badly crushed and stained with blood. The amount of force to have caused such damage had to have been immense! His expression was filled with pain and yet he did nothing but wince when I took his larger hand into my own, his attention focused elsewhere. I looked over the wounded digit carefully and then jerked when he reached over to tilt my head up and to the side with his undamaged hand. He forced me to look at the Pillars and I started in surprise, dropping his hand in shock.

The Pillar's had started to glow with a light that was steadily becoming brighter and brighter. Soon enough, that light was brighter than any fluorescent bulb found on Gaia. The four of us watched in stunned silence as that light slowly spread upwards along the length of each Pillar. One of them stood out from the others however. The Pillar of Balance. Rather than a pure light, it was a mixture, like a black-light and a normal light twined together in a fusion of not-quite-color. Kain let out a small hiss and I caught his undamaged hand in my own.

"No," I said softly. "Look at it. That's... it's not a sickly coloration at all. Even with the dark light, it looks pure..."

"Katrina..." his voice... I turned and looked at him. His tone and expression remained blanked of emotion yet I could sense his concern through our Marks.

The light seemed to dim, or perhaps merely moved higher, yet the cavern remained well lit indeed by the light of the Pillars. Kain shook himself and then looked at the two versions of Raziel. They moved closer and placed a hand on each of Kain's shoulders. I released Kain's hand with a small noise and then rushed back toward the area where the Seer had been flung. With the battle and the sudden glow of the Pillars, I had nearly forgotten about our Hylden ally. I felt a brief sense of annoyance with myself but that eased when I found the other woman where I'd left her hidden. A small sigh of relief escaped me when I heard her slow breathing.

That she was still alive was a good sign.

I picked up her form gently in a fireman's carry and felt briefly surprised at how light she actually was. I pushed the thought from my mind and made my way back over to Kain's side. I closed my hand back around Kain's and his hand tightened around my own. He briefly took in the sight of the Seer's still breathing form before he wrapped his Teleportation magics around all of us. We reappeared on the dais in front of his throne, where the Pillars yet appeared broken and decayed and yet...

Even here they glowed with that odd, internal light...

I set the Seer down gently and we waited and watched. The four of us remained silent as the glow slowly intensified to filled the room. The broken portions of the Pillars suddenly shifted and... and started to grow. It was like watching a flower or a plant grow via a time-lapse video. They grew higher and higher still until they reached the ceiling. Kain's hand tightened around my own, ready to teleport us out in an instant if it looked like the ceiling of the Sanctuary was going to collapse but... there was no need. Somehow, even though each Pillar was 'growing' in an enclosed space, they grew through the ceiling itself, leaving the stonework of the Sanctuary undamaged. Not a single fleck of stone or marble fell to hit the ground. The bright glow about the Pillars slowly faded.

The younger Raziel let out a startled hiss and then pointed at the Pillars where each Symbol once more shone with a bright and proud light. The colors around each symbol also looked to have been restored and stood out against the marble in sharp relief. What was he pointing at...?

"The designs..." the younger Raziel started.

* * *

Please read and review folks!


	62. Restitutionem in Terram

Thank you to FreshMess and AssassinAngel92 for the Kudos!

I hope you all continue to enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Sixty-One: Restitutionem in Terram

We turned to look at where Raziel had pointed and I tilted my head as I looked at the restored Pillars. Unlike those with me, I had never seen them in the height of their glory. I'd only ever known them in their broken and damaged state of being.

"Is something wrong with them?" I asked softly.

"No, but they have... _changed_ somewhat. How strange," Kain rumbled as he too looked over the restored Pillars.

We stepped closer to the Pillars, our movements yet... reverential... subdued. I looked over the changes carefully and let out a hum of breath as I took in the differences that I could see. It took a moment, but I realized that the changes were obvious even to me.

Where before each symbol had been surrounded by a dulled band of color, now each Pillar's symbol was surrounded by a kind of... motif if you will. Death, whilst surrounded by a restored band of blackest night had other, smaller symbols carved into that darkness. Symbols that stood out like small stars. A scythe, a gravestone, ravens, skeletal horses and more symbols that could and had represented death over the centuries. States was surrounded by a band of light gray and had its' own symbols representing the states of matter; solid, liquid, gas, plasma and the many symbols for various things such as iron, copper, water, air and more. Nature, Conflict, Mind, Dimension, Time and Energy were all similarly layered with their own respective bands of color laced with symbols matching that particular concept.

The Balance Pillar itself though was somewhat different from its' brethren. I could recall that its' original base was a light, faded blue. Now... _now_ that base seemed to be made of all of the colors that could be and yet... _not_. The Symbol of Balance rested upon a band that had an almost pearlescent, opalescent-like shine. It... it changed color almost constantly and equally seemed to suck away all color so that if you looked at it... it was white, then black, then greenish-black, then purple-white and so on and so forth. The different symbols in its' motif were almost imperceptible and as flowing as the colors but if one looked close, one could make out a set of scales here for a moment, then a weave of circles there and even the triquetra that I used for the base of my own Symbol. I watched the flowing symbols in silence for several moments before I realized that many of the Symbols that appeared... could only have been found upon _Gaia_. I blinked rapidly at the sight, feeling tears prickling at the corner of my eyes.

Kain's hand fell on my shoulder and I started faintly at the touch.

"There are symbols that I do not recognize... are they from Gaia?" he asked softly.

"I.. yes..." I answered in a soft, awed tone. "They are. Do you think that...? Did Nosgoth...? I..."

He let out a low chuckle at my sudden inability to form a coherent sentence and then stepped forward, letting his hand fall away from my shoulder. He laid his partially healed hand upon the Pillar of Balance. The Pillar glowed brightly once more and the dual light reached out to cover Kain's cheek with a... with the air of one placing a fond caress or kiss on someone's cheek. Kain's eyes flew wide and then slowly slid shut. He stepped closer to the Pillar and rested his forehead lightly against the Pillar as that light enveloped him.

"Kain?" the younger Raziel queried warily.

The Eldar Raziel remained silent, though when I looked back at the pair I noticed that there was a small, secret smile on the Eldar's lips. I looked back at Kain when he started to speak.

"Nosgoth is... _aware_ ," Kain said softly, a purring and contented hum vibrating through his voice. "It is... a similar sensation to when we traversed the Realms to your Gaia in a way and yet... you spoke of being 'welcomed home' my Katrina?"

"I did," I said softly as I moved to his side. "When I came here, there was a very final sense of 'farewell' from Gaia and an equally strong sense of 'welcome home' from Nosgoth."

"Ah..." Kain let out a low hum of breath. "For the first time... I can _hear_ her, mine own. I can _feel_ and _hear_ Nosgoth in a way that I have never truly experienced before..."

"Will... will she be able to recover on her own?" I asked softly.

"It is... difficult to say mine own," Kain responded a moment later in a voice that was equally soft as he pulled partially away from the Pillar, hand still splayed out over the stone. "Recovering from a grave illness is never a sure thing..."

"I see," I nodded to myself and turned to the younger version of my new Mate. "You need to remember to bring something with you when you awaken. The necklace that I was wearing and a pouch. I placed both in the top dresser drawer in the room that you will be resting in. Bring those with you, understand?"

"I... very... well? I will do as you order, My Lady," the younger version responded with a confused blink.

The Eldar Raziel chuckled then and stepped forward, ignoring the dark look that his younger self shot at him. He detached a small pouch from his belt and handed it to me. He then took out the necklace from a separate, tucked away pouch and handed it to me with a reverential air to his movements. I blinked and then smiled faintly. The memories he had, the events his younger self were about to experience, were likely ones that were now set even though I had not yet acted. Rather, I fully intended to act and that there was nothing that would stop me from doing so now that the Parasite was dead. Kain tilted his head as he watched us, yet remained where he was next to the Pillar.

"As you requested my Lady," Eldar Raziel purred in a soft tone. His younger self's eyes widened with dawning comprehension regarding the potential level of importance of the stone that I had brought with me.

"Thank you," I said softly. I looped the pouch back onto my belt and then took the stone from his taloned hands.

I smiled gently at Kain and then turned and moved toward the center of the platform that we stood upon. I carefully freed the smokey quartz and pink tourmaline stone from its' simple, silver festoon. Pocketing the silver necklace, I shifted the stone about in my fingers and smiled faintly in fond remembrance. I might not be able to use the magics that my dear Brother Cu had used, but I could still verbally activate the small, almost unnoticeable runes of power that had been carved into the back of the stone.

"Berkana," I started in a soft voice and the tear-drop shaped stone shivered in my hand. "Gebo. Laguz. Hagalaz. Thurisaz. Eihwaz!"

The words I said were the names of six of the Elder Futhark runes. The same runes that Nosgoth used for their normal, everyday script. To Nosgoth, those words referenced the symbols that spelled out 'bglhthe'. Which in and of itself was gibberish. Which was the point. To Gaia though, those runes and words meant something else. Cu and I had picked out these particular words as the trigger to release the two billion souls that he had called upon to willingly aid Nosgoth in her recovery. Cu had also warned me that the release of such contained energy would manifest itself in a physical manner, but he had been unable to tell what would happen beyond knowing that it would not cause any physical injury.

No one had _ever_ stored so many souls within a _single_ crystal before.

Upon my uttering 'Eihwaz' the crystal shattered into dust. Light sparked through the air, spots of 'soul stuff' filling the air around us visibly. The 'lights' swirled about us like a visible storm, the heart of a spectral tornado spinning wildly enough that there was an actual breeze within the large anti-chamber that mussed our hair. The energy snapped inwards, swirling around us and forcing startled sounds from each of our throats as all of that soul stuff passed through us. I arched, shuddering violently as thousands upon thousands of souls brushed against my own. Raziel, the younger, stumbled to one knee with his wings spread out wide in an effort to catch his balance, his expression dazed. The Eldar remained standing, just barely, and his own wings were fanned out wide. A look of pure awe crossed over his face. A soft cry even escaped the Seer's unconscious form, though she did not stir in full. The energy suddenly snapped outwards in a volatile wave. The Pillars began to glow once more, a blinding light that left my vision filled with spots.

Kain...

Kain _roared_ as the soul light exploded outwards.

It was an exultant, triumphal sound that echoed boomingly in the massive throne room. It was a cry of elation and rapture, of frenzied glee and manic, victorious celebration all in a single burst of explosive sound. It was the pure sound of exuberant life. Vibrant. Energetic. Wild.

When the light finally faded, Eldar Raziel and I were the only ones standing and even then just barely. Kain had collapsed to one knee in front of the Pillar of Balance, his forehead pressed against the marble as if in prayer. I took a wobbly step forward toward him and then stilled myself lest I fall over. He stood slowly. After that flux of power, I could not feel anything but surprise as I watched him. His movements were steady and unwavering, whereas I felt as if the slightest breeze would knock me over. He turned to look at me and my breath froze in my throat. His eyes were glowing power, but the pure white gaze of vampiric Aura was now laced with that same odd dual-glow that yet radiated from the Pillar that he was tied to. He moved toward me slowly, the wild yet confident stride of a hunter that knew it was Alpha of its' Territory. He raised his now fully healed hand and curled one talon lightly under my chin. I blinked at him as he tilted my head up, not fighting him as he made me bare my throat to him. His bent forward and his lips brushed mine.

"What _was_ that mine own?" he said softly, lips teasing over mine as he spoke. "What were those words? That stone? Nosgoth... Nosgoth is _elated_ with what you have done..."

"I... a gift... as I said before," I swallowed roughly and spoke slowly, enunciating my words with care as I found it oddly difficult to speak. "You don't know those words here, but on Gaia each of the different symbols of Elder Futhark, Nosgoth's alphabet, can mean many different things because they are _runes_ , not _letters_. 'Berkana' can mean 'Earth Mother. "'Gebo', Gift. 'Laguz', Living Renewal or Fertility. 'Hagalaz', Egg of Life. 'Thurisaz', Regeneration. 'Eihwaz', Tree of Life. Cu and I meant for those words to essentially mean 'Earth Mother, take this Gift of Fertility, this Egg of Life, to Regenerate your own Tree of Life'. A Gift of souls to replenish Nosgoth's life-blood and help her recover from the cancer that was tearing through her."

"I see," Kain hummed, voice yet soft. "Only someone from Gaia would have been able to activate the stone."

"I _did_ leave a contingency with Eldar Raziel, just in case something happened to me," I said gently, my voice growing steadier the more I talked. "Yet that _was_ the purpose of such a trigger. I did not want all those souls falling prey to the Parasite."

"Ho-" the younger Raziel had to cough into his hands. I turned to watch him as he slowly stood up, his stance wobbly. "How many souls?"

"Two billion," I said.

" _By the Pillars_ ," he breathed, shock writ clear on his face. His Eldar-self let out a hum of noise.

"It was wise of you mine own," Kain rumbled. "To keep such a teasure hidden."

He pressed his lips to mine once more in another gentle kiss before he pulled back and bumped his forehead lightly against mine. He wrapped his arms around me and his eyes slowly bled back to the usual blue-gold. Lips trailed over my cheek, along my jaw and then down to press against his Mark where it lay on my throat. A ragged gasp escaped my lips at the touch, a flood of emotion flooding through that connection between us.

A sense of outright hope where there was once uneasy optimism for the future. Cool and forcefully indifferent sense of composure knocked aside for a strong sense of amazement and wonder. Deep-seated pride, respect, trust, fondness and... and...

Adoration...

An unadulterated sense of affection...

...of _love_...

Another, choked sound escaped me as that last emotion seared through my mind. My breath hitched in my throat as I gasped in another breath, an almost whimper of sound chasing the sudden inhalation. Kain's mouth closed over my own nary a second later and I melted against him with a softer, muffled keen of sound. I had felt the other emotions from him often enough. I'd known that he respected and cared for me. Lover, confidant, companion, ally... I'd been one of the few willing to back down when needed... and, once I'd come into my own, fully willing to get into his face when he was being a stubborn mule of a male when there were better options laying before us. I'd... felt the same for him often enough over the centuries. He'd helped me heal. Helped me become strong. Helped me become the woman I was now regardless of the horrors that I had faced in my youth. Horrors that had nearly destroyed my sense of reality, of honor, of morality, of pride... and of hope for a future that I could call my own...

I could always recall fondly our time together whilst I lived on Gaia and had even, pragmatically, set aside the affection that I had for him to see if I could call my Birth World home or not as I had promised. Indeed, I'd returned, knowing in my head that I could not count upon our relationship being what it had been before I left. But in my heart... there had been a small hope that I had not dared to dwell on too much.

Had it been out of a sense of practicality? Or fear?

But this... _this_...

All of that was swept aside under the tide of the emotions that he was wordlessly sharing with me.

I responded to that kiss with an equal gentleness. This was no harsh, claiming, biting kiss of two Alpha's both vying for dominance over each other and reveling in each other's Aura's and presence. No... as I sent my own emotions back along that link, I realized that this was the kind of kiss that... that long seperated lovers shared when they found each other again. That deep sense that, regardless of where they had found each other, they had found their home once more. How strange it was then, that the lyrics of an old Gaian song ran through my head.

 _'I found you a thousand times;_

 _I guess you done the same;_

 _But then we lose each other;_

 _It's like a children's game;_

 _As I find you here again;_

 _A thought runs through my mind;_

 _Our love is like a circle;_

 _Let's go 'round one more time.'_

Or perhaps it was not strange at all to have that song come to mind...

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I pulled back slowly, my lips lingering against his for a few seconds more. I reached out and lightly stroked my fingers over Kain's cheek. A fond smile curled my lips upwards.

" _Amare_..." I whispered softly.

A low, rumbling chuckle escaped him.

"Amare," he said softly in return. He leaned forward to close that distance once more to nip oh so lightly at my bottom lip. He chuckled suddenly, bemusement and a teasing note laced through his tone. "Ah mine Queen, my Empress... so clever to have brought back such a Kingly gift. Dear Katrina. My magnificent, cunning, spirited Katrina. My dear Little One..."

"You are being pretentious. Cu helped as you know," I said softly, feeling a blush spread over my cheeks at the praise.

It had been some time since I had heard such showy, grandiose words and could believe them. Trust that the speaker meant them, even if said speaker's tone was filled with a gentle kind of teasing. He knew well that praise, _honest_ praise, embarrassed me to an extent. But I knew the truth. Whilst he did not oft tease me so, he was not one to sing false praises. No. My King... my Emperor, was the truthful sort when it came to such things. He knew well that the truth could oft cut as sharply as any blade... or be as soft as any lover's caress. I continued to speak, voice yet soft.

"When I told my Brother about Nosgoth, we spent centuries researching your story to think of possible ways to help," I explained. "It was one of the reasons that I'd brought that glow-in-the-dark fluid with me. On the off chance that as the Parasite affected the Physical world, it made him 'real' enough for such fluid to stick. It would be, and proved to be, useful indeed to have a means of tracking his limbs so."

"Very true," Kain hummed softly as his talons stroked higher along my back in slow, petting movements.

"Even with the amount of new souls... are you certain that such barren lands can support life as you hope?" Raziel, the younger, asked in a quiet tone as if hesitant to point out something negative in the face of our victory. Both he and the Eldar remained at a respectful distance from us and I turned enough in Kain's arms to smile at him.

"It _would_ be a difficult thing indeed, were the soil not fertile," I said in a bemused tone.

Kain's breath hitched in his throat. A glance back at him showed that his expression had turned incredulous. Raziel, too, looked to be shocked to silence whilst the Eldar simply looked bemusedly between his younger self and his Sire.

"W- _what_?" he asked, stunned, his normal eloquence rendered non-existent. "My Lady... are... are you certain of this?"

"Yes, I am," I said with a small laugh. I looked back to Kain as I explained. "Gaian's have ways, simply tests really, to see if the soil in a particular location is or is not fertile. Almost all of the areas that I checked had fertile soil levels despite the lack of growth in those respective locations. There simply have not been enough souls in existence in the Spectral Realm to allow for anything beyond that of a desert-like ecosystem."

"Then... that means..." Raziel's words drifted off and I could out of the corner of my eye that his eyes flew wide as the implications of my words registered.

"Nosgoth has a better chance to recover now than she did before," I said with another smile. "I wasn't about to come back empty-handed."

"Hn, nor did I expect you to come back ill-prepared. But this?" Kain hummed happily. He glanced over his shoulders at the Pillars, resplendent in their restored state. "Still, we have much to do yet..."

"Not the least of which is ensuring that my younger-self is dropped off in the past in blade form," Eldar Raziel said.

"That eager to be rid of my presence?" the younger snapped in a stiff tone.

The Eldar's eyes narrowed upon the younger's form as Kain and I turned our focus on the pair. So strange to see such a confrontation, but then how would anyone respond to being in the same place and time as their Eldar self...?

"How strange it is..." the Eldar murmured as if in echo of my own thoughts, "to recall my own words harshly spoken yet be the one on the _receiving_ end of said words."

He shook his head as if to clear away said thoughts.

"No matter," he said firmly. "Both of us being here, at the same time, is as dangerous a thing as one of us being in the presence of the Blood Reaver before we submitted to its' pull. Calm yourself and prepare your mind. Be reassured that you will not go mad. Obviously, I am sane."

"Oh?" the younger self grit out between clenched teeth. "Then what was the madness that touched my mind?"

"I do believe that one would call that ' _acting_ '," the Eldar said with a bemused raise of one elegant brow. "An incentive to 'hurry along' if you will. Mind you, the sheer annoyance and frustration that you felt when I was bound to 'your' arm was unfeigned. I already knew at that point the _floundering_ you would do when you were set upon your path..."

"Ah..." the younger Raziel's visage twisted into a grimace at his Eldar-self's words. "I... we... were foolish indeed..."

"Agreed," the Eldar hummed softly.

I shared a bemused look with Kain and had to contain a chuckle at the odd self-commiseration between the Eldar and Younger versions of Raziel. I frowned abruptly. Kain nipped at my ear in response and I twitched away from the nip. As our Marks were yet flung wide open, he could sense my sudden unease. He issued a soothing hum that drew the others attention to us.

"What has you suddenly concerned mine Empress," Kain asked.

"How do we take Raziel back through the Time-stream?" I asked. "Especially without risking Moebius or the Parasite becoming aware of our actions? That we have won? If we can undo their efforts..."

"Then _they_ could yet unravel our _own_ ," Kain said with a knowing nod of his head. "I am aware of the conundrum before us. _I_ will not be the one to restore Raziel in Reaver form to his place in the past mine own. You will."

"Pardon?" I asked with a blink.

" _You_ will be the one to return Raziel to the right point in time," Kain repeated with a chuckle. "Moebius will see that which he wishes to see. I and Eldar Raziel will remain here to tend to the Seer in the interim and find if it is possible to wake her from her current state."

"And what is it that Moebius will see?" I asked with a raised brow. "What about my actions will solidify his thoughts that he and his Master have won the day?"

Kain let out an amused huff of breath and stepped out of my arms. The tip of one talon rose to light bop my nose and I blinked at him in surprise. He was being curiously playful all of a sudden...

"Recall that you shouted so convincingly in concern for my well-being when I was pulled under the thrashing waves of the underground lake," he purred softly. "And then, in keeping with the illusion that I was in lethal danger, you fought to seemingly free me from said lethal grasp of the wildly churning depths? Not only that, but that it was yet dark enough that a humans sight would be limited whereas a vampires sight of such depths would be barely hindered? What would Moebius see, I wonder, when looking at such an event?"

"Of course," I breathed, and then let out a bemused huff. "He'll only care to watch that bit of time. In the darkness and the churning water, he would not even see that your form was decidedly unaffected by the water, only that you were dragged into what should amount to a vat of acid! If I show up in a particular point in time alone, Reaver in hand and soaking wet, he will eat up the falsehood eagerly and without question. It would even help if he watches far enough to hear his parasitical Master shouting that he 'knew he would win'. He would likely believe that I was tenacious enough to get away after recovering the Reaver..."

"Or more _likely_ believe that the Parasite had released you to wallow in your apparent loss," Kain finished grimly. A cruel, fanged smile curled his lips upwards. He then turned to kneel next to the Seer to look over her head wound. "Let us finalize our victory over our foes and then see about setting our world to rights. I will direct you via the Whisper on what you will need to do to traverse the Time-line my Little One. Raziel, a hand."

"As you wish, My Lord," the Eldar Raziel said as he started towards Kain's side.

"Got it," I said at almost the same time.

I walked over to the younger Raziel's side and ran my hand soothingly over his arm. His wings twitched faintly and a longing look passed over his face briefly as he looked over at his Eldar-self and his Sire. I reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear. He twitched, almost a flinch, as he turned to meet my gentled gaze. I leaned forward and brushed my lips lightly against his own. I would not offer platitudes, false or otherwise, especially when he could clearly see that he was not as trapped as he had initially thought. But I could offer other things to our brave Knight

"Fly with me a ways?" I asked softly.

"I..." he let out a soft breath. He leaned into my touch and lifted his hand to cover my own, turning the limb enough to kiss my wrist. "I would be honored, My Lady."

I chuckled and leaned forward to lightly nip at his nose. He pulled back with a strained growl and nipped at my chin and I pulled out of reach in turn. He smiled weakly when he realized why I'd been about to issue a playfully punishing bite.

"Katrina," he said, correcting himself.

"That's better," I purred softly. I turned and started for the large double-doors with a small laugh.

We exited the main building of the Sanctuary in somewhat tense silence and then took to the skies as soon as we had a clear route upwards. Rather than fly straight to the Chronoplast, I made sure that we took a... well, one could not quite call it a scenic route given Nosgoth's current dilapidated state. Still, I wanted Raziel to have a pleasant memory to hold onto before he needed to revert to blade form for the expected length of time. When I advised Kain of my plan via the Whisper, I received a silent burst of approval and a sense to tell him when we arrived at our end destination.

That in mind, I dove into a few thick clouds at one point. When he made to follow me through it, I back-winged enough that he ended up ahead of me. His flight pattern faltered briefly and I tapped his leg roughly as I dove past him. A startled sound escaped him and he twisted about, knocked slightly off-course by the light blow. He growled as my laughter filled the air and he dove after me. What followed was a short-seeming hour of playful aerial game of tag that eventually ended when we flew low enough to the ground that I could safely tackle him out of the air and pin him down. I gently pressed my lips to his, a light kiss meant to seduce, but he stiffen beneath my touch and not in a pleasant way. His scent had turned sour with unease. I pulled back from his lips with a small hum and ran my fingers soothingly through his hair.

"What are you thinking of so seriously my sweet Knight?" I asked softly as I kissed his forehead.

"I... I feel as if I am standing upon the edge of a blade," he admitted after a long and heavy silence.

"Mayhaps you do stand upon a blade my sweet Raziel," I responded, keeping my voice gentle and soothing as I kissed his ear. "Yet you know now that you stand upon the flat of it, not the bladed edge."

"A precarious perch regardless," he murmured with a soft scoff that rustled my hair.

"Perhaps," I said as I pulled back enough to trail my fingers over his chest. "But one where you know that you will have hands waiting to catch you if you do fall."

I stood a moment later and then pulled him to his feet. He did not fight me and stood, his stance stiff and uneasy. I wrapped my arms around his waist and my wings around the rest of him as I tucked my head in under his chin. He remained still for only a few more moments before he wrapped his arms around my waist in turn and he nuzzled the crown of my head gently.

"I suppose I do at that..." he said softly. He let out another low sigh that ruffled through my hair. "My Lady..."

I turned my head and nipped at my Mark where it lay on his throat. He shivered and pulled back to glance down at me with a raised brow. I took the opening and flicked his nose, causing him to let out a low huff of amusement.

"I will break you of that habit," I said softly. "During the times that we are alone with each other or Kain, you _will_ learn to call me by my name my sweet Raziel."

"As you wish," he murmured softly and he leaned forward to kiss at my fingertips, a small smile curling his lips upwards. "Katrina. I... I do not know if I can ever repay you for your kindness and tenacity. You are truly the Mother of Mercy that the humans have oft claimed you to be."

"Flatterer," I said and like earlier when Kain had lavished me so with poetically sweet words of praise, I blushed. Even at a thousand, such kind words from those I trusted to speak true still made me feel... _flustered_.

He chuckled, easily able to tell by my scent that he had left me in such a state. He leaned down and his fangs brushed over my neck near the vein. I hummed softly, waiting until he issued a plaintive keen before finally tilting my head up and allowing him full access. Sharp canines sank into the flesh of my throat over the vein and I let out a low groan as the brief, puncturing pain faded almost immediately into pleasure. A throaty purr escaped my throat and I gently threaded my fingers through his hair as he fed, wrapping my Aura around him at the same time so that he could be fully enveloped in the taste of my blood and the comforting energy of my power.

My fingers slid from his hair to trail over the back of his neck, then to the side where my Mark lay. A throttled, muffled groan escaped him and he shuddered, his arms tightening and pulling me closer. He pulled his fangs free a moment later. I turned to kiss his cheek and he shifted so that his lips met my own instead. The kiss was equally gentle... and desperate. He pulled back, swallowing roughly, and then knelt before me with his head bowed.

"I place myself into your hands My Lady Katrina," he said, tone distinctly formal. I ran the pads of my fingers over his cheek, careful of my sharp claws.

"As I will place my trust in the cutting edge of your blade," I murmured softly in return. His head jerked up and he blinked at me in confusion. I shook my head. "You'll know what I meant by that later, sweet Raziel."

"...as you say," he said, his tone now faintly bemused.

He stood and brushed his lips against mine, tongue flicking out over my lower lip as if desperate for one final taste of me. His form suddenly shifted, wavered as it had when his Eldar self had shifted into blade form for me and suddenly the Soul Reaver was before me. I caught the hilt of the blade in my hand, refusing to let it fall over, and I lifted the blade up to trail my fingertips over the sinuous curves of the blade. I let out a soft sigh and then took flight, holding the blade close. I found a large stream and then submersed myself in the cold water for several long minutes, ensuring that the armor and leather was soaked through and through. It would be uncomfortable, but a necessary step.

No small detail could be overlooked in the coming deception...

I landed outside the path leading into the Chronoplast and made my way inside. I looked over the different dials and levers as if trying to recall certain steps as I reached out to brush my mind against Kain's.

~Kain, I'd arrived at the Chronoplast with Raziel in Soul Reaver form,~ I Whispered.

~Good,~ Kain hummed in response. ~Now then, I want you to find the dial that has the Time Guardian's Symbol upon it. It should be roughly the side of a silver platter. This must be turned just so in order to prime the Chamber.~

Setting the Reaver aside, I carefully looked about and found the dial that he had mentioned. From there I followed his mental directions, but slowly as if I were not receiving immediate instruction. In case Moebius decided to look at this particular point in time, I wanted to ensure that he did not see anything that could be considered out of place. I wiped away some of the water dripping across my face as if clearing away tears as the temporal portal opened and I moved to take the Reaver in hand once more. I eyed the portal, allowing my expression to twist as if seemingly lost and then stepped through. I allowed myself to stumble, the sensation no worse really then being teleported, and then started when a steadying hand landed on my shoulder. I twisted free with a startled snarl of sound and then halted, staring warily at the long-lived human before me. The Time Guardian and the Death Guardian had both been born long before the other Guardian's and Kain had explained to me once long ago that those two had only lived so long because of their respective Pillars.

"Ah, I had wondered who might be using the Chronoplast... if it is not the _Mother of Mercy_ herself," he purred in a voice filled with false reverence. "It is an honor _indeed_ to meet one whom I'd only been able to glimpse at through the Time-stream. Kain's _fair_ and _trusted_ Queen..."

My eyes narrowed distrustingly on the male before me, clad as he was in expensive robes and with his staff in hand. I brushed a few wet strands out of my face and straitened my shoulders, my stance shifted to a regal bearing. A dark flash of cold, victorious satisfaction flickered over his visage at the realization that I was soaked through and through and that I also had the Soul Reaver in hand. His expression swiftly morphed back into one of polite concern and I pretended that I had not seen the dark look that had passed over his face.

"You are... Moebius," I said, not hiding my outright displeasure at seeing him. "Why am I not surprised to find you here to greet me?"

"I see that Kain has told you of me," he flashed a smile at me that was more snarl than anything else. "I do hope then that you will forgive me my bluntness Fair Lady, but the Time-line is absolute. Immutable. It will protect itself and prevent any untoward tampering. For the Greater Good of all of course."

 _Oh, but there are times that I outright despise that phrase,_ I thought to myself angrily.

I lunged forward and grabbed him by the the collar of his robes with a snarl of rage. His staff flashed with power, but did not affect me beyond a twitchy kind of pain similar to that of the Hylden barrier gates that I had passed through in my youth. An 'ants-under-the-skin' kind of sensation. A flash of fear crossed his visage, but he maintained a cold composure.

"I know _precisely_ what you are, you little traitor," I snarled into his face, my rage unfeigned. "Just give me the excuse that I need to end you."

"If you know what I _am_ , then you also should know that it is not _you_ whom will deliver upon me a killing blow, _Fair_ Queen," he bit out through gritted teeth. His expression remained firm and resolute but I relished the scent of true fear upon him.

I was a true wild card when it came to the Time-stream after all. Moebius would want me to be ignorant of that fact. Not that I was.

"Who says that I have to _kill_ you to enact my vengeance upon your weathered hide?" I hissed softly and he blanched in a satisfying way.

"Now, now your _Majesty_ ," oh, but that tone was beginning to grate upon my nerves. "I _understand_ that you are upset with me. It is a very understandable thing, truly, to be _enraged_ after having witnessed such a _tragedy_ first hand..."

The cold glee in his eyes told me all that I needed to know. He had indeed looked through the Time-Stream and had seen the illusion of Kain's 'death'. Just as we had hoped.

"You understand _nothing_!" I hissed, allowing a hint of pain and grief to enter my tone. I shoved him back against the wall and then turned to start for the large doors of the Chronoplast.

"For all that we were enemies," Moebius started, a faint wheeze in his breath from having been shoved so. "Kain was a fellow Guardian, _Fair_ Queen. The Balance Guardian and the very heart of the Pillars. Do not think that I do not know his role in Nosgoth's fate."

I spun around with a roaring snarl, hand tight around the Reaver. I lifted the blade as if to lash out at him and he held up a hand in a soothing, entreating gesture as he spoke.

"Allow me to _ease_ some of your burden during such a troubled time for you," he offered in a rapid, faux-soothing tone. "I will return the Soul Reaver to where it must needs be; in Avernus Cathedral where it will await a young Kain to find it and use it against King William."

I bared my fangs at the Time Lord in warning but I knew, as Kain did, that this would be indeed a task for Moebius to complete. Not me. A younger Kain would find the blade in the twisted building, held in the arms of a statue of some angelic looking woman. I lowered the blade slowly, idly stroking my fingers over the flat of the blade. Raziel's energy, his soul, reached out faintly to brush at my fingertips. A comforting caress. He knew that I was upset and whilst he could not see the reason for my upset, he knew well that I and Kain both were loathe to leave him in Moebius' grasp even as a seemingly trapped soul. But... to complete this path, this circular route to the future that we had created where we were the victors of this long-standing war, Raziel needed to be handed over to the Time Streamer so that he could be placed in a younger Kain's path.

I clenched my jaw and carefully held out the blade toward the Time Lord... blade first. Moebius' eyes narrowed on me, understanding quite clearly the insult that I was paying him. He gingerly took the heavy blade in his hands and I let go of the hilt. Raziel was yet awake within the Reaver and I knew that he had sensed the exchange and who now held him. The low, hungry, angry whine that was the sign that he was awake filled the air, making his upset with the situation plain. Moebius winced most satisfactorily at the sound before he spoke.

"There will be few indeed who can hold this blade and have it remain... _quiescent_ ," he murmured, though his tone was dark with his own sense of satisfaction. "Shall I set the dials for you to take you back to the time with which you came from, _Fair_ Queen?"

"I know what I need to do," I hissed at him. "I do not need your _aid_ 'Time Lord'."

"As you please," he bowed mockingly. "Ah... but I forget myself. The King is _dead_. _Long live the Queen_. May you rule fairly and justly for _many_ a long century, _Fair_ Queen. It would be a pity indeed for such a _lovely_ creature as yourself to die of _grief_."

Did he just...?

He _did_.

 _That little shit...!_ I thought, thoroughly incited by his words.

It gave me the excuse I needed at least...

I let out an enraged roar of unfeigned rage and lunged for his throat. He disappeared in a rapid flash of light, a teleportation spell taking him rapidly to safety, and my claws passed uselessly through empty air. I allowed myself to stumble, as if I hadn't expected him to do such a thing. I straightened and covered my eyes as I let out a strained, grief tinged howl of frustration. Even now I needed to continue with my little act. Kain and I had agreed that even if I was normally unseen by anyone looking through time unless I was with a 'Key Player', that merely being within the Chronoplast might allow someone to monitor me. I let out another sound, similar to a choked sob of breath before I straightened my shoulders and rubbed at my face. I moved about the room, very carefully moving the dials and levers as Kain had instructed me to before I'd left for the Time I was currently in. If everything was aligned properly, then I would appear only a handful of moments after I had left.

Once I had arrived back at the 'present', I stumbled and moved to sit down roughly on the steps that led out of the chamber as if drained of energy and will. I reached out to Kain through the Whisper as I covered my face and drew my wings over my shoulders.

~It is done,~ I Whispered. ~Though I greatly disliked dealing with that blighted bastard and his gloating tone.~

~He does have a way of getting under one's skin,~ Kain acknowledged in a dark tone. ~Whatever did he say to upset you so? He did not know you as he knew me.~

I shared what the Time-streamer had said and Kain growled low in the back of my mind for a moment. He abruptly laughed, a cold bark of sound.

~Well then, the foul traitor blatantly showed that he believes me to be dead now,~ he hummed in a dark and pleased tone.

~Indeed,~ I responded. ~The fool also seemed to believe that I would waste away without you. As if I were a _human_ Marked so. How could he not know how the Marks work though? He was _raised_ knowing about Vampiric customs. He and Mortanius. He has to know that I will not die of loss like some love bird without its' mate.~

~Oh, he is well aware of the nature of Vampire Marks,~ Kain hummed. ~However, with your acting he may believe that your Half-blood nature will leave you as susceptible to such things as a human would be. _I,_ for one, will not be the one to disabuse him of such a notion.~

~Nor will I, fool that he is,~ I growled.

~Indeed. His overconfidence in his abilities was always his greatest weakness,~ Kain growled, a low rumble of noise that tickled along the back of my mind, ~and we also know his end fate. We have won this long war mine own, whilst he lies dead with not even a body to bury.~

~I do hope that he did not give Raziel indigestion,~ I joked in a morbid tone.

~From what I understand, he did not,~ he said with a dark laugh. His tone turned serious. ~I have left the Seer in her home. Return there and tend to her for a time mine own. Raziel and I shall... clean up... the Sanctuary. It is no fit place to live at this point.~

~As you wish,~ I stood slowly. ~Shall I continue acting morose and grief-stricken?~

~For now, yes,~ Kain hummed softly. ~We do not know if he can see you now or if he can track your movements. We _do_ know that he and his bloated Master were aware of the Seer however, so it will be best if you are near her for a time.~

~As you wish,~ I responded and I sent a pulse of affection through the Marks to both Kain and Raziel. Regardless of that sending, my next words were still solely for Kain. ~My Amare.~

~My Dear Katrina,~ he purred back in response.

Done with waiting about, I stood and left the Chronoplast, letting the doors slam shut behind me. I winged my was swiftly towards the Seer's tucked away home and made my way to her bedside. I looked her over critically and found that either Kain or Raziel had given her a healing potion as her head wound was healed, only a scar left to show where the injury had been. I sat down next to her on the bed and brushed my fingers through her hair. A surprised sound escaped me when she actually stirred at my touch, eyes fluttering.

"Easy now... easy Seer, I am here," I said in a soft, soothing voice as those eyes slowly fluttered open. "Can you hear me? Answer me if you can."

"L... Lady... Ka... Katri...na?" she asked, voice weak and broken sounding.

"Yes Seer, I am here," I responded, keeping my voice soft in case she yet had a headache despite the healing properties of the potions. "Easy now. You took quite the blow to the head... hn.."

I moved my hand in front of her face, noticing that her eyes seemed to be tracking oddly... or rather, not at all. I held up two fingers.

"Can you see how many fingers I am holding up?" I asked.

"I... no..." she answered roughly, there was an odd note in her voice. "I... there... there is no light in the room?"

"Several candles and a single sconce are currently lit," I answered with a frown. "I believe that your injury has rendered you blind."

"I... see..." she let out a weak, choked kind of sound and it took me a moment to realize that she was _laughing_. "Or rather... I do _not_ see..."

I let out a faint huff of amusement at her words and let my hand fall to rest over her own. She held her hand up over her face and moved it about unseeing. Her expression was oddly... awed of all things.

"You... are alright with being blind?" I asked in surprise.

"I am My Lady," she said in a weak voice. "I... I would be... be rendered blind... in the end if the curse... continues to affect me. Blindness... that is an acceptable price to pay to help..."

I shifted closer to her, letting my forehead lightly press against her lips to silence her. I shifted to then rest my forehead against her own and shifted to lay next to her. Though she could not see and could not Whisper to me, she seemed to immediately sense why I had silenced her and her expression turned grim, worried. I'd let my hair out of its' braid earlier during my flight to her home and I used it now as a curtain to hide our faces. I pressed my cheek to hers, lips brushing against her ear and her own against mine. She spoke softly, so soft that even I could barely hear her.

"I can See why you silenced me," she breathed in that so soft voice. "Moebius is watch you... watching us. The expression of glee on his face is foul indeed... but he cannot hear us like this. Not when we speak so softly..."

"Can you See how long he will watch us?" I breathed into her ear.

"Better, I can _reduce_ the time that he will look in on us," she murmured. "Lay upon me. He is the type of man to find certain activities disgusting rather than pleasurable. He might as well be a eunuch in truth..."

I choked on my breath, forcing myself not to laugh and making it sound as if I had choked back a sob instead. Honestly the thought of Moebius doing anything of such nature was... _nauseating_ , so to hear that he forwent such things? That thought was amusing. Letting my body fall on hers, I tried to give off the sense of someone giving into grief and she wrapped her arms around me and she let out a soothing croon.

Acting a part often required that one feel the emotion that they were trying to project. Thus, I took this chance to focus upon my Siblings and the Clan that I had left behind on Gaia. I did not regret my choice. Being happy and content upon Gaia had proved to be impossible for me, but I would still miss those that I had grown close to. I knew that all intellectually, but had not allowed myself to focus on those emotions. My wings drooped against the bed and I let out a soft, unfeigned keen of loss. Best to use this time to release such pent up emotions and give Moebius his perceived assurance of victory all at once.

Cold logic, really. But needs must...

The Seer let out another soothing croon of sound and pet blindly at my head and shoulders and wings. After I had worked through the worst of it, I reared upwards and drew the Seer into a gentle, but almost desperate kiss as if needing a more intimate kind of comfort. Drawing my wings closely about our forms, I endeavored to conceal what it was that we were not actually doing even as she returned my kiss and wrapped her arms about my waist. A deep, appreciative moan escaped her, muffled as it was by my mouth on hers. After several more moments of that she went still and then pulled away with a soft laugh that turned into a bit of a giggle-fit.

"I take it that he has stopped watching?" I said as I pulled back. I raised a brow at her. "Or should I be offended?"

"No, no offense My Lady," she said as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. "He fled from his chambers like his robes were aflame in order to seek out his Master, all so he can crow about their supposed success. Ah, but sometimes the ability to See can be amusing."

"I'll bet," I said with a snicker as I sat up.

"If you are hungry..." she started.

"Hush woman," I said, my tone firm as I slipped off the bed. "You are injured. Rest for the nonce and later we shall discuss what our steps will be regarding your own people."

"Thank you My Lady," she said, her tone weary.

I slipped out of the room quietly, eager to look over several of the notes I had taken over the past week.

It was time to rebuild...

* * *

Thank you again everyone for your views/reviews!

Comments are always welcome!


	63. Epilogue Part 1

Thank you to AssassinAngel92. Your reviews have always been appreciated and I am very glad that you enjoyed that last chapter. :-D

And onto the final bits of the story.

I'm not the sort to leave a 'and they lived happily ever after' kind of ending, so I hope you all enjoy this. :-)

-bows-

* * *

Chapter Sixty-two: Epilogue Part 1

The Seer and I spent the next three weeks together discussing her people and their current cultural norms. Oddly enough, their culture had not changed over much given that they had to live in a rather harsh environment. Maintaining their culture became a way of maintaining hope for a future outside of the Demon Realm. Understandable, truly it was, but it also meant that several traditions that they had adhered to for so long would no longer be viable, if only because being 'exiled' would no longer doom someone to becoming twisted beings once they were kicked out of the City proper.

I found out that, long-lived though the Hylden were due to the Curse, they were not nearly as long-lived as vampires. All told, there were about three thousand Hylden's residing in the Hylden City. As to the number of Exiles? That was an unknown factor that we would need to be wary of. Kain's war against the Hylden invaders when he was younger likely decimated the Exiles numbers, but we had no way of knowing how many had survived or how many had been exiled since then.

We spoke of potentially bringing her people over in groups focused first around those who had skills in agriculture and architecture. Nosgoth could not support so many coming over all at once and the Hylden City had enough stability to support such a staggered reintroduction. Nosgoth yet needed time for flora and fauna to recover and having individuals whose skills focused on such things? It would aid in her recovery. As for _where_ to place them all once they were here?

It was likely going to be the lands North of the mountains. Kain had claimed the entire southern portion of the massive super-continent for the Clans and, even in the Empires dilapidated state, it was unlikely that he would yield much, _if any,_ of that land to the Hylden. The lands to the North would be a prudent option for all involved and would help keep tempers in check early on. The lands were also wild, untamed and, for the most part, uninhabited. The Seer knew of only a few tiny human settlements in the North, those who had fled the Wildlings. As such there would, hopefully, be little in the way of potential forced relocation for either Human or Hylden settlers.

Later, when I had explained to her the Gift of Souls that I had brought with me, I'd nearly panicked. She had almost immediately collapsed into a heap mid-step. I could not be sure if it was the head injury or a vision. In all our conversations over the past three weeks, she had not once had a vision. She had even admitted to me early on that head wounds _could_ affect a Seer's ability. I checked her eyes in concern and while there was not the earlier, bright glow of gold so similar to a Vampires power-whitened gaze, there was yet a faint golden shimmer. Thinking that her head injury could yet be affecting her or her ability, I moved her back to her room to monitor her condition carefully.

Just in case...

She woke up not even ten minutes after her collapse... and immediately started crying. Worried, I drew her into my arms and rubbed at her back. Her fingers dug into my shoulders almost painfully as she sobbed and I wrapped my wings around her.

"Seer?" I asked, tone concerned. "What is wrong? Did you See something? Can you answer me?"

"Y-yes... oh yes..." she sobbed as she leaned further into me. "I.. I..."

"Seer," I said firmly. "Take a breath, in and out! _Now_!"

She gasped in a ragged breath at my order and then let it out slowly. She shuddered again and pushed back from me enough so that her blind eyes were gazing un-seeing at my face. There was an expression of... awe on her face. I blinked in surprised at that. I had been expecting the worst given her reaction.

"What did you See?" I asked softly.

"I... I am _cured of the Curse_... There... I Saw a burst of energy at the Pillars while I was unconscious. It cured me," she breathed in a reverent tone. "The Hylden who are brought through will be cured too, but _only_ if they are brought through the portal that will be opened for them in front of the Pillars. Any other route will leave those who try to return to Nosgoth in a Cursed state."

"Such as if the Exiled try to break through again," I said in realization. "Is it Kain who does this somehow or...?"

"No, it was Nosgoth..." she sobbed softly. "Nosgoth _wants_ us to come home. I know it. I have Seen it... Oh My Lady, the future will by no means be an _easy_ one, but my people can come _Home_!"

"Hn... what of the Wildlings?" I asked suddenly, happy for her but again concerned for those whom already lived upon Nosgoth's soil. "Could we boot them into the Demon Realm and bring them back across to cure them?"

"I..." she sniffled softly as she rubbed at her face. "I... do not know. I did not See such a thing. It... _might_ be possible? Perhaps the Scion can use the Chronoplast to test such a thing?

"I will let him know of what you saw," I said. "How do you feel though?"

"Weak... _tired_..." she said honestly as I helped her lay back down. "My head hurts quite a bit..."

"I see," I reached into my pouch and pulled free a healing potion. I placed the rim to her lips. "Drink this and rest. I will talk to Kain."

"Yes..." she drank the healing fluid and blinked blindly at the ceiling, her earlier strength a faded thing. " _Thank you_ , My Lady. For _everything_."

After ensuring that she fell into a natural slumber, I left the room and reached out through the Whisper for Kain. I shared with him the knowledge of what the Seer had witnessed in her vision and his response was... both hopeful and grim.

~That she saw such a thing is good,~ he said thoughtfully. ~Having creatures with such a Curse affecting them would, in the long run, be no different than the problem we face now with regards to the Wildlings. Though the Hylden are not nigh on immortal like Vampires, they would still devolve. But the Curse affecting them is not the same curse that affected I and my own Children. Hm.~

He remained silent for several moments before he continued.

~Raziel and I are done cleaning out the Sanctuary,~ he said. ~Once the Seer has recovered, the two of you can return here. I will visit the Chronoplast and see what I myself might be able to perceive regarding your findings. If it can be done, then we will help the youngest of my Children's respective broods as their minds would be the least badly damaged of the lot. If not... then we will merely continue on as we have discussed in previous conversations. I will not leave a stone un-turned when it comes to my Sons Clan...~

~I understand. Safe hunting Amare,~ I responded and I went back to tending the other female.

~My Katrina,~ he responded fondly, though his emotions came through as pensive.

From there, it took two days for the Hylden woman to recover from the state that her vision had left her in. Even she was uncertain as to if this would now be the norm for her if she received any future visions. I hoped not. It would be a liability for her to be affected so. Once she was up on her feet again, I flew us to the Sanctuary and found that the place, whilst not _pristine_ , was at least clear of any roaming Wildlings. There were a handful of humans from the Human Citadel wandering about and clearing away debris. Raziel was waiting for us in the throne room, staring up at the Pillars with a look of contained wonder. I moved over to his side and brushed my fingers over his arm.

"You are well?" I asked.

"I am well Lady Katrina," he hummed softly as he glanced over his shoulder at the Seer. "And our ally?"

"Recovered," I said. "Though I fear for her health if her visions continue to affect her so."

"I understand," he said. "She has proved her worth as an ally. It would be a pity indeed to see her laid low in such a manner."

"Indeed," I sighed and looked up at the pristine Pillars. "I've discussed much with the Seer regarding the Hylden. I believe we have a plan that can be implemented."

Heavy footfalls filled the air and Raziel and I turned as one to watch Kain approach. The Seer had also heard his approach and had bowed her head in respect. I smiled gently at the sight. He only moved so when he wanted those around him to be aware of his presence, otherwise he was as silent as a stalking cat. Kain paused by the Seer and tilted her head up.

"You have served us well Seer," he said in a firm tone as second later as he let her chin go. She bowed her head once more. He glanced at Raziel and I, then indicated the doors to the right. "Come, we all have much to discuss."

We fell in step beside and behind him respectively and followed him into the large side room that was clearly his War Room. He took a seat at the table that held a massive raised-relief map that, even despite its' obvious age, was well taken care of and highly detailed. Kain's bat form had definitely come in handy in shaping this lovely thing with such an eye to detail. He then indicated where each of us could sit. I guided the Seer to the seat he indicated for her, a seat reserved for an Adviser, and then took my own seat next to him at his left whilst Raziel sat at his right. Kain picked up a small marker and then leaned back in a lazy sprawl in his throne-like chair. He let out a heavy, frustrated growl.

"To begin with," he started in a dark tone, "we have now exhausted all potential avenues available to us in order to attempt the restoration of the Broods of my other Sons. Even conversing with Nosgoth via the Pillar of Balance did not reveal any viable options. The twisted Curse that Mortanius used to make me, the same curse that was passed on to my Children, _cannot_ be cured simply by transiting between the two Realms."

"You make it sound as if Nosgoth can only heal the Hylden as she can simply because the Hylden's Curse had a fail-safe built into it," I said.

"Nosgoth 'advised' that it indeed _did_ have such a thing," Kain acknowledged with a grim nod. "A fail-safe that had to be removed by Mortanius when he merged the two Curses in order to create me."

I closed my eyes, sadness flickering through me at his words.

"I had hoped. I had _truly_ _hoped_... but," I said softly, pain lacing my tone,"we cannot win them all, can we?"

"No, we cannot," he responded in a low tone, one talon tapping at the small marker. "Still, we pursued every avenue possible even if the results, in the end, were unsatisfactory. Moving on. Mine Empress, you mentioned that you have a plan regarding the Hylden?"

"I do. There are roughly three thousand Hylden all told in the Hylden City from what the Seer has told me. Nosgoth wont be able to support so many all at once, not when we need to help the entire planetary ecosystem in its' recovery. What we can do however, is space out how many people are brought through at one time. They can be placed there," I indicated the northern part of the map, unclaimed and unmarked by any of the smaller markers that indicated territories or troops save for a handful of outposts on the mountain range itself. "The lands are mostly uninhabited and are as fertile as the other areas. We should also focus on allowing only those skilled in agriculture and architecture through first. Perhaps a few tradesmen as well."

"People with such training would be best suited to helping Nosgoth's various ecosystems recover in a safe manner," the Seer offered. "They would understand well the fragile nature of such things and would be able to introduce crops to the land slowly whilst also being mindful of the flora and fauna that has survived to this day."

"Valid points," Raziel said softly.

"Indeed," Kain's eyes narrowed on the map and he leaned forward to move a broken marker to a large, yet dangerous seeming pass in the mountains that had a number of structures attached to it. "The Hylden can move in here first before they spread out. We will need to disable and remove the constructs there at any rate."

"Constructs?" I asked in confusion.

"Great machines were built to create the smog that thinly covers the sky," Raziel said. "The smog was thicker once and we used it to help lengthen the nights and reduce the amount of sunlight that could harm us and our kin."

Kain chuckled faintly at the incredulous look that I shot his way.

"We did not have them active _all_ of the time mine own," he said in a bemused tone. "The balance of Nosgoth was in my thoughts even with the creation of said constructs. I know what the lack of sunlight can do to the flora and fauna of the land. Regardless, the machines have fallen out of use at this point. Only a handful work and even then, only one is currently functioning as we speak. They are no longer needed, especially given the fact that we will need the sunlight to help keep the Wildlings in check during the day and the fact that any more Children Raziel and I make will be immune to the sun's rays."

"I... see," I frowned a bit. "The empty buildings will be a good place for the groups of Hylden to use as a base until such time that they can set up settlements to the North."

"I want it understood that the first settlement is to be built within a stones throw of the end of the pass as it leads to the Northern side of the mountains. Once we have expanded our ranks, the structure left behind will be manned by Vampire guards, with a smaller outpost manned by a handful of your own people near said settlement. None of them are to be trained beyond basic self defense," Kain said in a firm tone. "Until such time that your people have proven to be as trustworthy allies as yourself, I _will not_ allow the Hylden to have a military foothold on either side of the mountains. Is that understood, Seer?"

"I do," she said with a bow of her head, her head tilted the direction of his voice. "There is no guarantee that there will be a lasting peace between our people. Conflict in and of itself is a natural thing and I can understand that you want to maintain sole control over the mountain pass. You wish for us to be close enough on hand to watch, yet far enough away from the heart of your Empire that we cannot be an immediate threat if things do go badly at any point."

"Indeed," Raziel started as he leaned forward, obviously examining the highly detailed map and taking in the changes that had likely been made since he had last looked at it, "we do not know how many _malcontents_ there are amongst the bulk of your people, waiting silently for an opportunity to strike."

"And that is a fair enough concern," the Seer acknowledged softly. "How long will you wish to wait before opening the first portal? I imagine that you will want to increase your ranks somewhat before even the _first_ group of Hylden are allowed to come home."

"Hn," Kain stood and looked over the map critically. He tilted his head abruptly. "Can your people wait another century?"

"Or longer if needed," she said. "I will not fault you your desire to reestablish a proper foot-hold, especially when one considers the threat that is the Wildlings."

"Good. See to it that they understand," Kain turned to look at me. His tone softened somewhat, though remained serious. "My Katrina... those within the Human Citadel have been protected, for the most part, from the Wildlings who have lost their minds. Youths that are still _somewhat_ in control of themselves raid the human's numbers from time to time, _despite_ my presence here. This usually results in my having to cull said creatures immediately so that the rest will know better than to attack again. For a time at least. At times there have been survivors found at the attack sites. Most survivors... are usually female."

I closed my eyes with a wince, knowing what he was quietly hinting at. The Human Citadel was quite large from what I had learned. The humans numbered least a thousand strong. Any raids by the Wildling youths would have likely been carried out during those times that Kain was at the Chronoplast and if most of the survivors of such raids were _females_...

"You want me to see if any of those surviving females gave birth to a half-blood?" I said in a questioning tone, wanting to be very certain of his request.

"I do," Kain said as he stood. I stood as well and he brushed his talons along the edge of one wing. "Though the humans there know me, they would react better to your own presence. They have had little in the way of hope to bolster their morale over the long years."

"That and it seems that you still need time to clear away a few bands of Wildlings milling about nearby," I quipped as I indicated the map.

Broken markers carrying Turiel's Symbol lay grouped in rather odd placings around the Sanctuary, along with one small group carrying Dumah's Symbol on the other side. It had taken me a few moments to realize that each broken marker might well indicate the broken state of the Wildling Clans and their respective positions. Given the fact that there were dozens upon dozens of such markers strewn out on the large map, it was a reasonable conclusion. His reaction would cinch things...

"Ah, you noticed," he chuckled, pride leaking through his otherwise upset tone. "Very good mine own. Yes, Raziel and I will be out clearing away the packs of Wildlings that are living so close to the Sanctuary. We must have the surrounding areas free of their threat for the humans, flora and fauna to have a chance to restore their numbers."

"They're hunting even the beasts of the wild for blood then?" I asked sadly.

"They are," Kain responded with a wince. "As you know, any blood can sustain us, but animal blood is like old porridge or gruel..."

"You need more to get full and it's not as fulfilling or healthy as broader meal options," I finished with a knowing nod of my head, though a frown curled my lips downwards at the thought of the meat gone to waste as well from what were likely very messy attacks. "I am very much aware of that..."

"I know that you are. Still," he combed his talons lightly, almost soothingly through my hair and then sighed gustily. "It will likely not be an easy thing to ask of those within, but at the least you can catch the scent without questioning those within unduly."

"There is that," I said with an equally heavy sigh. "I will go and search."

"Let me know if your search is fruitful mine own," he said.

"I will," I said. "Good hunting."

He chuckled faintly, a dark sound that revealed the edges of his displeasure with the situation. I moved around Kain and toward the door, idly reaching out my hand to brush my fingertips over Raziel's arm as I left. The dark-haired male started faintly, but turned to flash me a small smile and he gave me a small bow. I smiled back and winked at him teasingly, shooting Kain a look over my shoulder as I reached the door. The older male flashed me a fanged, hunter's smile before he turned to Raziel whilst he pointed at one of the markers. I left them to plan their hunt and swiftly winged my way toward the Human Citadel.

Calling the place the Human 'Citadel' was actually a bit of a misnomer. That implied that there was a singular, fortified core of a town or city. No. Every single portion of the Human City was surrounded and fortified by massive walls, with no outlaying, lesser-protected areas to account for. There were three massive structures all placed close enough together that they might as well have been the same building. The two largest structures were used as housing whilst the third had been set up like a massive bazaar where people could make or trade goods and supplies or otherwise entertain each other. To the north of the buildings was a a kind of shrine, dedicated more to Nosgoth and the Pillars than to Kain. To the south was a structure that was set up as a kind of primitive Hydroponics facility with which the Northern most branch of the river flowed through. What planets that could grow on water were cultivated and carefully tended, several sections were built to catch fish as they swam through the river and there was a rough kind of aqueduct designed to bring water to large fields in which crops could be grown and cattle and other animals fed.

Kain had done much to ensure the protection and health of the human lines that had remained both loyal to his cause and willing to yield to Vampiric rule. Yet I knew that he had ways to deal with any internal uprising within. Not that there had been many over the centuries from what I could tell. It was not as if vampires required a food tax like some human Lords did after all, leaving the humans within dealing with overly lean times and thus chomping at the bit to 'take back what was there's' from human Lords. It helped that those within the city lived longer than those outside the protection of those walls.

Especially once the number of Wildlings had begun to climb and climb and climb...

I made my way inside, literally landing in the middle of the grounds used as the bazaar. As it was late enough in the day, there were very few people milling about as most of the shops were closed. Only the blacksmithy and a few other stalls were yet open. Still, those who noticed my arrival either fled with shock and disbelief writ clear upon their faces, fell to their knees in supplication while babbling near unintelligible verses of... of some holy writ about myself or kept a safe and wary distance from me as if expecting a potential trap. It was toward one of those last individuals that I turned to, an older man who had been barking orders to the younger men within the smithy.

The male was fit and muscled even given his age. He was perhaps in his fifties when judging by Nosgoth's standards. His grip remained firm around the haft of his blacksmiths hammer as I approached, my wings spread out just able my shoulders so that no one might mistake them for a cloak like I might have done otherwise. I looked him over carefully, taking in his fearful scent and yet stubborn stance.

A brave man...

"Will you tell me your name?"I asked. I had no need to introduce myself, not with that kind of an entrance.

"Habrian, son of Soren," he said in a stiff and formal tone. His enunciation was clear compared to the humans I had spoken to before. "It is an honor to be in your presence My Lady."

"I can imagine," I said in a dry tone as I glanced toward the yet babbling individuals who had fallen to the ground where they'd been standing. I looked back to Habrian. "If you would be kind enough to spread the word of my return and advise the others within the Citadel that I am making rounds to ensure everyone's good health. I would be appreciative of such actions Habrian."

"If I may be so bold as to ask a question My Lady?" he said, voice low and rumbly. Several nearby gasped in fright and a few outright fainted at his seeming audacity to question my request.

"You may," I answered, bemused at the reactions of those around us.

"Why not ask one of _that_ lot to perform such a task? I am a blacksmith," he hefted his hammer as if to punctuate his statement, "not a priest or scholar."

"I see," I said with a chuckle, suddenly reminded of a very old phrase from an equally old show that I had loved in my youth. "Honestly Habrian, it is because you are keeping your wits about you that I would like you to do this for me. I am sure you know of others who will be just as level-headed as yourself? Individuals who know the calm of the forge or at the least will not panic at the thought of my return?"

"Aye, that I do," he jerked his head faintly toward the work area where the others stood. "A number of my apprentices can hold their wits about them."

"Then tell them to pass the word, if you would be so kind?" I asked with a smile.

"Not a meeting out here?" he asked. Another rambling individual fainted at his continued questioning of my request. "Might be a tight squeeze, but we can all meet here. The Purlieu can fit most to all of us, being as large as it is."

"Ah, is _that_ what you call this area?" I let out a hum of amusement as I glance around. I turned back to him with a small smile. "And no. I wish to explore the Citadel whilst everyone is tending to their duties. Too many people in one place will obstruct the scents I am looking for. In fact, could you and your men step away from the forge?"

"Needing feeders then?" he asked as he indicated for the others to step away, even as he himself followed me as I walked several paces from the hot, metal-scented air. "The Emperor comes by on occasion for such things."

"I imagine that he would," I hummed, ignoring the question. By his expression, he knew I was avoiding answering him directly. "There has been no trouble I hope?"

"Not with regards to _that_ ," he said. "A big honor to be chosen to serve him at his Retreat and with the communication crystals that he allows them access to, it is not as if we don't hear from our family if they _are_ chosen by him."

"I'm glad to hear that," and I was.

I stopped and then circled the group of strong, strapping young men. There was something to be said about the harder jobs like blacksmithing, construction and farming... Carefully taking in their scents as I moved, I noted that most of them smelled like the forges that they worked at. One of the lads had cut his hand somehow and recently. Likely when I'd landed. The blood-scent told me that _Raziel_ would likely want to speak with the lad about becoming a donor, but it was Hadrian who drew my attention once more. He froze, wary, as I stepped closer and his hand tightened about the haft of his hammer. I placed my hand over his as I leaned closer.

"Calm," I said in a soothing voice. "Let go of the fear. I will not hurt you and I need your scent to be clear."

"One would think themselves lost in a fever dream," he said with a strained laugh.

His eyes watched my movements, pupils blown wide with his fear and his breath somewhat rapid, but he remained still beneath my hand and refused to bolt. Again... brave man.

"Then is it not a pleasant dream?" I asked in a mildly teasing tone as I leaned in close to his neck in order to take in his scent as carefully as possible.

"One might call such a dream blasphemous before calling it pleasant, My Lady," he said, voice breathy with fear and a hint of desire at having a female so very close.

"Am I not known for my Merciful nature?" I hummed softly. My lips brushed against his skin and he shivered. "I would not fault you your pleasant dreams."

Another breathless laugh, yet tinged with fear, escaped him, but our conversation had done its' work. Fueled by the growing desire that was starting to curl throughout his body, the scent I was looking for rose up past the harsh scent of the forge and his fear. The sweet scent of the Sakura laced in with the lust. I placed a light kiss on his neck and then stepped back in full.

"I will need to speak with you at some point," I said, keeping the 'why' held from him. I did not want to explain myself a dozen times.

If there were even that many Half-bloods to find... I would consider myself lucky to have found this one Sakura scent...

"I... as you wish My Lady," he said in a slightly dazed tone. "And... _ahem_... I will have my crew spread the word of your presence. If I can have them tend to the forge first?"

"Of course and thank you Hadrian," I said and I flashed him a gentle, fangless, smile.

He returned the smile weakly, still shaky from our encounter, and then turned to his men. He pulled himself together swiftly and started barking out orders. I chuckled to myself and stepped away from the group as they rushed to quench fires and carefully put away tools and supplies. I moved silently over to the individuals yet kneeling on the ground and I tilted my head. Whilst I still did not care for attitudes that could be considered zealous... if someone wished to believe such things and did not go about _hurting_ people in my name, then they could live as they pleased. I might speak to them, carefully, about letting go of such... devout eagerness... on an individual basis, but I would not force the matter. They could believe what they wanted to, as long as they did not hurt people in the process. The centuries had left me believing that, if you wanted to do someone harm because you didn't like them, then just bloody well say so. I disliked it when fights broke out and the victors then spout off things about 'divine providence' justifying their actions in murdering a long time rival lord.

" _Hush_ for a moment," I said and they immediately went silent. "You do not need to abase yourself so now or otherwise, not if you truly do not wish to. In fact, I see several here who are elders and I am sure that your knees do not appreciate being pressed so against cold stone."

I got several looks of outright consternation before the youngest amongst them could smooth their faces back into careful masks. At least two of the older individuals actually looked somewhat relieved by my words and they shifted their stances so that they were sitting down with their legs crossed, heads remaining bowed in supplication as they moved. None of them were brave enough to stand in my presence however. I nodded my head faintly, accepting their respective choices.

"Tell those that you come across of what I said to you," I said softly. "I am sure that you all have tasks to complete, family to see to or even meals to eat given that it is nearing supper time. Again, tell them that it is _their_ _choice_ if they decide to stop or if they wish to continue on to where they needs be. _Do not_ get into any fights with anyone if they do not believe you. I will be making rounds throughout the entire Citadel and I want to see how things are without anyone bickering."

"As you command Merciful Mother," they said. I had to contain an eye-twitch as they had spoken as if they were one being.

By the Balance, but that was...

 _Creepy_...

I did not let my unease with such worshipful reverence show and instead simply nodded my head. I moved over to help the three elderly men to their feet when they went to stand and then carefully took in each individuals scent and, upon finding a lack of Sakura, before I moved on. Awed expressions greeted me at my actions and I simply smiled and moved on once they were all on their feet.

My leisurely hunt through the entire Citadel took three hours all told. I kept my wings raised from my shoulders so that the humans could see them clearly. It was an outright display of them given my usual habits and the more comfortable placement where they could rest idle on my shoulders. Still, most of the humans within the Citadel were of good humor and temperament and in the end my search proved more fruitful than I had hoped. In fact, there were only two negative incidents as a result of my visit. I had to stop one scuffle between one of the blacksmith's workers and a younger priest. Said priest hadn't believed that a 'boorish blacksmith's apprentice' would have been suited to spreading word of my arrival. That got settled _right_ quick when I arrived on scene.

Then there was the brave little five-year old girl...

"Are you _really_ the Mother of Mercy?" she'd asked in a voice pitched in the way that many children her age were capable of.

That is to say, in the _loudest_ voice that her tiny body was capable of producing...

Her mother had spluttered angrily, unable to form words in the face of her daughters question and had twisted the small girl about in order to slap her across her face. I rushed forward from where I had paused in shocked surprise and caught the woman's hand in a movement too fast for human eyes to track. The older woman gasped in fright and fell to her knees whilst the little girl just gaped up at me with an awed expression.

"The child asked a fair question," I said in a firm tone that, while I was not shouting, still managed to carry throughout the large hall that I was in. Everyone would hear my words. "She has never seen me before and has only heard of me in your stories and legends. The paintings and murals that you have are stylized things that, while beautiful, are not fully accurate when it comes to details. Understand me clearly. I do not fault someone for asking questions about me. Harming someone for daring to ask a question though? _That_ I can take umbrage to depending on _whom_ is asking _what_. _Calm_ yourself and do not harm your daughter for her curiosity about me."

After that had been settled to my satisfaction, I made my way back to the Sanctuary. I could not be out and out happy with my findings, given how these Half-Bloods had come into existence, but I was content with it overall...

I found Kain, Raziel and the Seer back in the War Room upon my return. Kain and Raziel were meticulously updating the map whilst the Seer sat silent, resting and only offering up her opinion or voicing suggestions where it might be appropriate. Kain's head turned in my direction as I entered.

"You've returned my own," he observed in a low rumble. "We've cleared away several more packs of Wildlings in the general area with little difficulty. How was your own search? Did you find any with the Sakura scent?"

"I've found _fifteen_ all told," I said as I moved over to his side. "Far more than I expected to find in truth and all of various ages which makes sense given what you've told me about those attacks. There may well be others in the more isolated little hamlets and towns, but I... I expect the likelihood of such a thing to be low. Humans out there would not have access to the same medical treatments that those within the Citadel have."

"Indeed," he said darkly. "Survival of such attacks from a vampire would indeed be nigh on impossible without skilled healers on hand. Still, are any _viable_?"

It was a reasonable question. Not _everyone_ was suited for such a long life-span as ours. Indeed, several of those that I had found had families. Families that they would _outlive_. That was a hard thing to face and could lead many to choose suicide if they regretted their choice later on. I tilted my head and let out a soft hum of breath as I thought.

"Three of those that I found were children," I said slowly. "Five, eight and eleven respectively. I'll keep an eye on them and offer them the opportunity to be Awakened once they are old enough. Seven of them have families and might not want to risk outliving said family. That leaves five of whom are the most likely candidates for being Awakened, the eldest of which is in his fifties. I can make the offer to all of the adults if you would like."

"That would be best, however... You may wish to stagger offering Awakenings to the adults and start with the five that have no outright familial responsibilities," Kain said with a thoughtful nod. I nodded in agreement.

"If I may be so bold as to ask," Raziel started and I nodded for him to continue. "How _does_ the Awakening affect a child?"

"It would not affect a youngster the way it might if a child was Turned by you or Kain," I got duel expressions of disgust and chuckled bitterly, "but it _would_ stunt the youth's growth by an exponential amount. If Awakened, a Half-blooded child's body would age at a rate of one year for every _ten_ years passed. The youth's mind develops at the same rate."

"By the Pillars..." Raziel shook his head, disgust clear on his face. Kain's expression mirrored his own. "That means..."

"That a youth's mind and body is still stuck looking and _thinking_ like that of a ten-year old even if they are actually _twenty_ years old where as a Turned vampire's mind still develops normally even if their body does not," I said, my voice cold. "I am _well_ aware of the connotations my Knight. There is a _reason_ that the age limits were put into effect so strictly on Gaia and those same restrictions, that no one below the age of adulthood is Awakened, _will_ be put into effect here."

I said the last firmly whilst looking at Kain and he nodded his head in agreement.

"We are agreed on that matter mine own, do not fear," Kain said in an equally firm tone. He tilted his head suddenly and hummed softly. "Human's reach adulthood at age fifteen in the wild-lands, sixteen in the Citadel... which would you prefer we use as a baseline for the Law that we will implement?"

I tapped my chin thoughtfully.

"Let us default it to seventeen actually," I said a few moments later. "For both Awakening and for offering to Turn someone and let that be known all over the Empire. This will give such youths out there either one to two years. That way they have the opportunity to experience normal adulthood. On Gaia, they refrained until a Half-blood was thirty before making an offering of Awakening them. It allowed them to experience a little more of human life before they charged into such a drastic change of their lives."

"Acceptable. And in the case of an emergency mine own?" Kain asked.

"Hn," I growled faintly. "Given the dangers of Nosgoth... I would allow a Half-blood to be Awakened at fourteen at the earliest and _only_ if there is a true emergency. Half-bloods are rare enough as it is. There will need to be the _clear_ understanding that they are not yet an adult with an adult's privileges until they are _physically and mentally_ sixteen. This will given them more time to mentally adjust to their new life and also give _us_ the time to ensure that whomever assists them in their Awakening did not Awaken them solely for nefarious reasons. I also think it best that we do not share the process for Awakening a Half-blood with the humans. Not at this point in time and for much the same reason."

"Any that Raziel and I Turn will be carefully screened," Kain growled knowingly. "But that does not mean that we will not have such monsters joining our ranks later on due to the actions of an inattentive Sire or Dame. If this knowledge was shared in mass with the humans however..."

"Of course. If such information is spread, then the vilest of beings amongst the humans may take advantage of such to feed their own sick desires," Raziel finished with a grimace. He turned to me with a frown. "I take it that we will want to heavily monitor those who carry the Sakura scent?"

"Very much so," I said firmly. "I will _not_ allow what happened to me and those who were taken by Auron happen to others. Not if I can help it. And if anyone actually does do as such? They. Will. _Die_."

My voice ended in a vicious growl.

"Understandable mine own," Kain reached out to brush his talons along the edge of one of my wings and he let out a soothing rumble of noise. "So you have said, so shall it be. Speak with those five whom are without family ties and make the offer. Whilst they will not be able to Turn others, their own children might yet be Awakened and I will be glad to have at least something of my Son's Broods counted amongst our restored Empire..."

"If I may... will the Clans scent linger upon the Half-bloods as it might for those Turned? Those Turned by even the youngest will carry an echo of, let us say Turel's, scent," Raziel asked curiously. I shook my head in response to his question.

"My own scent carries the faintest echos of my human Mother, but mostly it carries the echo of my Father's scent," I said in explanation. "Of my Grand-Sire? There is nothing. Not even the hint of an echoing scent. A Half-blood's scent follows the _natural_ genetics, not the _changed_ genetics as it does with those Turned. At the most, we will be able to determine who the Biological Father is, or _was_ if said individual is already dead and Kain recalls what Clan scent they had. From there we can try to determine what Clan that their Biological Father was a part of."

"That will have to be enough," Kain said with a note of mourning to his tone. "They will be respected regardless of if we are or are not able to figure out their Sire's Clan. You will tend to them and what they will need upon Awakening mine own."

"Of course," I smiled faintly and lay a comforting hand upon his shoulder. "Half-bloods are rare enough that the numbers of those like me will _never_ be as high as those whom are Full-blooded. Attempts to Quicken a Half-blood are not as guaranteed a thing as what Auron tried to make it seem like and male's whom are either with human females or Half-blooded females are not guaranteed to Father a child either. Still, those Half-bloods that _were_ born on Gaia were usually of a particular family line of Half-bloods, generation to generation. The same is likely to end up happening here."

Kain chuckled faintly, the tone of his laughter both bemused and bitter.

"Should we perhaps employ the habit of last names for the Half-bloods as was common-place on Gaia for the humans?" he quipped.

"Hmm," I tilted my head, a small flash of bemusement and empathetic pain crossing my face. "That would likely be a good way to go about things since family names are uncommon amongst humans yet vampires _are_ acknowledged by their Clan, their Family."

"All were known as Kainites in the beginning," Raziel offered.

"Oh?" I chuckled as I crossed my arms. "Better then 'Kainim' I suppose."

"Woman," Kain growled playfully, swatting at my rear.

"I'm just saying," I said with a laugh as I dodged the playful blow, "that given how the _other_ Clans were named, 'Kainite' sounds _better_ than 'Kainim'. Sounds like one is saying ' _canine_ ' instead of referring to a respectable vampire lineage."

"It sounds as if you are _once again_ insulting my pedigree woman," Kain growled in mock anger.

"Oh, my _dear_ Emperor," I started playfully as I backed toward the door. "That is a _poor_ choice of words to use around me."

" _Oh_?" he growled as he turned toward me, slowly tracking my movements. Raziel remained bemused but silent next to the table whilst the Seer herself remained thoughtfully silent. "Why do you say that mine own?"

"On Gaia, one only mentions 'pedigrees' when speaking of horses," another step was taken toward the door, "and _canines_..."

I turned and _bolted_ , not waiting for my words to register. A humor filled roar escaped Kain and I could sense it as he immediately gave chase. Raziel and the Seer both burst into faint laughter, though the Seer's was politely subdued. Their combined laughter chased us out of the room and I had to laugh myself even if my thoughts were somewhat dark. I would not allow Kain dwell upon melancholic thoughts. Especially after such a Pyrrhic victory. We had lost much, but we had so much more to gain and we now had the freedom in which to obtain it. So if that entailed me tickling a sleeping dragon in order to cheer him up some? Especially when we had _earned_ such levity-filled times? Well...

Our hunts always did end on a pleasing note...

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End part one of the Epilogue. Hope everyone enjoys. Reviews are always welcome!


	64. Epilogue Part 2

We're on the second to last chapter! Thank you all again.

To Daniel Christopher, your kind review means the world to me, and thank you as well for helping with an incorrect name used back in chapter 49. That had since been fixed. :)

* * *

Chapter Sixty-three: Epilogue Part 2

After our rough yet playful hunt was over, I left to round up the five half-bloods that were the most likely to accept the offer of becoming Awakened Half-bloods. Raziel came with me on Kain's instructions. He wanted the Humans to see his 'Restored Son' and left instructions to have each of the Awakened individuals brought before him later to attempt to figure out who their Biological Father might have been by their scent. With his iron trap of a mind, he would likely recall which Clan had staged an attack around said point in time that they were conceived.

Habrian was first that I spoke to as he was the eldest and also the swiftest to find.

The reactions from those in the Purlieu, whilst along a similar vein as my original visit, was not quite as pronounced as before. People crowded around corners, at windows and in doorways to get a look at the significantly powerful sight that the pair of us made. They also looked as if they were prepared to bolt if they inadvertently drew our ire. I came to a halt near the forge and turned to eye several of the tools and weapons that they had set out for sale. Habrian was busy folding a chunk of metal that looked to be a dagger-sized piece. I was not about to interrupt his work. Vorador had long ago taught me the importance of remaining quiet when a blacksmith was shaping metal. Depending on where one was during the shaping process, one wrong blow could mean the piece was nothing better than slag and that the blacksmith would have to start the piece all over again by. Whilst the chunk looked to be early in the shaping process without any definable shape, I was not going to be rude. I picked up one of the blades, judging weight and balance. A fine piece indeed.

The sound of hot metal being quenched by oil sounded several minutes later and I lifted my attention away from the latest blade that I had picked up to examine. Habrian had finished the step he was on and he looked over the others to ensure that they were all remaining on task before he walked over to my side.

"My Lady," he greeted with a bow of his head. "Are you looking for a new blade or looking to have that talk with me now?"

"To talk," I answered simply as I carefully set aside the blade. "Do you have some place where we can speak privately?"

"Yes My Lady, I do," he turned and barked at one of the other males, the one that Raziel would likely wish to speak with. "Jacob! Keep an eye on these slackers! The Mother wants to have a word with me and I might be a while."

"As you say Master Habrian!" the youth called back and he turned almost immediately to someone whose hammer hit their anvil and then went flying. "Are you tryin' to get one of us _killed_!? Pay attention to what you're doing! If that hammer goes flyin' and hits one of us, or the Pillar's forbid, our esteemed visitors, then it's _your_ hide that goes on the tanners block you artless, hasty-witted boar!"

I bit back a burst of laughter at Jacob's insult. I would need to get used to the Shakespearean styled insults once more and that thought filled me with a deep-seated fondness. Habrian shook his head and flashed myself and Raziel a hesitant smile as he led us toward one of the buildings. He held the door for us politely and then moved to pull out two chairs that looked to be highly detailed. This was a Masters work, or if not a Master than definitely the work of a skilled apprentice. I looked over the woodwork and let out a thoughtful hum as we took the offered seats. Habrian sat in a rather worn out chair.

"Your work or was it bought?" I asked, lightly running my fingers along the smooth grooves of the vines carved into the wooden chair.

"No. My son's work," Habrian's face twisted in a look that was both fond and mournful as he gave the chair he was on a pat. "This was one of his early ones."

"I am sorry," I said softly. "What happened to him if I may?"

"Murdered," Habrian said shortly. "Him and my wife."

"Our condolences," Raziel said in a soft voice. "I do hope his killer was caught?"

"Aye," Habrian nodded. "Though I'm doubting that you want to here me whining on about it."

"If you are comfortable telling us what happened, we will listen," I said softly.

"I... thank you My Lady Mother," he said and he shifted uncomfortably. "He was caught, as I said. In the act no less. Emperor Kain was coming through looking for feeders, stopped the killer himself... the man that my wife had left to be with me..."

He coughed into his hand and worked to school his expression. Raziel frowned.

"A simple act of jealousy then?" he asked.

"Nothing so simple My Lord," Habrian said with a shake of his head. "Goatish lout used to beat her and her boy, Kyle. Badly. I found out about it and brought it to the attention of the elders. Mighta been that nothing would have come of it as she was scared to speak up, but her boy was old enough to be angry on his mother's behalf and acted as a witness. Their marriage was dissolved and then he was tossed out into the wilds for a year as punishment."

His face darkened.

"He should have _died_ out there..." Habrian said bitterly and then he sighed. "Any-rate... Illia and I got close over that year. Treated her right and fair. We got married. Eventually saw that her boy... my boy by then, had promise with woodworking. Paid for his apprenticeship and everything."

"Only her ex-husband came back and saw that she and Kyle were happy," I said with a knowing now, "with you no less. How long did he wait to time his attack?"

"Emperor Kain visits us once every decade," Habrian said with a shrug. "Always on the same day. Time before last, Illia stepped forward with Kyle as potential feeders to try to get away from him, but they were turned away... Wrong kind of blood I suppose. She never said anything to the Emperor about _why_. Maybe he'd have taken her in anyway. Maybe not. Too late now to know what would have happened."

"So to clairfy, during Kain's latest visit she and Kyle were not present or at least were only present long enough to greet him as appropriate," Raziel said with a wince.

Habrian nodded.

"Aye," he said sadly. "I was injured a week prior thanks to the clumsiness of one of my apprentices. My left leg was broken. Not by the same lad you saw today, _that_ one's still young. Any-rate, they were walking back home after visiting me. I wanted them to stay with me. Didn't _feel_ right sending 'em off home by themselves..."

"He timed his attack well then," Raziel said in a dark tone.

"He did," Habrian nodded. "Lotta people heard the screams. _Lot_ more panicked. Thought it was a Wildling attack at first. Thought that they'd gotten brave enough to strike out at us even with the Emperor _right_ bloody there. Couldn't do anything bed-ridden as I was... healing potions still take time to fix up a broken leg..."

His expression twisted with rage for a moment before he looked away from us to hide the tears that threatened to fall.

"The Emperor..." his voice cracked and he coughed into his hand to clear his throat. "Actually came to me personally... caught my scent on Illia and Kyle. Others pointed him my way. He... wasn't able to reach them in time. _Tried_ though. Grateful that he tried..."

"But still upset that he wasn't able to reach them with his speed," I said softly.

"...aye Merciful Mother," he nodded hesitantly. "I... I'm _not_ proud of it, but I raged at him a fair bit. He... had to knock me upside the head to get me to calm down. Surprised he didn't kill me for some of the things that I was saying to him..."

"You were grieving and in shock," I said softly and I reached forward to squeeze his hand gently in my own. "He understood that."

"I... suppose you're right My Lady," he let out a sigh and looked at where his hand was cupped by my own. "Mainly was just mad at myself. Promised to protect her and I failed because of my damned injury..."

I shared a glance at Raziel and he nodded his head.

~Given his scent and what I have seen from those Chosen in the past to be Turned, Habrian is highly likely to accept being Awakened,~ he Whispered to me.

~I thought so as well,~ I responded. ~Thank you.~

~Of course My La-~ at my mental growl his lips quirked upwards. ~ _Katrina_.~

I looked back at Habrian.

"Thank you for telling us what happened. I am sure it was a harsh time for you. Now... I have an offer for you Habrian," I said softly. "And after hearing what happened to you and yours, I imagine you will want to accept."

"I..." he swallowed roughly and hesitated. "Turning?"

"Not quite," I said with a sad smile. "Awakening."

"I... there is a difference?" he blinked in confusion and raised a brow.

"Yes," I started. "You see, where I am originally from my own kind, Half-bloods, are more common. We are born to human mothers and vampiric fathers that are known as Cold-fires. As such, I am going to ask a set of very personal and harsh questions of you."

"Aye?" he tensed under my hands.

"Your mother was raped by a vampire roughly nine months before your birth wasn't she?" I asked bluntly.

"..." his jaw clenched tight and he gave a rough, jerky nod.

"And you've always been just a _little_ bit stronger than other boys your age. Just a _little_ faster?" I asked.

He nodded and again remained silent.

"Lastly," I said with a sad smile. "You're instincts regarding danger and the like have almost always been spot on."

"Aye," he said brokenly and he closed his eyes. " _Aye_."

I reached out to gently touch his cheek.

"You're like me in the fact that you are a Half-blood," I said softly and his head shot up, confusion writ clear in his eyes. "Your Vampiric blood lies dormant inside you right now, helping only in as much as it can in its' slumbering state. If you are given a gallon of human blood all at once, then that slumbering nature within you will Awaken. You will have no need to fear the elements or the sun. You will still be able to sustain yourself on human food. You will become..."

"Stronger... and faster," he said in a weak tone. "Able to _heal_... swiftly. How long... how long would it take for a broken leg to heal?"

"For one newly Awakened and being tended by their Eldars?" I asked in clarification.

He nodded his head.

"Days instead of weeks or months," I said softly.

A violent shudder ran through Habrian and the scent of raw grief grew to fill the room with its' bitter tang. His hands spasmed around my own. He fell forward out of his chair, knees cracking hard against the stone as he knelt before me. He pressed his forehead hard against where his hands were now wrapped around my own. He wept openly. I let out a soothing croon of sound and leaned forward to place my lips on the crown of his head. It took him several moments to calm.

"Please... _please_ My Lady," Habrian started, his voice roughened by his grief. "Never again... Awaken me so that I might _never_ _again_ be so weak..."

"Habrian," I started and I let out a soft sigh as I forced his head up. "Listen to me. Becoming as I am now, Awakened, _does not_ mean that failure will not touch you. It _does not_ mean that injuries will not claim your time and leave you bed-ridden. It _does not_ mean that you will not come to love others... only to _lose_ them later. Ours is a _choice_ ; the short-lived life of a burning candle that can be snuffed out by the wind at any point or a long-lived life that can see all that you know and love turn to naught but dust to be carried off by that same wind."

"I understand My Lady," he said as he blinked at me through tear-filled eyes. "I understand. I _do_. I... I am older than most here. Already outlived my parents, a brother, cousins... child-hood friends... _Illia_... _Kyle_... I know that pain. Can accept it. But... I want to _be_ better. Want to _do_ better. Please, My Lady. Let me fight with all that I am to protect those that I might serve or come to love... _Please_!"

I looked him over carefully and took a deep breath of his scent. Honest grief. Honest pain. Honest and stubborn desire. I nodded and stood, placing my hand upon his head.

"So be it," I said in a firm tone. "Deal with your apprentices and your things and meet us at the shrine. You will not be returning for some time, so take all the time you need to make sure things are in order. Be aware, there are others that I must speak with regarding this subject so I might be a while. Tell _no one_ of what we have discussed or you _will_ be punished. Severely."

He swallowed roughly when my voice turn viciously cold and bowed his head.

"As you command My Lady," he responded.

Raziel stood and opened the door for me and we left Habrian behind to sort through his thoughts. I let out a heavy sigh and continued toward where we would find the next Half-blood, a young woman priestess that sold flowers outside of the shrine. I looked at Raziel a moment later.

"Do you think that we might be able to find where his wife and step-son are buried?" I asked softly.

"Perhaps we might find where they were interred," he said. He tilted his head. "But if Kain advised me correctly, then any bodies would have been cremated after a decade or in the event of an attack."

"Why?" I blinked at him, startled. "Brain degradation wouldn't affect them until they hit the fifty-year mark, though I know that can be dependent on how the body is interred. Why cremate after such a short time-frame?"

Raziel raised a brow at me.

"By that response My Lady," I let it slide as others were nearby, "Zombies are uncommon creatures on Gaia, aren't they?"

"I'd thought that they were rare creatures here too," I raised a brow at him. "Very few times did we have any sudden instances of zombies rising up from graveyards to cause us problems during the time that I was here. Necromancers also seemed rare enough at the time."

He chuckled faintly, bitterly and my brow hiked higher up to reach my hair-line.

"Necromancers are _taught_ , not born..." he started and I let out a huff as I interrupted him.

"I know that. Like any magic, if you _have_ the affinity for magic that is, you can learn such skills by study even if your naturally inclined to use, say, healing magics," I said.

"Precisely," his expression darkened somewhat. "If you know something of my Brothers, then you know that Melchiah's form, and those of his Children, were stuck in a constant state of slow decay?"

"..." I opened my mouth and then snapped it shut hard enough that my fangs clacked together. I spoke a moment later. "The Melchiahim... they focused on Necromantic magics in order to reduce the decay of their bodies. If they've lost their _minds_ but still have their _magic_..."

I felt my face twist as the horror of that thought hit me and I froze mid-step.

"The number of zombies found in the _Melchiahim_ territory _alone_..." I started in a shocked tone.

"Can be enough to make up a mindless army at times, yes," Raziel said grimly. "Kain has been watching the area closely, of course, and he culls their numbers as often as possible. However, the Melchiahim are surprisingly clever and those with Necromantic tend to number amongst the Eldars. Who remain hidden. The problem for the humans here lies in those times that the Melchiahim decide to make their attempts to raid the Citadel. Given that they require blood _and_ bodies to restore themselves..."

"Best not to have any bodies on hand for them to raise against those within as one can never be certain until it is too late as to which Clan is staging an attack," I shook my head sadly. "I see. So if there has been an attack since Kain's last visit..."

"His wife and step-sons bodies both will have already been cremated," he finished grimly.

"I see," I said.

I closed my eyes sadly at the thought and then shook my head as I started toward the shrine once more. What would be, would be and Habrian had already mourned the loss of his loved ones.

Still, my mood was grim as we arrived at the shrine. The young priestess was selling her flowers, as was her usual habit from what I understood. She saw our approach and smiled as she bowed low. She'd been one of the few amongst the priests and priestesses to accept my words that she need not fall prostrate to the ground. I smiled and gently touched her chin, lifting lightly, and she straightened up with a small baring of her throat. I ran the tips of my claws over her throat lightly, not cutting, and then let my hand fall to my side. A deeper part of me was pleased by the knowledge that most within the Citadel followed some of the vampiric cultural norms when it came to greetings.

"My Lady Mother," she greeted in a soft voice that was like a soothing chime. She looked at Raziel and took in the sight of his talons... and his wings. "I... are... are you Lord Raziel...? Our Emperor's First?"

"I am," Raziel answered in a dry but bemused tone.

" _You've_ returned to us as well..." she started in an awed tone and she bowed once more. "Welcome back My Lord. Does the Emperor know of this joyous news?"

"He is aware yes," Raziel said with a bemused huff. "We needs must speak with you young one. Is there a private area away from prying eyes and ears?"

"Oh... yes. There is a room near the Atrium," she straightened immediately and looked to me with awe-struck eyes. "Is this regarding our earlier conversation Merciful Mother?"

"It is," I said, containing a wince easily. "Lead on Aeriana."

"This way, please," she said with another small bow.

She turned and started to lead us inside and to the side room in question when an elderly female stalked over. It was obvious that she had only seen Aeriana and had not realized were were only a few paces behind the younger woman, so focused as she was on the object of her ire.

"Priestess Aeriana," she snapped in a tone that put it plain that the elderly woman thought it an insult for the younger to have the title of 'priestess'. "What do you think you are doing? Those flowers wont sell themselves girl, especially if you keep them in here. Get back outside!"

"Priestess Esmeralda," Aeriana said with a small smile that showed nothing of the upset that I could scent upon her. "If you will pardon me, but my duty to our Fair Mother is paramount and she wishes to speak with me."

"I care not about those _foolish_ rumors being spread about," well then. That comment made it obvious that I'd somehow missed this woman during my visit. She continued to growl at the younger woman, still not noticing our presence... "If you're thinkin' you can hear the Fair Mother in your head then you are _clearly_ unable to maintain such a loft-"

I flared my wings abruptly, no longer wishing to continue listening to the woman's ramblings. Her voice cut out as she noticed the sudden movement, a movement rapidly mirrored by Raziel, and then promptly fainted. Aeriana moved fast and caught the older woman up in her arms and carefully moved the older woman to sit at one of the pews, setting aside the basket of flowers as she moved. I listened carefully to the older woman's heart beat and, despite the acceleration and sudden fainting, she seemed fine over all save for the lingering scent of sickness upon her. No Sakura scent.

"I'm sorry about that," Aeriana said softly. "Priestess Esmeralda and I have not always seen eye to eye on scripture. Do you think she will be alright? She's older now... her heart..."

"Is fine," I said soothingly. "She'll just need to sleep off the shock of seeing us. I am surprised that I did not meet her during my visit the other day, but then again... her scent carries lingering sickness upon it..."

"She'd been ill," Aeriana said in confirmation as she straightened. "She takes the scripture rather seriously and insisted that she be put into limited isolation whilst she recovered."

"I... see," I blinked in surprise at that and then shook my head. This... scripture... could be reviewed later.

"This way," she led us off to the side room that she'd mentioned and then readied two chairs for us. We sat and only then did she take a seat herself.

"How may I assist you Fair Mother?" she asked softly.

"First, I would like to inquire when Kain's last visit was?" I asked softly.

"The Emperor last visited us six years ago, Fair Mother," she responded promptly.

"I see," I hesitated for less than a second and plunged on. "Have there been any Wildling attacks since then?"

"Yes Fair Mother," she responded sadly. "Not two years ago now there was a brutal attack by the Wildling Zephonim. All of the bodies within the Crypt were cremated swiftly when the attack started and we lost fifty-three of our numbers in the attack before the Emperor arrived on hand to put down the worst of the insurgents that dared to ignore His will."

"I see," I let out a sigh and shared a brief look with Raziel. Habrian's family was lost in truth then...

He sent a silent wave of comfort and solace over the Whisper, though his face remained calm. I let out another sigh and then turned back to Aeriana.

"Thank you for answering me," I said. "There are other matters to discuss however..."

"As you wish Fair Mother," she said with a bow of her head.

"'Scripture'," I started carefully, "explains that I am a Half-blood, correct?"

"It does Fair Mother," she responded, "Though it does not explain the _how_ behind your nature."

"Ah," I leaned forward and tilted my head. "Here is what it means..."

I spent several minutes explaining to her the same thing that I had with Habrian. To my pleasant surprise, she asked pointed and carefully thought out questions. I smiled and was content to answer her questions as I explained to her how she shared my nature and what could be done to Awaken her. She fell silent for several long minutes, obviously lost in thought as she considered the ramifications of my words. Raziel remained silent throughout, merely offering a comforting presence against the back of my mind.

Eventually, she stirred from her thoughts.

"I would be willing to accept this Awakening," she said in a soft voice. "My mother perished birthing me. I have no other family save those that I am close to here in the Shrine. I am new enough to my role as a Priestess that it will not drastically upset the hierarchy of the Shrine. But I find that I must ask something of you..."

"Ask," I said gently, granting her the permission that she sought.

"You... you do not seem to be _pleased_ with the ways of the church, Fair Mother," she started hesitantly, slowing gaining confidence the longer she spoke without having me interrupt her. "You have not spoken ill of it outright, but there was a dark note in your tone when you said 'Scripture' and when you visited us earlier... you did not seem overly pleased with the prayers offered up to you by the others..."

Raziel let out a soft chuckle at her words and side-eyed a glance my way.

"Lady Katrina is not one to enjoy being fawned over," he said in a bemused tone.

"No, I am not," I agreed with a small chuckle. "If you feel I am worth your respect, then so be it, but your _prayers_? I've never really thought of myself as some sort of... of _celestial_ _being_ worthy of prayer."

Raziel let out another soft chuckle and Aeriana smiled hesitantly.

"If I may be so bold, the Scripture did not lie about your gentle and humble nature," she said in a soft tone.

"Agreed," Raziel said before I could voice my own opinion. I let out a soft sigh.

"Enough," I said with a chuckle as I stood. Raziel stood next and then Aeriana. "Remain here if you would be so kind Aeriana. Habrian the Blacksmith will be arriving here soon, as well as potentially others. Do not share what I have told you with anyone else. Stories of my Mercy _may_ hold primacy in your Scripture, but do not make the mistake of doubting that I am not also merciless when disobeyed or betrayed."

She paled under my stern stare and bowed her head before tilting it to expose her throat to me.

"I understand clearly Fair Mother," she said in a soft tone that barely shook with her unease. "I will not disappoint you."

"See that you don't," I said softly as I lightly reached out to touch her neck, once more not leaving even a scratch with my claws.

We turned and left the Shrine quietly. Priestess Esmeralda had recovered consciousness but had not yet moved from where we'd set her in the pews. She watched us, eyes wide in shock as we left the building. I let out an almost unheard sigh as we left the Shrine and Raziel reached out in a way that bumped the edge of my wing against the back of his talons. When he spoke, it was in a voice pitched low enough that only I might hear him as we walked.

"Even many of the humans in the Wilds worship you so," Raziel said. "I know that you will have been on your Gaia for some time. Likely not even shone the respect you _deserve_ , Queen that you are..."

"I understand that Raziel," I said in an equally quiet tone. "It is unnerving in a way, but I will get used to it."

"If it helps...?" he started, looking thoughtful.

"Hm?" I glanced at him with a raised brow.

"I would be willing to _worship_ at your _temple_ any time you might wish it, My Lady," he purred in that low voice. His expression did not change in the slightest and easily concealed the sheer lewdness of his words.

I coughed faintly and barely managed to avoid sputtering like I might have when I was younger, but I could feel the blush darken my cheeks. He smiled at me, eyes dark with unrepentant humor and deeper emotions. I had to leash the urge to smack him upside the head. Not when we were walking out in the open so. He'd be made to pay for that comment later though. That was a certainty...

We found the other three easily enough. Melany was a Jeweler who made delicate pieces that were simple yet impressive, Raul was one of the older guardsmen on the wall, but not one of the commanding officers and Octavius was one of the shepherds tending to the Citadel's small flocks. Of those three, Melany and Raul accepted my offer whilst Octavius declined. He disliked politics and thoughts of battle, which he was sure to face if he chose to Awaken. He wanted to continue to enjoy the relatively simple and quiet life of a shepherd. If that meant he lived a shorter life than what he could otherwise have, then he was fine with it.

I could respect that.

We thanked him for his time and swore him to secrecy, which he was fine with. He was the sort to keep his word. He and the others had been suitably awed by both my presence and Raziel's, though thankfully they all avoided any outright fawning. I knew that part of that was because of their blood. Slumbering though that vampiric blood was in their veins, it was still strong enough to leave them all with strong personalities even when faced with someone who could easily outmatch them in a fight. Those same instincts also helped them recognize when it was best to yield or run rather than stand and fight.

The four met us at the Shrine and we called started for the Sanctuary. We did not need to call for a blood-letting as Kain had several dozen blood-vials stored away. All of various sizes. We had more than the four gallons, or fifteen liters, of blood that we needed in order to Awaken them. Raziel and I moved them to an isolated room in the keep, away from windows and dimly lit to keep them away from the brighter lights and scents that could be found elsewhere. Each of the four then drank from the Blood-vials that we handed to them, though I made sure that they downed the fluid at a more sedate rate than what I myself had been put through in my youth. Their bodies would rapidly absorb the blood rather than sit on their stomach and force them to be ill like any other fluid of that amount would.

One by one they drifted into a forced slumber as their bodies began to change. It was not un-like that of a Torpor, but the changes were far more subtle and the time that one remained unconscious was days rather than weeks or months.

When they woke, they reacted well enough to the darkened room which now seemed bright enough to their eyes to have been lit by several lamps. They got briefly distracted by the scents that were in the room and further still by the newness of being able to sense Vampiric Aura's. I had to smile in gentle amusement and sorrow. _This_ was what I should have had. This _gentle_ Awakening. This was what I would do my damnedest to ensure _continued_ to happen. I would do my best to make sure that every Nosgothian Half-blood had the chance, and _choice_ , to have a peaceful Awakening with people that they _trusted_ on hand to teach them...

Vampiric predator instincts were subdued enough by Human omnivore instincts that we would not need to worry about the newly Awakened Half-bloods unintentionally attacking other humans for their blood. However, their enhanced strength would need to be dealt with first and foremost so that they did not accidentally do harm to others with unfamiliar strength. That took a few months of careful tutelage, but between Raziel and I we had them well in hand and there were very few mishaps, enough that we wouldn't have to worry about them accidentally breaking a human's bones. As far as any partnerships with humans if they found a companion? They'd need to have someone on hand to make sure an accident didn't happen in the midst of wild passion.

Once they were settled, I went to let Kain know and he had Raziel bring the four in whilst the pair of us sat in our respective thrones in order to swear fealty and make sure they recognized the sheer power in our respective Aura's. Oath's that were made readily. Happily.

With Raul and Habrian eager to help Kain and Raziel with reducing the numbers of the Wildlings and Aeriana and Melany eager to help me try to re-establish connections with the human communities outside of the Citadel, work started to get done. Many humans within those small villages and hamlets that still eked out a living on the land were eager to move closer to the areas closest to the Sanctuary that had been cleared of Wildling threat. There were multiple locations were unwilling to move, but willing to trade if trade routes could be established and protected and a handful of locations that eschewed anything vampiric even knowing who and what I was. I marked those locations clearly in my mind's eye as they might prove to be a threat later on. They did not attack us during our visit... but it was a close thing.

There were no Sakura scents to be found in any of those hamlets and towns...

One day when Melany, Aeriana and I had returned from our explorations, I found Kain and Raziel in the throne room looking over three human males. I raised a brow at them and then waved Aeriana and Melany away. The bowed their heads respectively and then slipped out of the room. I moved over to the pair just as Raziel nodded his head to Kain and then indicated for the three males to follow him. My other brow rose to meet the first. Kain turned to look at me and reached out to brush the back of his talons against my neck.

"What was _that_ about?" I asked softly, indicating the direction that Raziel and the others had gone.

"Those three are prospective Children," Kain said in a thrumming tone that had me looking back at him. "He will be Turning them this very eve."

"I see," I blinked and then smiled. "That's good."

I tilted my head faintly and my lips curled downward into a frown a moment later.

"No one has caught your eye as yet as a prospective Childe?" I asked.

"No," he purred, a small secretive smile upon his lips. "Nor am I concerned with it at this time. I have confirmed, with the aid of the Seer, that we will not have to be _quite_ so careful with Turning any new Children. As careful as I _should_ have been when Turning Raziel and his Brother's. Raziel will be able to handle the restoration of our ranks for the most part and he deserves to have a Clan of his own once more, even if it will not truly replace those that he has lost. Besides, there are other things that needs be done before I look into Turning any Children of my own. Do not worry about such things Mine Own."

"Very well," I said with a blink and a raised brow. "I feel like you are hiding something from me however."

"Hn," he leaned forward and placed a light kiss to my lips. "I am, but it is nothing unpleasant."

"Hmm," I hummed as I leaned in and briefly deepened the kiss. "I'll hold you to that..."

"I expect that you will," he rumbled with a soft laugh before he lead me into the War Room.

I let out a breathless laugh when he lifted me up so that I sat on the edge of the large table and I braced my hands carefully on the table so as not to knock over any of the markers or scratch the detailing. My wings rose upwards and instantly curled forward around Kain in a winged hug. He chuckled at my careful movements and pushed me backwards in slow increments.

"The map has been carefully enchanted so as not to take damage from a wayward claw or talon mine own," he purred as he leaned forward loomingly over me. A hunter's grin curled his lips upwards as he forced one of my legs upwards. I did not fight the movement. "The table will be able to survive as well."

"And the markers?" I breathed, still fighting against the pushing pressure he was placing on my chest. "I'd hate for you to have to re-scout any areas."

"A token protest indeed from you mine own," Kain chuckled as he pressed his lips against my own in a nipping kiss that drew a bead of blood. "You know as well as I that we both have near-eidetic memories."

"'Methinks the lady doth protest too much'?" I quoted with a laugh as I returned the nip, loosing another inch of ground to the unyielding pressure.

"Methinks the lady is not truly _protesting_ at all," he murmured and he gave a more forceful shove that pushed me flat against the table and the map.

I let out an 'oomph!' of noise as my back hit the detailed table-top and I was briefly glad that I had not been perched over the mountains. Markers scattered here and there, jostled both by the impact of my upper body against the table and my wings as they fanned outwards knocking markers over and off of the table entirely. A dark laugh escaped him and I moaned when he started to nibble at my neck.

Suffice to say, little work was done over the next few hours, though I did help him place the markers back in their original positions.

The next several months were spent either amongst the humans of the wilds as we carefully moved them closer to the Sanctuary, those that were willing to move, dealing with the Wildlings that tried to push in on our slowly re-claimed territories, aiding Raziel with his new fledglings or being aided in turn with the Awakened Half-bloods and flying over the land with Kain to spread some of the seeds that I had brought with me from Gaia to help the eco-system recover. Seeds of different kinds of grasses, clovers, trees and various other plant-life all planted with Kain's careful consideration. He was not a Nature Guardian to know precisely what to do or even help speed up plant growth, but as the Balance Guardian he was essentially a jack-of-all-trades and thus knew enough to know if it would be appropriate to plant a particular seed in a particular area.

After each of those particular trips, Kain would teleport us either to our chambers at the Sanctuary or the Retreat. Half the time, he would teleport to Raziel's location in order to bring the dark-haired male along with us. Pleasant interludes indeed and not all of them involved the use of the 'vest spell either. I realized that, thanks to the Chronoplast, he likely knew just when he would Quicken me. I wasn't going to bring it up with him however, as I both wanted it to remain a surprise as to the 'when' and also knew that we could not afford to have me pregnant so early in the Empire's restoration process. It would hobble my ability to battle effectively.

Things would happen when they happened...

As the century started to come to a close things were looking up for the Empire as a whole. Nosgoth was starting to show new life. Flora and Fauna had started to show signs of recovery, if not out-right booming, within the first fifty years. But whilst Nosgoth was improving, I found that things were not simple when it came to my relationship with Kain and Raziel. The near-constant busy-work for all of us meant that some things were pushed aside and... well... _ignored_. Having added Raziel into the mix had added an increased layer of complexity whenever tempers flared up. Whilst there was no animosity between myself and either of the two males, there was still a small divide standing between Kain and Raziel that was preventing their part of the relationship from fully healing. And that were both bull-headed enough that they would continue to ignore it if left to their own devices too... and I was getting tired of playing the middle-man. Especially when one considered that Kain and I had only had two major blow-ups over tactics since my return whilst Kain and Raziel...?

They'd had nineteen separate fights thus far, three of which had left Kain completely flustered... well, flustered for him I should say. Those times, Raziel had seemingly gotten enraged over nothing... or at least nothing that seemed serious enough to warrant such a reaction. Kain's confusion with those three events had matched my own, as again, there seemed to be no serious reason for such an explosion of temper. Raziel had calmed down barely an hour after those three incidents and whilst he did not offer verbal apology, he did offer up his throat to us both.

I realized what was wrong though when they had a major, fang and talon fight not three days after the celebration that marked the first century of the restored Empire. Thankfully, the fight had happened within our large and spacious quarters, but it had also resulted in the outright destruction of almost everything in the room. I'd entered the room at the tail-end of the fight and my presence alone also ended the fight to my surprise. Raziel had jerked away and out of Kain's reach as the Eldar attempted to restrain his flailing talons and limbs and had then stalked past me with a snarling hiss. His words to me could barely have been considered respectful...

"My presence is _obviously_ unwanted at this time. Perhaps _you_ can restore him to good humor, My Lady," he snarled, wings vibrating and held oh-so-close to his body. His next words were muttered and almost unheard even considering vampiric hearing. "Tis not as if he is not happier with you around him than I..."

It was then that I knew that Raziel was still afraid, even after a century, of being tossed aside and forgotten. I'd thought that they had addressed this fear. Truly, I did. But now...? I would not allow this to continue. I walked to the Seer's quarters and had grilled her with a number of questions in order to help trigger a vision. Content with her responses, I flew with her to Kain's Retreat... and promptly booby-trapped that entire building. Runes carefully carved and then charged by her magic to prevent teleportation out but not in. Runic wards to prevent the males from exiting the building proper. Not painful ones, no, they would simply have the sensation of walking into a brick wall. Lastly, runes to reinforce the entire building itself so that a hole could not be made for them to escape that way.

The Seer had seen that my plan would work, though I'd have to face the consequences of tricking them so. I was fine with that however, if it meant that their portion of our relationship could finally heal properly. I flew the Seer back to the Sanctuary and then made sure that the Retreat itself was emptied of the human servants and that they were all at their homes in the surrounding land. Vials of blood and bottles of bloodwine were made readily available, I was not about to starve them into good behavior after all.

Taking a deep, steadying breath I moved to the entryway of the building and tapped on the rune necessary to activate the wards that the Seer had helped me with. I would be staying nearby in case of any complications, keeping an eye on the building from a safe distance, but I would not be trapped within the building whilst they worked things out. I reached out over the Whisper for the both of them and projected a sense of urgency but not out right danger. It was rare indeed for me to call upon them both in such a way, especially given the nature of my ear-piece. They would come...

~Kain. Raziel,~ I said. ~I need you both in the entryway of the Retreat! _Now_ if you would be so kind!~

I was rewarded with the sight of a near instant teleportaion, their forms appearing in the entryway bare seconds after my Whisper to them. Kain's taloned hand was tight around Raziel's bracer, talon-tips having dug grooves into the sturdy metal. By the upset expressions on both of their faces, I had caught them mid-argument if not at the very beginnings of an outright fight. I frowned at them and I knew that my expression was grim as I glared at them from outside the large double-doors.

"Good, you're both here," I sniffed as I looked the pair over.

Raziel had immediately started to look around the area for any threat and had not noticed my mood. Ever the protective Knight to look for danger... I did love that about him. Kain, in comparison, had immediately narrowed his eyes on my form. He had sensed the runes.

"What is wrong My Lady?" Raziel asked as his attention finally turned toward me, having perceived no threat in the immediate area.

"I do believe that the problem would be _us_ my Raziel," Kain said, his tone low and yet... there was both faint annoyance and amusement to be found in his tone and the rumbling that was echoing in his chest.

It was Check and Mate... and he hadn't even known that we'd been playing. He could appreciate being one-upped by me whilst also being upset with me for having been able to take him by surprise. Raziel looked at Kain in shock.

" _Us_?" his gaze snapped back to my own. "My Lady?"

"My Dear Emperor has the right of things my Knight," I purred in a deadly tone. "The problem I have at this point in time is indeed the two of you... you dunderheaded, vain and _inattentive_ males!"

Raziel wrenched his arm free of Kain's grasp. Kain allowed it and took a few steps closer to the door, reaching out to tap one talon-tip against the solid barrier that blocked the way out. His blue-gold gaze started to glow with power as he met my own eyes.

"And what, _pray tell_ , did we do to offend you so Katrina?" he purred in an equally deadly tone.

"This unnecessary fighting between the two of you ends now," I growled. "Were it playfully intended, I would not care one wit. But both of you speak cutting words and do not address the obvious problem in the damned room!"

"Kain does as he pleases," Raziel said, that bitterness once more in his tone. His stance immediately shifted as he spoke. "He always has."

"That right there!" I said with a snap of my fingers in Raziel's direction. "That automatic bitterness. That automatic shift in your stance as if you expect _reprisal_. It needs to _stop_. You are not a whipped dog to expect a fist to the muzzle. You are a _Vampire Lord_. You are one of _MY_ Marked Mates! I will see that the two of you are reconciled."

"Katrina," Kain rumbled. He was frowning now as he glanced over his shoulder to take in Raziel's stance. "We _have_ reconciled..."

"Have you truly?" I hissed. "Is still expecting to be tossed aside and abandoned 'reconciled'? Look at his wings, they will always be the most expressive part of either he or myself. _Look_ at them! It is obvious that he still expects at some point to be tossed from our beds and our lives. It is obvious that even though he is freed of the Reaver, he still thinks that we might not want him!"

Kain looked at Raziel at that point, really looked, and finally noticed the tension that I had recently recognized myself. The tension held all in Raziel's wings and how he held them folded so close to his body when he was not in flight, having sex or when I cleaned them. When I cleaned them, not Kain. Kain's expression tightened. He had finally realized that last item of note. He let out a heavy sigh and pinched at the bridge of his nose as he turned back to me.

"And thus you contrive this _trap_ for us?" he asked and a softer tone that still held the edge of a growl.

"Would you have noticed the problem otherwise?" I countered. "Doubt is a tricky creature and can survive in the face of the most obvious of actions meant to counter it. However, the two of you have been ignoring what happened as if it had _not happened at all_! Ignoring a wound and allowing it to fester is unwise and you _know_ that Kain. Talk to each other, please. Don't simply fight and fuck! I will return to let you out in a month."

" _A month_!?" Raziel all but yelled.

"I did not stutter, my Raziel," I said with a sniff. "I will keep all in line until them. I _am_ the bloody Empress after all."

"You are indeed," Kain rumbled as he eyed me. "Very well, Katrina. We will make due with this... forced sabbatical..."

"Good," I growled as I turned away.

" _Katrina_..." he growled.

"Yes?" I asked as I came to a halt.

"We _will_ be speaking about the execution of your plans later," he growled.

"Do as you will," I said with a sniff and I took flight as if leaving the area.

* * *

Someones in trouble~ *author sings* find out what happens, Next time!

heh, reviews are welcome things


	65. Epilogue Part 3

Hi! Here it is folks, the last chapter of the story. Thank you, all of you, for reading and reviewing the story. With my editor, Ellara Levellan's, help I will still be doing some edits for the story. Fixing typos here and there.

I will be planning on taking a goodly chunk of this story and trying to re-work it into an original work. A Realms Converge Trilogy. So to that end I want to say again that I do not own the Legacy of Kain or it's characters or world.

Katrina, all of the Draconians and the various Clans on Gaia, the vampiric culture and social norms created for use on Gaia/Nosgoth, Nikolai, Alma and her sisters Tara and Victoria, the Path stones, Auron, 'Kindness', the Marks and Symbols (which may be later re-named to be latin Insigne {badge, emblem, distinction, mark, token, medal} or Sumbolus {token, SEAL, sign, mark, symbol, stamp} respectively)? These original characters and concepts are mine and I hope to one day share them and the world that I will create in Nosgoth's place with everyone one day in an Original Published Trilogy. Many things may remain the same, personality wise, background wise, but so much will have to change and I know that. It will be a major undertaking to do.

I have long adored the LOK series and even hope one day that we will get a true, respectful ending to Kain's and Raziel's story that will tie up all the loose ends nicely. The artists, designers, directors, animators, level designers, voice actors... all of them did amazing job creating a world that I have enjoyed playing in. A world that gave me the strength and desire to create this fanfiction. A world that made me realize that I could write and write well enough that I have the hope that I can publish my own work one day.

It's been a crazy honor having Kain stuck in my head pointing out flaws here and there when my writing starts to slip to more modern speech patterns that neither he nor Raziel would use. I imagine all Authors are a little bit crazy too, but then aren't we all? -wink-

Anyway.

After this I will be going back through my Mass Effect story to do edits and resume active work on that story while also working on modding this one to an original piece. Look out for updates or edits for ME: the Paths We Followed at least once a month.

Thank you again to everyone who has read my story, for the feedback and the kind reviews.

Love you all!

Chapter Sixty-three: Epilogue Part 3

The month of Kain's and Raziel's force sabbatical was... nerve wracking to put it mildly. There were no major issues in the Empire that drew me back to the Sanctuary, no, but there were several minor Wildling attacks on trade routes that were swiftly put down thanks to the growing number of those with Vampiric blood or those humans that had received proper military training. There was also an instance of a human bandit party trying to raid one of the smaller, yet budding, settlements a few miles away from the Human Citadel. That was swiftly dealt with when Habrian Whispered for my aid.

No, the nerve wracking part of that month came from the fact that the days dragged on in that thick, sluggish way that time can sometimes crawl. A slowness which is born from the fact that one is both eager for time to pass and yet dreading what may come at the end of all that waiting. I tried to keep myself busy whilst staying far enough away from the Retreat so as not to be sensed, and in turn unable to sense them, but close enough on hand that I could watch over the large building to ensure that the two males were not attacked whilst they were effectively trapped. I would often find myself sitting perched in the high trees that overlooked the Retreat, eyes watchful for any threat but mostly just watching the humans go about their lives during their own little impromptu vacation from working at the Retreat. When the month was finally over, a thrumming kind of trepidation filled me.

Not quite excitement.

Not quite fear.

I landed in front of the main doors and walked over. My hackles were raised and I my approach slowed to a wary, hunter's glide as I looked inside. Letting out a hum of noise, I tapped on the rune to disable the magics and then slashed my claw through it in order to destroy the runic stone. The same would be done to the others hidden about the Retreat. I sniffed at the air as I moved into the building proper and relaxed at the lack of blood-scent that would have signaled that there had been a recent fight. I could feel their Aura's, sedate and relaxed. Calmer than I'd felt from either of them for a while now. They were still here in the building somewhere but...

They weren't in any of the bedrooms or the libraries. They weren't in either dining hall nor in the solar, used mostly during those long nights, nor even the ballroom. Their scent filled the entire building but...

I could not find them.

"Odd," I muttered to myself as I looked around for them.

I did not wish to call out to them or Whisper them. If they were resti-

Tension filled me abruptly as the two Aura's shifted, filling the entire massive building with their presence like a heavy mist or fog. I swallowed roughly. My pulse had started to pound loudly in my ears, at my throat. They were... They... were...

Awake.

Aware.

Hungry.

Hunting...

Hunting me...!

A hissing breath escaped me as I glanced around the room that I was in warily, taking into account every possible exit available to me. The pressure grew to a fever pitch. Two Alpha predators on the hunt and forcing my own instincts closer and closer to that edge of flight over fight. When Kain's mind brushed my own, I actually had to bite down the startled cry that wanted to escape my throat.

~Do you trust me, my Katrina?~ he rumbled. That mental voice was dark, deadly.

Promising...

I swallowed a low whine.

~Yes,~ I responded, voice own emotions ran along the lines of wary but... honest and sincere.

Even if they were both upset with me, two Eldar's of untold power upset with me, I trusted them both.

~Put your wings away then My Little One. Do not use your Gifts,~ he purred. ~Just run...~

"Oh... fuck," I muttered as my eyes widened. I was willing but...

~First tell me if you two have talked things out...~ I said.

My mental voice was firm, if a little shaky. No, the big thing that gave away my nerves was the tremble shivering through my wings. The urge to bolt, to flee and fly far and fast was strong. There were two Eldar's somewhere in the area, both primed and eager for to hunt. Even my Alpha nature, strong as it was, did not want me to stay in one place for long. Flight instincts had all but won out...

~Ah, mine own. Shhh now,~ he purred into my mind. ~We have spoke at length and believe that the crux of the matter has been addressed satisfactorily for all involved.~

~Things are well between us Katrina,~ Raziel purred into my mind.

~Good... that's... good,~ I responded with a shudder and another dry swallow.

My foot slipped back a half-inch and the noise, while soft indeed, still sounded as loud as a battle horn in my ear. I'd stopped breathing at this point, but my heart yet beat loudly in my ears. A thrum of amusement flooded down along the Marks. Their hunger practically sang through me, down to my bones. A ragged gasp escaped me and I took another half-step backwards.

"Run for us Katrina," Raziel suddenly said from somewhere close by, his voice echoing in the ballroom in a way that prevented me from pinpointing his position. "Run."

A part of me wanted to stay and fight. To force down the flight instincts and see how I might fair against the two males. To play hound against hound rather than hounds against hare. The rest of me knew that I would last barely a second against them both in the state I was in. Their Aura's flared once more, pushing away all thought of challenge and I spun on my heels and bolted from the ballroom and down the narrow hallway. Feathers filled the air behind me as I bolted, adding a brief, blinding cover. We'd not truly played Hound and Hare since my return and I meant to make them work for it.

With the pair of them working in tandem so well, they almost had me pinned down when I reached the main foyer. Kain was blocking the main doors out of the Retreat whilst Raziel had blocked the doors to the left of the base of the stairs. There were other doors of course, but they had picked the best spots possible to prevent me from reaching said doors. Rather than flee back the way I came, I jumped upwards, grabbing the handrails of the stairs and flinging myself up to the second floor. The handrails broke from the force of my movements and I used the resulting chunks of wood as weapons, sending them flying at each of their heads as they lunged for me. I spun without seeing if the chunks hit their marks and darted down the hallway that lead deeper into the rooms of the second floor.

After a hundred years of living either here at the Retreat or at the Sanctuary, one memorized the layout of one's home quite thoroughly. But they knew the household just as well as I, if not better.

I used what I could to slip through their grasp again and again. We danced a wild, hunting dance throughout the massive building, many of the rooms being upended in my land-bound flight from them. Chairs, tables and beds being up-ended in their faces to slow them down just that second that I needed to get away. I was glad that they held themselves to the same rules that they had requested of me; No Flight. No Gifts. Heart-pounding minute after minute passed as I fled my Mates. My Hunters. But in the end my speed still proved to be the lesser...

Raziel managed to flush me out in Kain's direction and the silver-haired male's taloned hand closed about my wrist even as I tried to twist out of the way of the expected trap. He twisted me about rapidly and my breath left me in a rush as my stomach was pinned firmly against the balcony overlooking the ballroom. Talon-tips teased lightly around the pressure point that would force my wings out and a low, loud moan escaped my lips at the touch. When I had told him upon my return that said spot could be an erogenous zone, I had not been joking. It had taken careful lessons to for him to learn just the right amount of pressure to use.

He applied just the slightest amount of force, not enough to trigger the natural reaction that would result in pain and agony but enough that the nerves from the tips of my toes to the top of my skull sang with a sweeter kind of fire. A higher pitched cry escaped me at the touch and he pulled me back, wrapping an arm around my waist even as he moved to lean back against the wall closest to us. Raziel moved forward with a hunter's gait and kissed me deeply whilst Kain shifted me up enough so that he could lick and nibble around that one spot with abandon. It was almost, almost, as good a sensation as when Kain stroked lips and tongue over my folds and clit and I moaned into Raziel's mouth.

Whilst I was distracted so, Raziel lashed out with his sharp talons to cut into my leathers, stripping me of my top and pants. I growled at the loss of the clothing and then yipped when he leaned forward to nip at my breast. Their combined Aura's flooded over my mind once more and a strained keen of noise escaped my throat at the pressure. Even though it was Raziel who bore MY Mark, his power was still on parr with Kain's as a powerful Eldar. He nipped down along the line of my stomach and I arched into his touch, eager for more.

The next thing I knew, I was pinned once more against the railing of the balcony. A startled hiss escaped my lips when a large taloned hand thwacked hard over the cheeks of my ass. Another blow forced a yelp of almost pain from my lips. At the third blow I clenched my teeth and refused to make another sound, though my body still tried to writhe away from followup and rapid-fire strike. The blows, the thrice be damned spanking, halted after the fourth hit of taloned hand against bare flesh. Kain pressed himself along the line of my back as he pulled me up against him and I contained a keen at the feel of him. So hard beneath his leathers and against my skin. Fangs grazed over my throat where his Mark lay and I shivered at the touch. A soft gasp escaped my lips. His own lips brushed against my ear in a feather-light caress.

"I have a few questions for you Katrina, before I continue with any further punishment," he rumbled.

I shuddered at his no-nonsense tone, as if he were not pressed so eagerly against my flushed body, and licked my lips.

"What questions do you have for me, My General?" I asked in a soft tone, expecting and rightly so, that he would be asking about the contengencies that I had put in place during their 'sabbatical'. I did trap them after all. Had they been attacked...

"Did you set someone in place to watch over the Retreat?" he asked.

"I did," I answered.

"Who?"

"Myself," I responded in a firm tone. "I was not comfortable with the thought of leaving your safety up to the youths of our restored Empire."

A partially pleased rumble escaped him and I was rewarded with a gentle yet firm kiss along that pressure point, fangs lightly scraping the skin. A shudder ran through me and I let out another low groan of noise.

"Were there any complications that arose whilst you were standing guard and if so how did you handle them mine own? Especially given the fact that you were nearby and not at the Sanctuary?" he rumbled questioningly.

"A few minor Wildling attacks along the trade routes of which Habrian and Raul were able to put down with ease," I groaned softly. I swallowed and continued to make the report. "And one human bandit raid that Raziel's three eldest were able to deal with without problem. They did not need me on hand and their reports were acceptable. No lasting injuries to Human, Half-blood or Vampire."

"Good," he said and another fanged kiss was my reward. "Any political concerns or problems with the humans in the Citadel?"

"None," I said with a low and pleased sigh of sound.

I shifted against him unconsciously, seeking to push harder against his groin in an attempt to feel more. Fangs sank warningly into the back of my neck and I let out a hiss of breath as I forced myself to still those unconscious, seeking movements. He pulled his fangs free and lapped at the healing wound. His breath tickled over my ear a moment later.

"You took a large risk when you trapped us here so," he growled softly against my skin. "What would you have done if we were attacked?"

"T-the wards were set to a trigger word," I murmured softly, glancing back at him as much as I could pinned as I was. "Pre-tested to insure that it would work properly. The wards would have also fallen in an instant had such an attack happened. No one would have been able to see me either. I had my Gift up as I kept watch over your Retreat."

"Ah.. wise my Queen," he said with a low chuckle. "Still... You played a dangerous game Mine Own."

"I am well aware," I said softly, my spine stiffening some with the resolution that I had done the right thing regardless of the potential dangers in pulling things off the way I had.

"Good," he pulled back and another blow landed against my rear and the tips of his talons clipped my lower back as I jerked away from the blow.

I yipped in pain. Small wounds opened and spilled little beads of fresh blood over my skin before they could heal over. His hand passed soothingly over where the cuts had been, but the touch was a brief and fleeting thing that lasted only for a moment before his hand smacked hard once more over the cheeks of my ass. I felt a flush started to spread over my cheeks when Raziel abruptly let out a low growl from behind us, reminding me that he was there. I'd briefly forgotten about his presence, my focus narrowing down on Kain and his Aura pulsing so around me. The realization that he was watching Kain and I sent both a thrill of excitement through me as well as a wild flash of embarrassment.

Being spanked like a recalcitrant Childe in front of my other Marked Mate was so... so... Another yelp was forced from my throat at the next firm blow and my thoughts scattered to the wind.

Kain pulled me against his body once more and he turned so that he could lean against the sturdy railing instead, his arms like tight bands of steel around my waist and arms. I was thoroughly pinned... Raziel moved towards us, a hungry and lust-filled look in his gaze. He reached out to trail the tips of his talons over my skin, paying particular attention to the areas where my skin was flushed red with my embarrassment. When a dark smile curled his lips upwards, I reflexively started to bare my fangs at him to make plain my annoyance. Kain's fangs abruptly sank deep into my throat however in a slow, oh so slow feeding that once more scatter any thought of upset. I arched backwards against the taller male with a low groan of pleasure. A ragged, strangled gasp escaped my lips a second later and I shifted my head to look down. Raziel had dropped to one knee in front of me and his mouth had closed immediately around my clit, warm and wet. His tongue worked skillfully over that sensitive nub of flesh, stroking the fires of desire within me higher and higher still. All sense of embarrassment from the earlier spanking fell to the wayside, forgotten beneath that deft touch and Kain's feeding, as they both forced me closer and closer toward that sweet peak of release...

And then the gods-be-damned bastards stopped right before I could reach that peak!

I roared my frustration and bucked wildly in Kain's arms. My legs lashed out swiftly in order to catch Raziel and try to force his mouth back down against my hot skin. Whilst I was able to catch him with my legs, his strength more than outmatched my own and he blew a teasing breath over my hyper-sensitive flesh rather than re-apply that sweet-suckling pressure. I snarled, enraged by his teasing. He merely let out a low and hungry sounding growl in response to my obvious upset. Kain kept me firmly pinned against his chest as I struggled. His fangs slid free of my throat and his lips brushed lightly over my ear. He laughed low and deep at my resultant, near petulant, growl. Kain's chest vibrated with rumbling laughter against my back and I roared again when Raziel blew another cooling breath over my heated skin.

"Damnit all! The hell did you stop for?!" I asked demandingly, my voice cutting off in a low whine.

"You know why, Mine Own," Kain purred in a low voice, fangs brushing against my ear as he spoke. His thruming purr rumbling pleasantly against my back.

A high whine of frustration escaped me when Raziel forced my legs wide and away from his neck, easily freeing himself from the leg-lock that I'd had him in. He stood and moved against me, rubbing his leather covered length against me with a firm pressure. His gaze held a tinge of blue-white power and his smile was a predator's fierce baring of fangs. Catching my legs firmly in his grasp once more, he forced them upwards so that my toes were almost pointed straight up towards the ceiling. I let out a frustrated and strained hiss at being held so. No mount of squirming would get me free from their firm grasp. Another, higher, sound escaped me when he shifted me enough so that he held my ankles pinned together in one hand and pressed firmly against his right shoulder whilst he freed his length from the confines of his leathers. He rubbed that hard shaft against my bared ass and I tried to shift into that touch with a groan.

A vial of the lube that I had brought with me was pulled free from one of his belt pouches and the lid was opened even as he continued to grind against me. I twisted about as much as I was able to, trying to watch his movements as he poured some of the lube into his hand, but the angle was poor. The vial was carefully balanced on the railing next to Kain a moment later and his hand ducked back out of my sight. No matter how much I tried shift about, all I could do was listen to him. Listen to the slick, wet sounds of his hand moving... coating his shaft with said lube. I shivered and trembled in response to that sound. I was eager, and wary, with regards to what they were planning to do to me now that they had caught me so thoroughly. I shuddered again and let out a low and eager keen when the backs of slicked talons brushed over my folds in a teasing touch.

Raziel and Kain let out dual chuckles of hungry amusement. Raziel shifted me just enough so that he could push his now slicked and magically shielded talon against my rear passage and I tensed briefly. The angle was not an ideal one for me when it came to such activities, not with my legs held pointed upwards and my body bent like a 'V' but... I took a slow breath in through my nose and forced myself to relax. It might be interesting to try out such an angle and if it did not work out, I could trust them to stop. Raziel waited for a few moments more after I had relaxed, the narrow and magically blunted point of that thick talon just teasing at the puckered opening. When I abruptly tried to buck into that touch, to force him to continue, he chuckled and began to ease the tip of his talon inside.

I hissed low in pain and pleasure, arching the scant few inches that I could as that thick talon slowly pushed into my rear. Raziel's movements were slow and carefully calculated as he made sure that I would be fully opened for him, fully prepared for his length, but there was always the brief sting of muscles being stretched further than they should be allowed whenever there was anal play involved. He pulled back enough to gather up more lube and then reapplied that stretching pressure. My head fall backwards and a deeper moan escaped my lips. Kain rumbled softly, hungrily, and started to tease at that pressure point once more. He nuzzled at the area carefully, skillfully. Whilst it had taken more than a few mishaps to learn just the right amount of force to use against the area, he had spent the past century carefully re-learning my body and just how to use this spot in a way that practically made me melt.

Another low moan escaped my lips as Kain's fangs lightly brushed over sensitive skin. I bucked again, my body aching with the urge to writhe about. His arms remained like steel bands around my chest and waist to hold me still however and he easily held me in place so that he could safely tease the sensitive spot that he was attacking. Pinned so as I was between them, I could barely move. Ah... but it felt so damned good, even though I knew that their teasing, gentle, stoking touches could last for hours before they might actually lay claim to me in full. Raziel's talon sank in past the first knuckle and a pleasure-pained wail escaped my lips as the breaching pressure increased. My body twitched in their arms, a string wound too tight. Kain shifted me lower and then sank his fangs into my throat in a slow feeding as Raziel's talon slid deeper still. I tried to shift about, tried to move in a way that would apply just a little friction to sensitive area. So close, so very close. I just needed a little more stimulation and...!

Another frustrated snarl escaped me when Raziel pulled his talon free and Kain stopped feeding. I let out a low hiss of anger and then yelped when Raziel's hand smacked against the cheeks of my ass in a reprimanding blow. I felt my cheeks flush as I pinned him with a glare. He smiled, a fanged and unrepentant grin. He shifted enough to push the head of that hard shaft against my soaked slit and laughed with I let out a low moan.

"So eager," he purred in a dark tone. "You want it deep, don't you My Lady? You want me buried inside you Katrina...?"

"God... damned...tease!" I bit out with a gasp. "You know damn well... what I want! Fill me, you son of aah... ahhhh!"

A screaming wail escaped me as the head of his length moved abruptly away from my slick slit and pushed deep into my stretched rear passage instead. He leaned forward with a rumbling groan and nipped at my lower lip.

"As you wish Katrina," he purred against my mouth.

He shifted back with a low groan, taloned hands clenching and unclenching around my legs where he held me pinned as he slipped an inch or so out of me. He drove forward again, hard and swift. Another cry was forced past my lips at the movement and I clenched tight around him. Kain's rumbling purr against my back grew louder still as Raziel began to take my ass at a near-brutal pace. I tried to writhe, tried to buck up to meet those piercing thrusts, but they continued to deny me even that small amount of movement. I fell limp in their arms minutes later with a keening moan when I had finally exhausted my strength. All I could do was take it, to take that length deep as Raziel forged closer and closer to his own release. Their own movements and touches and nipping kisses were carefully designed to keep me at the cusp of my own without allowing me to fall over that sweet edge and it... was driving me... mad!

"Ah..! Fuck...! More! Damn you both! More!" I roared in a nigh-desperate tone. I was making demands, not begging... but it was a damned close thing.

Kain laughed, low and loud in my ear. Raziel bared his fanged and threw his head back, his wings fanning out wide above us in a mantling display as his thrusts abruptly grew wild and uncontrolled. A bellowing roar escaped his own throat as he gave one final, vicious thrust into my rear passage and a flood of cold-fire seed filled me in heavy spurts. My head fell back against Kain's shoulder and the sensation of Raziel filling me started to drive me over that edge. A soft yet high pitched keening cry escaping my lips... and then Kain's hand closed painfully tight around one of my breasts. He forced me back from that edge of release just as I started to fall with a vicious and cold kind of sadistic cruelty.

"Fucking whoresonnnnnnssss... sah! Ngh! Kaiiinnn... ngh!" I shouted, my voice breaking off into a high-pitched, stuttering whimper as Raziel started to slide free from my clasping hole. "Don't stop. Don't stop! Damn you, you fucking bastard! Don't you dare fucking stop!"

Raziel laughed low, voice tinged with his satiation as he shifted my legs down and outwards in a way that would keep me from rubbing them together to find my own satisfaction via friction. I roared again, my frustration with them both echoing loudly throughout the building. Kain shifted me up a bit, one arm still a tight band around my arms and chest, and he reached to dip one talon into the wide opening of the vial of lube balanced upon the railing. I shifted to glare at him over my shoulder, knowing that my eyes were white with vampiric power and he smiled a dark, lustful grin that was all beautifully vicious fang. The tip of his talon tap-tapped at the glass and my eyes darted down, attention caught by the noise. I tensed, body clenching with the desperate ache to be filled as I realized that he was moving his talon about within the vial... as if it were my own body he was teasing instead of inanimate glass. Gods be damned tease! Another desperate little keen tried to escape me and I bit into my lower lip to contain most of the sound.

Ah, but this was the worst sort of torture... the sweetest of torments... and I knew that I'd not last much longer under such a skilled assault... and the grin that curled Kain's lips upwards said that he knew it too.

"You want to be filled, do you? My sweet Empress," he purred as he leaned to trail his tongue along my neck and over his Mark. Tap-tap-tap went his talon against the glass. Squelch-squelch went the lube. I whimpered, my eyes fluttering half-shut. "You wish for the pleasure of completion? You wish to be speared and spread open upon me, wanton as any Night Lady? Tell me mine own, do you need...?"

"Nngh," I groaned and tried to nip at him but the way I was held prevented my fangs from reaching his flesh. "You know what I want, you bastard... give it to me..."

I was still trying to give orders... still trying to hold off the desire to simply give in and beg for more... His lips curled upwards in a cold and hungry grin. He glanced at Raziel. Magic coiled about my legs, holding them where the dark-haired male had positioned them. Raziel shifted closer, hands hovering just over my skin as they slid downwards. His hands bypassed my mound and moved instead lower still so that he could undo the lacings of Kain's leathers. The sound of the leather lacings being pulled free of their eyelets made me hiss with frustrated, long denied desire and I tried to bite at Kain once again. He tucked his head down against my neck, a rumbling laugh escaping him.

Tap-tap-tap went the talon as Raziel shifted Kain's freed length with gentle care so that it could brush against my slickened folds. The teasing touch sent a violent shudder through my body.

"DAMN IT KAIN!" I roared, my voice ending in a near-begging whine.

"You know what you need to say my Dear Katrina," he purred against my skin, lips teasing the flesh of my neck as he spoke. His hand moved away from the vial, the lube dripping lewdly from his talon. "You know what I wish to hear... say it mine own."

His arm moved teasingly back around my body, trailing a line of lube over my skin as he reached around me in order to take his length into his own hand. Raziel moved back a few inches, hands trailing oh-so-lightly over my inner thighs, watching us with yet hungry eyes. Kain started to stroke himself and wet, slick sounds filled the air with each pump of his hand. I cried out again in frustration. In need. Attempts to buck against his forearm failed as he kept his arm angled just so in order to prevent his arm from touching my heated, hungry skin.

"Take me please! Kain!" I said, voice half-pleading, half-command.

A dark laugh escaped Kain as he nuzzled my ear. His hand shifted away from his length and then he moved to cup my thighs in both hands. Raziel backed away several paces with a small smirk upon his lips. He shifted me so that his length ran along the line of my slit briefly and then he pulled back...

And he dropped me, magic and hands falling away from my body in an instant.

I yelped, a frustrated and shocked noise and managed, just barely, to twist about as I fell so that I landed roughly on my hands and one knee. A position that made it seem as if I had knelt in front of him in genuflection. I raised my head slowly, glaring up at him through my tussled hair. Baring my fangs, I let out a low hiss that simply made his grin widen further. He remained against the railing, arms held out at a casual distance, length standing proud and slick practically in front of my face. His talon tips twitched in a come hither gesture and I growled at the movement.

"If you want it mine own," he purred in a lust-filled tone, "then come and claim it."

Smug bastard-born son of a bitch... I thought in angry, lust-filled frustration as I jerked up and forward.

My movements were that of a partial lunge, one foot coming up high enough that I could rest it upon the railing itself, my other leg digging in against his side, one hand tangling roughly in his silvered hair and the other digging claws into the back of his neck. I slammed my lips against his own and ground my lower body against his roughly. A growling groan escaped him as he returned my violent kiss, our tongue briefly catching across each others fangs and filling our mouths with our combined vitae. His taloned hands closed lightly on my hips but he did nothing to impede my movements with his grasp. I shifted my body about in order to drive myself down upon him and he shifted in turn to deny me the angle I sought. That odd, sensual near-scuffle continued for several minutes before I let out a frustrated moan and released his hair. Shifting back just enough to dart my hand down between us to take firm hold of his length, not caring that I was a little rougher than I otherwise might have been, I angled him perfectly with my slickened hole and drove my hips down.

A snarling growl escaped Kain and he twisted away from the kiss at my harsh movements, his fangs sinking deep into my throat even as his hands tightened upon my hips. His own movements drove him further up into my body and I groaned, the pads of my fingers teasing over that hard length as he plowed into me. A full bodied shudder ran through him and he pulled his fangs free before the pleasure of that bite could be more than a pleasant buzz. His lips teased over the shell of my ear.

"I am going to cast the 'vest spell mine own..." he murmured in warning. I let out a low, growling moan and nodded my head in response to his words, a silent acquiescence.

I moved my hand out from between our bodies and tangled my fingers back in those silken-silver strands. Latin words fell from his lips, hands tightened about my waist... and suddenly he was surging upwards violently, buried to the very hilt within my body. I bucked in his grasp, a howl escaping my lips as I threw my head back. I knew that it wouldn't take much longer for either of us to find completion, but I did not sink fangs into his throat nor did he sink his into mine. No, I imply road him, hard and fast, his own movements and grasp spurring me on as he drove upwards into the depths of my body. A high sound escaped my throat as I finally reached that long sought for and denied peak, my muscles spasming as I clenched around him, hands and legs holding tight to his form. A strained, roaring growl escaped him as he gave several more violent thrusts upwards and I felt the sweet, cold-fire sensation of his seed filling me... followed by the distinct, animalistic need to struggle away... I bucked wildly in his grasp, claws digging viciously into his thick hide and he swiftly bore me to the ground to hold me pinned in place. Just as I had warned him to do if I ever struggled this way.

I was Quickening. I knew it instantly... he'd released viable seed directly within the very core of my body... He... he. Rational thought fled and all I could think about was one thing. He needed to earn this! He needed to fucking Earn This! Not just any male could mount me so! He would fucking earn this or he would die with my claws in his throat...!

A vicious snarl escaped my lips and I tried to bite at him. I heard Raziel start to approach and barely registered Kain's snarl for him to stay back. My wrists were pinned above my head with telekinetic magics, strands of Kain's hair tangled in my fingers. His hands remained firm about my waist as I struggled, trying to angle my legs in a way that would assist me in pushing away from him. Another, growling snarl escaped him as he murmured the counter to the 'Vest spell and I howled as my body started to try to close, to heal, around the impalement that was buried in my womb. His breathing came in roughened, growling pants as he started to pull free of me, trying to hold me still enough that nothing would escape as he pulled from me. As he pulled free of me, my cervix closing to it's natural size, I went limp and trembled. A low, dazed keen escaped my throat.

Kain nuzzled at my neck gently, licking and laping at his Mark as he let out a low, thruming, soothing purr of sound.

"Katrina?" he rumbled. "Dear Katrina, are you well?"

"Y-yes..." I murmured dazedly. "It... worked..."

He stilled against me, shifting after a moment to brush his lips against my ear.

"Say it..." he said in a voice rough with lingering pleasure and a hint of some un-named emotion that I couldn't quite place. " I need to hear you say the words Katrina... Dear Katrina..."

I smiled a dazed and pleased smile up at him, "You have Quickened me, My King, My Emperor. You will have a Living Heir... a Half-blooded Heir."

A tremble ran through him and he let out a low sound. He pressed his forehead against my own and then threw his head back, letting out a roar of pure triumph.

* * *

The next several months were busy indeed as Kain felt that it was time to call some of the Hylden through the portal. The Seer was eager indeed about the prospect. Kain was no fool though and even now the main hall around the Pillars was filled with carefully armed and armored warriors. He was also prepared to close the Portal in an instant if any attack proved forthcoming. The Portal was opened with little fan-fare and the group that entered the large room numbered only thirty strong as Kain had ordered. What surprised us however, was the one leading the party.

A Hylden both fair of face and young, perhaps no more that fourteen summers at the most, walked at the head of the group. She moved over to Kain once the Portal was closed and bowed to him respectively before baring her throat to him.

"My name is Hai'ashi," she said in a soft yet ringing voice. "My twin is to be Queen of our generation whilst I will be the Seer. I am here to offer myself up as a foster-ling to help promote good will between our peoples."

We were surprised indeed by the words she spoke and the Seer that we had come to know practically beamed with pride at the youth's choice. Neither Kain nor I had expected the Hylden to be willing to put forward one of their own as a foster-ling. The potential risk, from their point of view, was not a small thing. Still, we welcomed her readily enough and she would not be ill-treated, not with her many times Great-Aunt present. A way to help prevent future strife was not an unwelcome thing.

Those who followed her through the Portal were skilled in agricultural and architectural arts as we had planned. The move to temporary lodgings in the once abandoned structures that had housed the smog machines was smooth enough. Those who had arrived remained respectful of guards and those who now lived in the large guard- post/city that the place had become over the past century. The place was now known as Mons Civitatem or, quite simply, 'the mountain city'.

The Hylden had long ago developed a similar means to test soil as Gaia had done. The resulting excitement amongst the thirty was infectious, though Kain was swift to direct the lot to submit any questions and ideas to him for review via parchment format rather than continue to try to overwhelm his time by talking to him directly. My Eldar Mate did enjoy a good debate, but a constant flood of 'should we...?', 'can I...?' or 'what if we...?' could grate on anyone's nerves.

Four months later, a city was built to the north of Mons Civitatem and the Hylden dubbed it 'New Haven'.

Three months after that the Pillar of Nature started to shine nigh on as bright as it had the Day of Restoration. The glow interrupted a court session, a dispute between two of the newer vampires that Raziel had Turned arising over a human servant's injury, and Kain was swift to commune with the Pillar of Balance to try to account for the anomaly. When he pulled away from the Pillar, a satisfied yet equally wary grin turned his lips upwards. He turned to those who had gathered for the court session and eyed the two male Full-blood vampires.

"We will review the rest of the evidence against your Brother later Simeon," Kain said in a firm voice. When Simeon bristled Kain flared his Aura, forcing the younger male to bare his throat on instinct. "A Guardian has been born. The Pillar of Nature once more has a Guardian."

A wave of stunned awe filled the crowd, which was mostly composed of Human and Full-blood. Only myself and Habrian represented the Half-blood's of Nosgoth whilst the Seer and three other Hylden represented their own numbers. I shifted in my own throne and tilted my head with a small smile as I looked at Kain.

"Was Nosgoth able to inform you of where we might find this newborn Guardian my Emperor?" I asked in a voice that was both soft and yet carried clearly.

"Yes," Kain gave a regal nod and looked toward the four Hylden. "A new Hylden has just been born. This is the first Hylden birth held upon Nosgoth's soil in centuries. He is the new Guardian of Nature."

There was an abrupt choked noise from one of the male's, a noise that sounded like he was trying to say 'Tali'arni', and the next thing anyone knew he was unconscious on the floor. We all blinked at him in surprise and more than a few titters of laughter filled the room from various sources. His companions were swift to get him back on his feet and the stunned look upon his face was a priceless thing indeed. From what his companions were able to tell us, since he'd been struck mute by Kain's news, he and his wife had been the only couple to make that first journey through the Portal back to Nosgoth. He'd had no idea that his mate had gotten pregnant, hells, we hadn't known that the Hylden gestation period was only seven months. He certainly knew the day of conception though, that was for sure!

A careful celebration was held, given that my own pregnancy was now quite prominent at seven months, and it was revealed that the Symbol of Nature glowed prominently on the infants hand. The Hylden infant was named Wyld'es and the newborn and his family were swiftly moved into the Sanctuary. Kain wanted to keep any new Guardian's close, which was understandable. Those chosen by Nosgoth to be her Guardians would need to be protected.

Kain, Raziel and I were all relieved by the now obvious signs of new life that were budding up here and there across the massive super-continent that was Nosgoth. Flora and fauna alike were growing more and more prominent, Human numbers were booming and even the Vampiric ranks were beginning to swell as new fledglings were chosen with exacting care. Another group of thirty Hylden were allowed to cross through the Portal, mostly couples who were expecting to my surprise. They too acclimated swiftly, no eagerly, to their new life upon Nosgoth. They did not even seem to mind Kain's quite stringent requirements of them, but then they did just come from what amounted to a hell dimension...

The most important thing of all though, was the fact that the ranks of Pillar Guardian's were growing once more in number, each one chosen heralded by another massive burst of light from the respective Pillar in question.

Within two weeks of Wyld'es birth, the Pillar of Death started to shine. A human girl Thana had been Chosen to be the new Guardian of Death. A week after that Conflict chose a newborn human boy given the name of Duncan and Energy chose the newborn child of one of the expecting couples that had crossed through the Portal. A girl named Blay'set.

Surprisingly, Mind and States both remained quiet during all of the new, living, births that were going on. Barely a week before my expected due date, Raziel disappeared with two new prospective Children; Liam and William. Brothers who had fought long and hard in the human units that helped to keep the Wildlings at bay and away from the lands of Sanctuary. Almost immediately upon their Turning, Mind and States began to glow.

Kain was nigh on certain that Nosgoth would choose Half-bloods to represent the last two Pillars, Time and Dimension. I turned to look at him in curiosity the day that he idly said as such and raised a brow. We had been relaxing silently, simply enjoying each others presence and leaning against the railing of the balcony that overlooked the massive courtyard.

"You have not gone to the Chronoplast to confirm?" I asked him.

He turned to me with a faint smirk, hand falling to trail feather light over my rounded belly and he chuckled faintly.

"I have not," he said softly. "I have more important things to consider when going to review the paths available to us. I will... allow myself to be pleasantly surprised."

"Oh?" I blinked suddenly and then chuckled as I covered his hand. "Does that mean that you know not if our child will be a boy or a girl?"

"That would be a correct assumption, Mine Own," he purred as he leaned over to nip lightly at my neck. I shivered as fangs brushed his Mark. "Some things are worth waiting for..."

"Hnn," I smiled faintly and turned my head to kiss his lips in a fainted nip. "Then we shall find out together."

"We shall..." he rumbled as he turned to kiss me. He pushed me almost gently against the wall and I let out a low rumble of amusement at the movement.

My Half-blood nature meant that I did not have to deal with pesky things like bloating feet or fatigue, though mood swings and cravings happened frequently enough. Sparring with Raziel to alleviate my anger swiftly became an effort in futility since he did not wish to risk hurting me or the unborn child within me. It did not help matters when my own scent became altered enough that Kain absolutely refused to hold court and practically chased everyone out of the Sanctuary that did not actually live there. In fact, the last week of my pregnancy actually ended with him teleporting me to our Retreat with only Raziel to tend to our needs. Not even the human servants were allowed to remain within the large domicile. It was less annoying than I thought it might be in truth, as my own instincts had started to scream for solitude much as they did when the Torpor was upon me.

This was because of the fact that, like the Torpor, I would be rendered helpless when it was time.

A female half-blood's body was far stronger than that of the small, fragile life that could be housed within. There would be no contractions, as a single one could crush the unborn child. No, a Half-blood's body would go lax and they would be left helpless throughout the entire birthing process and the family or mate of the Half-blood in question would need to remove the babe by hand. This was why Auron could so easily slay the children of those Half-bloods that he had Quickened over the centuries without the Half-blooded female being able to truly stop him from doing so. This was a potential point in a female Half-blood's life that would leave any of us as helpless as a Draconian whose wing pressure point had been struck.

As it was, my body went limp mid-conversation with my two Mate's regarding the slow reclamation of the Rahabim Territory. Only Raziel's swiftness saved me from banging my skull against the table that I had been walking toward. I let out a low grunt of annoyance at what lethargic movements that I could do and then let out a strained, huffing sigh as Kain took me from Raziel in order to carry me to our room.

"You are well?" he asked in a tone that was calm and questioning. There was no worry or fear in his tone. He was controlled and composed even now.

"I'm fine," I murmured, voice close to slurring. "Just... get me to the bed..."

"I will gather the supplies," Raziel said and he slipped ahead of us. His own tone carried clear signs of his nervousness.

Having the two males play mid-wife to me was amusing in a way, but Raziel did not need to fret so. Living as long as they had, they had seen the occasional human birthing. The screaming, wailing, threats of violence upon the sire and the cursing that would result from the agony that the human females went through. Kain already knew from my explanations that there would be no such screeching from me, but then he took my words to heart. Raziel however, was expecting to have his poor enhanced hearing abused...

I chuckled as I was laid out on the bed and I sent a thrum of reassurance along that mental connection that we shared. Raziel offered me a huffing smile in response but slowly relaxed as Kain shifted about the room. We had all the supplies that we needed, especially if a c-section was necessary. Crib, swaddling clothes, water and clean cloth, blood vials... Kain's hand abruptly closed about my chin and he forced me to look at him. I blinked and raised a brow.

"You are over-thinking mine own," he hummed and a low purring thrum filled the air. "Shhhh now."

I let out another huff of breath as I realized that Raziel's nervousness had spiked a bout of worry within me. Raziel let out a low rumble himself, partly an apology for affecting me so and partly an attempt to sooth. Kain's hand passed over my belly and his brow rose in brief confusion before his expression cleared. I'd felt two small thumps of feet, but they were not the agonizing blows to a full bladder that a human woman would feel. The sensation of movement had always been somewhat muted for me, but now it was barely noticeable what with the near-paralysis that affected me. Kain did not give me any time to question him however, he merely shifted to grab a pair of leather gloves that covered deadly talons and started to reach into me.

A strained noise escaped me at the slow and careful movements. It was not pain, per se, but rather a distinct stretching sensation. My blood perfumed the air and Raziel shifted closer, blood-vial in hand. A greater sense of stretching filled me and I let out a near-pained groan as the feeling of something being pulled free, pulled out, passed through the normally tight channel. I almost panicked at the lack of a cry to fill the air and had to force myself to calm and go through the information that Sigrun and Joan had shared with me. Newly born Half-bloods were silent little things. Their vampiric instinct, though muted as it was, held the babes tongue to help avoid drawing attention to the helpless babe and mother. Still, I found myself straining my hearing and only relaxed when I could pinpoint the tiny little things breathing. Raziel shifted to take and clean the babe, thick talons also covered by velvet soft leather gloves and I let out a startled cry.

Kain had reached back in...?!

"W-what? Kain...!" I twitched, just faintly, and his free hand settled on my wrist as his rumbling purr grew louder.

"Shhh, My Dear Katrina, shhhh," he murmured in that rumbly voice. "You are not done yet. It seems we have more than one surprise..."

My eyes flew wide at his words and I let out a shocked cry at the second stretching sensation that ran through me. Raziel, too, let out a startled noise.

Twins?!

I had been carrying twins?!

My body spasmed suddenly as the second smaller form was finally pulled from me. A violent shudder ran through me as I finally found that I could move once more. I let out a low groan and winced as I pushed myself up onto my elbows. Kain was busy cleaning the second babe and started in shocked awe between the small forms held in both of my Mates arms.

Twins...

Worry again jolted through me...

"How do they look?" I asked.

"All fingers and toes accounted for with this little lad," Raziel said, a note of awe in his tone. "He seems a little smaller than perhaps he should be, but I believe that is normal for twin births?"

"It is," I said and I reached out toward him. "Let me hold him."

Raziel passed the newborn, my son!, to me and I cradled him close. I took in his scent slowly, instinct imprinting that young scent immediately into the back of my mind, and then looked at Kain as he finished wrapping up the other small form. He walked over to me and sat next to me upon the bed as he passed the small form to me.

"She is well. All limbs and digits accounted for," he purred in a self-satisfied tone. "A touch small perhaps, but healthy. You did well Mine Empress."

"We did well," I said happily and I leaned over the small head and took in the girls, my daughters, scent. A happy, humming purr escaped me.

Their eyes opened almost at the same time and I froze as an odd sensation filled me. Something that I had felt only once before. Like time itself had frozen for a shutter-snap instant of a picture being taken. Beautiful blue eyes stared up at me. Beautiful, perfect lapis-lazuli eyes...

"Kain..." I breathed in a low voice. "Oh... look! Their eyes!"

He shifted to look and froze against me. A sharp hiss escaped him and he pulled me close into his arms. One hand hovered above the crown of each fragile head briefly before he bent to kiss the crown of each head. A soft gurgle escaped both of their throats at the light touch.

"My little hellions..." he breathed softly.

"Sire?" Raziel shifted closer, worry in his tone. "My Lady? Is something wrong?"

"No my Raziel, my sweet knight," I said with a soft laughter that revealed that I was on the edge of tears. "Nothing is wrong. My Twin Jewels... Oh my sweet, sweet jewels hid somehow from the Parasite."

"Truly?" Raziel asked, voice raised just faintly in shock. He shifted in order to look closer at those beautifully jeweled eyes. "By the Pillars..."

I could not help it as a soft, sobbing laugh escaped me and I cuddled those fragile little forms close as Kain wrapped his arms around the three of us. He kissed the crown of my head and purred low and deep against my back.

"My sweet little jewels," I gasped softly through my tears. "My Lapis. My Lazuli. Oh, welcome home my twin jewels..."

"Welcome home my little hellions," Kain echoed me, his voice soft. Proud. "Welcome home."

* * *

Again, thank you again so much everyone for reading, for the reviews and for your follows. It has been one hell of a journey with this story. Love to you all!


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